Derby poet and writer collects clothes for Syrian refugees in memory of a friend who was killed in t
Desperate Syrian families will spend Christmas sheltering from bombs and bullets as they are caught in crossfire between Government troops and freedom fighters.
Jan Rosa-Lee is helping Derby’s St John the Evangelist church to collect donations that will be sent to them and Syrian refugees who have fled to camps across Europe.
The 42-year-old met her former boyfriend Syrian Abdol Al Ahmed when they were both working in Crete, in 2007.
When Jan returned back to the UK two years ago and Abdol went back to his hometown of Idlib, in northern Syria, the pair stayed in touch.
But in March of this year Abdol was killed by a bomb while he was fighting for the Free Syrian Army, against soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
'He told me that he didn’t want to fight,' :said Jan.
'But Abdol said that Assad was worse than Adolf Hitler.
'I’ve seen a lot of footage of prison camps and I’ve seen the regime’s tactics. Cities are being besieged. People are literally being starved to death.'
Jan, who lives in Burton, regularly talks to Abdol’s family and friends in Syria, via Skype and letters.
'Just today, a school that is only seven kilometres from their home was bombed by Russian fighter planes.'
The Russians are supposed to be bombing ISIS strongholds, but ISIS are 100km away.
'Russian involvement is just adding to the carnage Syrian people have endured for the last five years.'
One of Abdol’s closest friends has written to Jan asking for help to support a medical centre that locals are trying to set up in their village.
'It’s the children, the civilians, the ordinary people who suffer. I don’t think we in the UK are doing enough for them and for the refugees created by the war. That’s why I’m here today.'
The congregation at St John’s, on Bridge Street where Jan is a member, have collected donations ranging from sleeping bags to woolly hats and gloves, and rice to tins of tomatoes.
Curate Cath Hollywell started asking for unwanted clothing, food and camping equipment in early October. Since then she has been inundated.
Bin bags full of donations ready to go to the Meadow Lane Industrial estate and then sent to Syria, Calais or Cos.
Cath Hollywell said: 'I’m in shock really. It’s been extraordinary. People have been so generous.
The donations have shown how human beings will genuinely respond to other people’s needs.'
Claire Warsop, deputy warden of the church, said; 'The refugees need the help, somebody has got to help them they are in a desperate situation and they are having to leave family behind and that is why I am helping today.'
Today a van full of donations have been sorted into categories and bagged in bin-liners.
They will be stored in a warehouse on Derby’s Meadow Lane industrial estate until a convoy takes them over to Calais in November.
