Day 5: What hope is there?

Day 5, and everyone is starting to get weary. We spent a few hours this morning doing service: painting ceilings, sorting more clothes, packaging.

 

This afternoon we were involved in the Refugee Run simulation. The purpose was to glean a fraction of an understanding of what it is like to be a refugee. Each participant was given a persona, an ID card, females were given scarves to cover their hair, and Crossroads staff became guards in a refugee camp. We were herded through a tunnel across the border, and the guards were at the border, shouting and threatening and intimidating us, until we arrived at the actual camp, where we experienced 3 days in a refugee camp where fear and uncertainty reigned, food was scarce, medical facilities were inadequate, and the only refuge was the darkness of night.

Student thoughts on the experience:

“Having the chance to attend this year’s service trip has been an eye opener on not only how I live, but how others live in their day-to-day lives. Throughout this trip I have met so many selfless people who give up so much of their time and don’t get anything for it, this in so many ways has made me realise how selfish I am, but at the same time, how lucky I am to have so many opportunities such as this trip.” - Amelia.

“I was terrified!! After we registered to get into the refugee camp, I started crying and shaking. Then after the first wave of darkness (night time), I was breaking down and couldn’t handle the pressure. However, while I stepped out, I realised that refugees have to go through this and worse, just to make it through the day.”
- Student

“Being a female refugee made me feel uneasy as many women are sexually harassed daily. It made me feel extremely powerless and inferior.” - April

“After attending the poverty simulation I have realised that you have to rely so much on your family and friends to survive. I learned that it is so hard to maintain the money that is needed to survive and that people will do anything that is required to keep their children safe.” - Leticia

“I felt really terrified in the refugee situation because I was being picked on. I was sent to prison three times and interrogated three times. If it was real I would get to a state where my brain would just shut down. My hands were shaking.” - Alistair

“I found the 19 year average for the refugees in a refugee camp really shocking and inhumane. The experience inspired me to work with Annika to do something practical for refugees and for crossroads.” - Josie

“I was insanely frustrated by the amount of work that could be done but isn’t and by all the attention the media gives little things when 60 million refugees are living without hope.” - Annika