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The Current

A young perspective on Syrian refugee children, past and present

Laila Lynk Graham is ten years old. After seeing the photo of Alan Kurdi on the beach, she shares her perspective on Syrian refugee children and her family history, along with her great-grandmother from tape recorded 30 years ago.
CBC Radio ·
Laila Lynk Graham holding a photo of her great-grandparents, Dahabieh and Mahfouz Joseph (El-Rafieh). (Mary Lynk/CBC)
The Current4:02A young perspective on Syrian refugee children, past and present

Over the past couple of weeks, we've brought you many different stories about the Syrian refugee crisis.

Laila's great-grandparents Dahabieh and Mahfouz Joseph (El-Rafieh)
 We've heard many different voices. But whether they were first-person voices, experts, or diplomats, they've all been adults. That's somewhat ironic given that the iconic image of young Alan Kurdi has been what's galvanized international attention to the crisis.

We have something different for you today.

Meet Laila Lynk Graham. She is ten years old, lives in Halifax and is in Grade 5. Her mother, Mary Lynk, is a CBC producer. 

After seeing Alan Kurdi's lifeless body on the shore in that iconic image, Laila recalls her family history and reflects on Syrian refugee children past and present. She is joined with her great-grandmother, from tape recorded 30 years ago.
 

This segment was produced by Halifax Network Producer Mary Lynk and Laila Lynk Graham.

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