The moment of Freedom

There is a quote by Mahatma Gandhi

"Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?"

Our understanding of freedom revolves around the state of not being imprisoned, the power to be able to speak without restraint, independence, freedom from injustice. But what does it mean to be free?

There are many types of freedom such as freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom from bondage and slavery, and more.

People may reside in a free country but are not as fortunate to experience the freedom that the more fortunate have. Freedom is a privilege that is non-existent for some.

The scope of the term freedom differs, it can be social or natural. Freedom means many things to different people.

For a kid, freedom means the right to choose what food to eat, what clothes to wear, to be able to pick their friends, to decide to play or study, to enjoy time as per their wishes, and basically all the things they are not allowed to do.

But all the kids are not privileged to have the comfort of a protective and secure home environment and learning opportunities. Unprivileged kids lack a sense of belonging, they constantly look for the need for love, trust, and acceptance from society.

The year 2022 started with the invasion of Russia on Ukraine. It is a war of aggression.

What does freedom mean to the people who are in a war situation? For them, freedom is a struggle, a struggle to stay alive and keep their families safe and protected.

This war has brought about mass destruction and impacted the entire country economically by damaging the infrastructure, inflation, rise in debt, disrupted markets, capital depletion, and most importantly it had destroyed families and people.

What about children who are witnessing war? What does freedom mean to a child in the circumstances of war, is it the need to be free from this chaos? Yes!

Children compose a large part of the population that is impacted by war. Almost 7.5 million children are currently affected by war in Ukraine.

Children in war zones are living in fear and confusion. The psychological trauma of separation from families, evacuation to overseas families, children are displaced forcefully or made homeless and many of them lost their parents or were separated from them, leading to depression and anxiety in most of these children.

They are exposed to situations of terror of physical and mental trauma, from playing in the protective and secure environment of their backyards to suddenly being forced into living in isolation and moving to shelter & refugee camps.

By being in the crossfire many children have been injured and killed, many have lost their sight, hearing, and body parts.

They have witnessed their homes, schools, and hospitals all come under attack. These children are on a continuous move to stay alive. They are in desperate need of safety, security, stability, and protection.

At the same time, the war has disrupted the education of many children, schools are damaged by the air raids and bombing, generating an educational gap, depriving children of essential education which is going to leave long-term consequences on their growth and development.

Children are continuing to get killed, wounded, and devastated by the violence all around them. They are so neglected that they are incapable of love and this destruction has fostered a culture of violence in them.

For a child in war, the hope of getting up the next day to see the morning sun without fear of being under attack, reuniting with the families, hugging them, and feeling loved. Once again, packing their lunch bags to go to school, running across the playground to play football with enthusiasm and the possibility of peace for the future.

For these children, having faith that this day will come is their ‘moment of freedom’.