Syrian families are forming a support network

[Birgitta Schomaker]

Building a future together in a new country (click to access presentation)

Click on the link to view slides from one of the initiatives with refugees that started this summer in the Netherlands. 

Lots of refugees came to the Netherlands two years ago. Approx. 50% from Syria and 35% from Eritrea. Many of them received a permit to stay five years.  They are now so-called 'status holders'. 

Volunteers from the Dutch Council of Refugees assist them to settle in the Netherlands. Karin is one of those volunteers. She decided to bring these families together, to find out if they have shared concerns and hopes, and if they are interested in building a support network. 

The slide presentation shows some photos of this journey of building a community. Thank you to Karin who has been building relationships of trust and mutual respect with the families. We are a team of 4 facilitators:  Yezeed is a former refugee from Sudan, and Gholam came to the Netherlands 20 years ago, fleeing from Afghanistan. Karin was born and raised in the Netherlands. It is through this diverse team that we managed to start in a promising way with the CLC-process. 

The photo below is from Ayan, SALT facilitator and a former refugee from Somalia. She is really good in spotting talents and encouraging young female refugees to speak up in public. 

click here for more posts and updates

[Célicia Theys]

Dearest Birgitta: is there somewhere where we could find out more about Ayan and how the journey with SALT has been transformative for her? A video, a text, a story? Would love to share her story on our website (of course, if and only if she agrees) :) ! Many thanks!

[Birgitta Schomaker]

Thank you, Anita! Would be lovely to exchange experiences and learnings more deeply, and brainstorm about options for community building in your area. 

[Anita Sheehan-Nutz]

Dear Birgitta -- and Joke, 

Thank you for this incredible work that you have done and are still doing with the refugees in the Nederlands.  Thank you in particular for the regular updates and the brilliant reporting.  This is so inspiring.  Everyone who reads this now probably dreams of doing the same in their communities.  I know I do :-). 

Keep up this extraordinary work!

xoxox

Anita