Friday, 28 August 2015
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to Calais with love
On the first weekend of October we are planning to drive 102 miles from London to Calais, to deliver support and solidarity to people living in the so –called ‘Jungle’. We want to help people risking their lives for a better future, and counteract the hate, fear and negativity surrounding the crisis.
Just 3 hours away from our homes in London, we can no-longer read the disgusting, dehumanising headlines without doing something to help.
The humanitarian situation in Calais is dire. There are around 3,000 people living there; most have fled from places such as Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Having escaped war, persecution, torture, and poverty, they are living in make-shift tents with very little but the clothes on their backs.
Despite having so little, the desire for a community shines through, and a makeshift shop, school, church, mosque and library have sprung up in the camp.
Food and clean water are scarce and basic hygiene is difficult with limited access to showers and washing facilities. As well as essentials like food, water, tents and blankets, we want to take over the items which can give people their dignity back; toothpaste, toothbrushes, wet wipes, sanitary towels, hairbrushes.
We aim to do THREE things:
A) Collect much needed essentials from friends, family, colleagues and neighbours- and drive them over.
B) Fundraise- and use the money to buy essential items when we get to France.
C) Collect messages of support and solidarity.
We have a long list of vitally needed items as well as things to improve the quality of life in the camp including; food, water, sanitary and hygiene products, warm clothes, shoes, blankets, new tents, sleeping bags as well as books, stationary and toys.
The crisis dominates media headlines but sadly the rhetoric is largely xenophobic and de-humanising; ‘migrants swarming’ Europe to ruin our way of life.
Despite what the media would have us believe, the majority of displaced people flee to neighbouring countries, it is a tiny minority that make it to Europe. The simple fact of the matter is European countries should be doing much more to help, not only on our own borders, but in the countries people so desperately want to leave.
We hope our trip, which may be the first of many, will go some small way in changing attitudes and encouraging more support of migrants and refugees coming to Europe. We believe that it is vitally important that more is done to protect them. Headlines talk of ‘economic migrants’ and ‘swarms’ but in reality they are PEOPLE just like you or I, fleeing atrocities and poverty in search of safety. They deserve our compassion not our scorn.
Just 3 hours away from our homes in London, we can no-longer read the disgusting, dehumanising headlines without doing something to help.
The humanitarian situation in Calais is dire. There are around 3,000 people living there; most have fled from places such as Syria, Eritrea, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Having escaped war, persecution, torture, and poverty, they are living in make-shift tents with very little but the clothes on their backs.
Despite having so little, the desire for a community shines through, and a makeshift shop, school, church, mosque and library have sprung up in the camp.
Food and clean water are scarce and basic hygiene is difficult with limited access to showers and washing facilities. As well as essentials like food, water, tents and blankets, we want to take over the items which can give people their dignity back; toothpaste, toothbrushes, wet wipes, sanitary towels, hairbrushes.
We aim to do THREE things:
A) Collect much needed essentials from friends, family, colleagues and neighbours- and drive them over.
B) Fundraise- and use the money to buy essential items when we get to France.
C) Collect messages of support and solidarity.
We have a long list of vitally needed items as well as things to improve the quality of life in the camp including; food, water, sanitary and hygiene products, warm clothes, shoes, blankets, new tents, sleeping bags as well as books, stationary and toys.
The crisis dominates media headlines but sadly the rhetoric is largely xenophobic and de-humanising; ‘migrants swarming’ Europe to ruin our way of life.
Despite what the media would have us believe, the majority of displaced people flee to neighbouring countries, it is a tiny minority that make it to Europe. The simple fact of the matter is European countries should be doing much more to help, not only on our own borders, but in the countries people so desperately want to leave.
We hope our trip, which may be the first of many, will go some small way in changing attitudes and encouraging more support of migrants and refugees coming to Europe. We believe that it is vitally important that more is done to protect them. Headlines talk of ‘economic migrants’ and ‘swarms’ but in reality they are PEOPLE just like you or I, fleeing atrocities and poverty in search of safety. They deserve our compassion not our scorn.
About us:
We are: Nic, Rosie and Joey. We work together in the media
team of a charity in London, but this is our own personal mission. We are sick
of reading headlines that dehumanise and attack migrants and refugees. We
decided to do something, not only to provide practical support but also to show
the world that lots of people care and don’t agree with anti-immigration
sentiment, that the tabloids peddle.
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