Dunkirk & Calais, 13-14.11.2024
This week the weather has been unseasonably calm, leading to hundreds of people crossing the Channel in small boats. With winter approaching and the inevitable harsher weather to come, there will be fewer opportunities to cross. Meanwhile, the bodies of three people have been found on northern France beaches since Tuesday, suspected casualties of the sinking of two boats in late October.
This border area of northern France is a violent complex place that is desperately challenging for people struggling to survive in awful conditions. NGOs continue to offer a wide range of support. Today we attended a Safeguarding Training for the border context delivered by @calaisappeal that skilfully and compassionately looked at both the safeguarding needs of the refugee population and of the volunteers and workforce in this setting.
Later around the same table we ourselves led a skills-sharing workshop for workers and volunteers across the network. We were delighted to be joined by old colleagues and new faces. One young student taught crochet to an older nun, several crochet circles forming, gentle conversation, playing with our range of arts-based tools developed to support grounding and resilience-building.
We spent Wednesday working alongside the Médecins du Monde team on the edge of Dunkirk. In the sunshine an impromptu exhibition developed on the outside of the psychosocial activities van attracting interest from people on the move as well as NGO workers. Care and cooperation amongst four children from the same family touched us greatly, the plasticine formed into sea creatures, flowers and birds.
We know how fundamentally important play is, and also how important it is to safeguard places in which children and young people can play. On the way back to the UK this evening we held one of our fortnightly Zoom meetings in which we are adapting ideas so as to support the local staff of Green Kordofan, a charity that brings vital sports to young people in the Yida refugee camp over the Sudan - South Sudan border.
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