In August, a photographer witnessed the arrival of a small inflatable raft on the shore of Kos, a Greek island. The raft was designed to fit four, but was carrying 12 people on an ocean journey from Turkey. Among them was Laith Majid and his family, who had fled a Syrian town that had been taken over by Islamic State.

Sometimes a picture is worth even more than a thousand words, and the anguish on Laith's face as he pulled his family close to him became a famous image around the world. Here was the emotional impact of a crisis that had been faceless in so many European news reports. That he'd survived the dangerous ocean journey wasn't a cause for jubilation, it was just another stressful event for him and his family, who had seen their lives in Syria pulled to pieces. Landing on a Greek island didn't mean that a happy ending was assured, because so much uncertainty still lay ahead.

But luckily for Laith and his family, things are now looking up. They've made it from Greece to Germany, where the generosity shown by the German Government this week has given thousands of families like the Majids the chance for a new beginning. Take a look at this Facebook post below:

I'm so happy that this family has been one of the lucky ones. The task of rebuilding their lives is just beginning, but at least they get the chance now. In order for more stories like this to be possible, it's so important that leaders across Europe do their fair share to accommodate refugees, as well as taking bold action to end the bloodshed that is forcing people to flee from places like Syria in the first place. It's a big job, but try telling Laith Majid that it's not worth doing.