“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”

— Dalai Lama

Dear people,

Every now and again we ought to think beyond our needs and desires and remember to give back, or why not, to give forward. Even if it’s something small, something material or just time and attention, by giving we are thanking the Universe for being taken care of, and for actually having something to give to the ones in need. And heck, it feels amazing to give! And yes, I know, we are living in a world flooded by problems, disasters, epidemic crises, economic crushes, and everybody is asking for something, but you know what? There is no shortage of compassion, empathy, love for one another, and the awareness that we are all one, and we, the ones in privileged positions, can actually do more, even if it’s just a teeny tiny more.

And so, joining forces with Karianne Wilhelmsen Fjære, the founder of Care4Burn and a very dear friend of mine, I dedicated my time and talent in creating something that will help to give another chance to life to the most unfortunate. The burn victims are most often children, and Care4Burn has the mission to strengthen and improve existing local competencies within burn wound care and reconstructive surgery. Their vision is that patients with burn injuries in Africa, primarily children, are offered modern burn care treatment at local specialised burn units. In other words, Care4Burn works to save the lives of children who suffered burn injuries, giving them a chance to have a normal and pain-free life. It is a grand and noble mission, and any helping hand is greatly needed and appreciated.

Karianne & Faraja.jpg — A new life for Faraja

Karianne W. Fjære, the founder of Care4Burn together with Faraja, the first patient with burn injuries that Karianne met and the patient who inspired and gave life to Care4Burn, in the summer of 2008. When Faraja was 6 years old, she suffered from third-degree burn injuries to almost half her body. Read her story here.

Perhaps this heart-breaking problem doesn’t reach your feed as often as other news these days, or you don’t read about it in your daily scrolling and swiping, but it is staggering how many children get affected by burns and how difficult it is to get the proper treatment. This is an issue all over the world, but especially in Africa and other developing countries it became a neglected epidemic, where about 11 million burns are recorded annually, which is significantly higher than new cases of tuberculosis and HIV infections combined. Every year in sub-Saharan African countries, between 18,000 and 30,000 children die at 5 years of age or younger because of burn-related injuries. The vast majority of these accidents occur in the home and more than 90% of all pediatric burns occur in connection with cooking over open flame. There is a close correlation between the occurrence of burn injuries and poverty. Should I even say that it’s terrible and very very sad? If you are curious about the facts and numbers, you can read more about it here.

Learning about all this, and listening and reading about the stories of these forgotten children and young people, I felt a tremendous feeling of how unfair all this is, and as a response, I wanted to help in a way or another. So I decided to use my skills and knowledge, and volunteer in creating and taking care of the visual design of the Care4Burn project. I have been on board since the beginning of the organisation, and I am proud to say that I helped in shaping the visual identity of Care4Burn, starting with the design of the logo, and continuing with creating various graphic material for social media and communication campaigns.

A little project I am proud to have worked on is the series of informative cards, illustrating three of the burn victims and their sad stories, giving information on how we can help the millions of children in their situation. Combining hand drawing with digital drawing, my aim is to show the humanity behind the appearance and the scared skin of these burn victims. We should know their stories, and we should remember their faces.

Mary is 9 years old. For the past year, she has been lying in the hospital bed instead of playing with her girlfriends. A year earlier, while she was helping her mother cook in the kitchen, a fire broke out and her clothes caught on fire. Both legs … — Mary is 9 years old. For the past year, she has been lying in the hospital bed instead of playing with her girlfriends. A year earlier, while she was helping her mother cook in the kitchen, a fire broke out and her clothes caught on fire. Both legs were severely burned from the knee down to the ankle. Her body has not been able to heal the wounds and therefore Mary can no longer bend her legs. Fortunately, she can still wiggle her toes, which is crucial to being able to treat her with a skin graft.
Fire injuries are a global health problem where children bear the greatest burden. Worldwide, most children with burn injuries are admitted to Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa, between 18,000 and 30,000 children under the age of 5 die each year due to a lack of surgical equipment and trained staff. At Care4Burn, we want to give patients with burn injuries the help and attention they deserve.
Help us bring new memories.
Together we can make a difference - support our work on mobile pay to 28466

Elisabeth is 35 years old and the mother of 3 children. She has epilepsy. Because she can not afford treatment, she had an epileptic seizure while at work. Her job is to fry donuts. During the attack, Elisabeth first fell with her hands into the pot… — Elisabeth is 35 years old and the mother of 3 children. She has epilepsy. Because she can not afford treatment, she had an epileptic seizure while at work. Her job is to fry donuts. During the attack, Elisabeth first fell with her hands into the pot of boiling oil. Only 2 fingers were left and her face was badly burned. Her future is completely changed and uncertain.
Fire injuries are a global health problem. Every year, more than 11 million serious fire injuries are recorded in developing countries, which is more than cases of HIV and Tuberculosis combined. At Care4Burn, we want to give patients with burn injuries the help and attention they deserve.
Help us bring new memories.
Together we can make a difference - support our work on mobile pay to 28466

Today, Lucas would have turned 15 years old. 2 years ago he played football with his brother in the family kitchen area. Lucas stumbled over the football and fell into the family fireplace. Lucas suffered severe burns to his chest, arms and legs. Th… — Today, Lucas would have turned 15 years old. 2 years ago he played football with his brother in the family kitchen area. Lucas stumbled over the football and fell into the family fireplace. Lucas suffered severe burns to his chest, arms and legs. The family could not afford to admit him to the hospital where he could receive life-saving treatment. A few months later, Lucas died, malnourished and dehydrated. The family has lost their eldest son. Fire injuries are a global health problem.
Every year, more than 300,000 people die due to fire-related accidents, and thousands more are left with painful and lifelong disabilities - in addition to trauma that extends beyond the accident itself. At Care4Burn, we want to give patients with burn injuries the help and attention they deserve.
Help us bring new memories.
Together we can make a difference - support our work on mobile pay to 28466

I am grateful to have the opportunity to be part of Care4Burn team, and I hope that the work of all the wonderful people involved in this organisation will reach far and wide, and all the efforts made in this direction to ultimately serve and save these unfortunate children and young people. Looking forward to continue doing the work that has the power to improve, or even save someone’s life.