Local foster carer, Rejhan Sylejmani, is asking for community support as she treks the Great Wall of China this October to raise money for UK charity, the Fostering Network.
Over 54,000 children in the UK are currently being cared for by foster carers. These children have gone into care having often been victims of abuse or neglect, or because they have a disability their parents could not cope with. Foster care provides young people with the support and stability they need to overcome any trauma they have experienced and to ensure smooth transition into adulthood. Unfortunately, the system is under huge strain due to a growing shortage of carers.
Fostering Network offers training, advice, information and support to carers. It also strives to ensure the views of young people are listened to in the care system. They organise fundraising events to raise money for their work including the Great Wall of China trek. It is hoped that the China challenge will raise awareness of the need for more carers as well as generate funds for improving services provided for children.
Rejhan, who now fosters children for the local authority as well as working for the Refugee Council, says: “Working with separated refugee children for many years has brought to my attention the huge need for foster carers and the lack of credible and reputable foster carers. For years I would encourage people in my community, couples and others who I felt would be able to offer a home to the young people we worked with but I felt that most people were not interested for one reason or another. I then decided to be the change I wanted to see in the world and I finally got approved as a foster carer in 2005. Since then, I have had four young people placed in my care. I currently foster a young person from Iraq.”
The trek will take ten days from 22nd October and Rejhan is hoping it will draw attention to the urgent need for more people, locally and nation-wide, to “become foster carers and be the change they want to see in the world.” She is also looking forward to sharing experiences of being a foster carer and learning from the team of thirty supporters and carers she will be a part of. So far, Rejhan has been preparing for her challenge by going for long walks twice a week, swimming and jogging.
A target of raising £2,850 for Foster Network has been set and at the moment 17% of this has been donated. If you’d like to help her raise the rest, go to Rejhan’s justgiving page, or, to find out more about the fundraiser email: rejhan@care2.com.
