A FUNDRAISING campaign will be launched this week by Corkman Michael Martin – a former soldier who has fought ISIS on the frontline.
Mr Martin is returning to fight the terrorist organisation, Islamic State, in Iraq and to bring humanitarian supplies to the Kurdish people.
He recently returned from four months in Iraq where he saw the brutal impact of terrorism.
Former military man Michael Martin, originally from Cork city, fought ISIS in Iraq.
Suicide bombing and sniper fire were constant threats and he encountered families living close to the front lines. The children had no shoes and families lived in bombed dwellings. Cloth sheets replaced shattered glass in window frames.
The Kurds continue to suffer through an illegal war, and knowledge of the bloodshed, deprivation, and innocent victims has inspired Mr Martin to raise funds and supplies.
The online campaign aims to raise €9,300 over 54 days, via a website that facilitates people to fundraise for meaningful travel experiences. It is www.FundMyTravel.com.
“There are ways to fight violence without violence,’” Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin is a former soldier, who volunteered to fight alongside the Kurds, in Iraq, in their campaign against ISIS.
He aims to return to Iraq this September with humanitarian supplies, which he hopes will save lives, increase children’s access to education, and strengthen Kurdish resolve to defeat ISIS fighters attacking their homeland.
Refugee prisoners who escaped ISIS-controlled territory were often badly scarred, and the women had been brutally sexually assaulted.
“You could see the pain and suffering in women’s eyes, who had been ISIS prisoners for months, and sometimes years. It was awful. Women prisoners were subjected to constant rape, sexual attacks, and were forced to take drugs. When they escape to the Peshmerga, they are their saviours. The women are relocated by the Kurdish officials, but where can they go? They can’t go back home.”
Having children of his own inspired Mr Martin to volunteer to help those families suffering in lraq.
He encountered young children smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. He said that there was little schooling outside of the main cities, and children instead fetched water, cooked and cleaned.
Mr Martin said that all money raised through the campaign would fund travel expenses and supplies for the many refugees who have been displaced by war and terrorism.
Mr Martin’s campaign can be accessed at www.fundmytravel.com/campaign/N5UcfewFYa.
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