Mother’s Day in Syria

Background

There were about 30,000 Syrian refugees in Sweden, many of whom had had to leave their families behind.

Refugee Phones was a Swedish charity that helped by giving them a mobile phone and a SIM card.

But that was only of limited use to Syrians. Phone connections to the country were poor and many citizens either didn't have them or had had their landlines cut off.

For refugees, Mother's Day, March 21st in Syria, mattered hugely and many wanted to mark it.

Mouddar Kouli, a 31-year-old refugee interning with Swedish agency Åkestam Holst, was the inspiration for this project.

Idea

If Syrian refugees in Sweden were unable to phone their mothers, how else could they reach them? If digital technology couldn't work, what might? And what device might they use, even with electricity cut off?

The answer was analogue. Good old commercial radio.

In Syria, airtime was purchased from Fuse 21, a commercial radio station popular with mothers.

In Sweden, through PR and social media, refugees were invited to record personal messages for their mothers. These were re-packaged up as 'radio ads' and broadcast all over Syria during commercial breaks on March 21st.

Results

150 messages were broadcast as radio spots on that one special day.

Our Thoughts

Clever. Inventive. Human.

The need to reaffirm the bonds with our mothers is very strong, all the more so for refugees.

And there are some things you can only use analogue media for.

Let's leave you with Mouddar Kouli's message: "Hi mom, happy Mothers' Day! I hope you're happy, that would make me very happy. I hope next year we will be together and that you will be the happiest mom in the world. I hope that you will see me and my brothers in the best positions, and I want to tell you that you are the best and the most beautiful mother in the world."

That will have brought a tear to your eye.