CALAIS UPDATE WEEK 11 – CONTEXT
This week we experienced a strange contrast to the approaching festive season back home and in Calais town. Christmas trees within the Ethiopian/Eritrean area in the camp were decorated with salvaged children’s toys amidst changing weather with sharp cold winds. Today the milder air drew out the acrid smells from the chemical works that stand just outside the camp.
Despite the onset of Winter, the laying down of foundations by the French government for the new container homes is slow and the majority of residents of the camp remain in sinking tents. The tenacious NGO shelter building can not keep up with demand for warmth and security.
Homes sit precariously on the dunes which endure the passing by of thousands of feet. Car hubcaps, barbecue grids and jagged tin containers prop up ledges of sand to save homes from falling. Larger concerns for the future of the camp loom in the form of the upcoming regional elections this weekend.
Through outreach with Medecins du Monde we reconnected with some astounding young men we’ve worked with over the weeks. We handed back the black and white photos that a young Syrian boy had taken in earlier weeks, which he advised us he wanted to decorate his room with. We were invited in for tea by many people this week, and enjoyed a warm place to catch up with a group of young Syrian hosts with an exchange of sketchbooks, pens and chocolate.
Anna Kalin, Jess Linton and Bobby Lloyd were joined today by our trustee Daniel Levinge.
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