Outside the European Parliament on Place Luxembourg in Brussels, there are about 700 children's shoes. That's how many it takes to spell out the number 160-000. With that phone number, Missing Children Europe is trying to contribute to bringing missing children home. It is the lifeline for parents and loved ones of Europe's 250 thousand missing children each year.
“We have organized a memorial today to bring missing children to mind and in memory in honor of May 25, the international day for missing children,” says Aagje Ieven, secretary general of Missing Children Europe. The action was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's poem. 'For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never worn.' Initiator Missing Children Europe has been dedicated to missing children throughout Europe for 22 years. Among other things, with the hotline 160-000.
The helpline number 160-000 is across Europe, as far away as Ukraine, for loved ones and parents searching for missing children. “We noticed that with the war going on in Ukraine, our hotline suddenly became the safety net. That was not obvious for us, but we still supported some 75-80 cases over the years of children who were found with our help. We were also able to provide support for parents during that period of uncertainty,” Aagje adds.
It is stressed that it is very important that Missing Children Europe gets the right support. There is currently not enough money to keep the hotlines running 24/7. In many countries, no one can be reached after 6 p.m.
As the last raindrops fall in Brussels and the tarpaulin is removed from the small colored shoes, John Hassan Yildiz (27) of Missing Children Europe says, “This is not the first time shoes have been used for a memorial or commemoration. Often this is done with shoes from people who will no longer need them themselves because they are no longer with us. We chose it differently here, all the shoes you see here today come from a local second-hand retailer.”
The idea behind the children's shoes being used is that the shoes will eventually come back on the sales market and will not go to waste. “The shoes symbolize the missing children who will one day return to find their homes, their families and then also their shoes,” John says.
Read a more extensive version of this article at SmallStreamMedia.
Language: Dutch
