So, as life found me having difficulty gaining housing in the UK with 300 homeless on the local register as it stood. I find myself scraping enough pennies together to go across the water to Calais to gain some sort of solace.
Whilst in Calais- I get the opportunity to volunteer at the Northern border of France to assist migrants coming in from war zones. Not only did I know it would be of valuable experience but it also included food and accommodation. The perfect solution.
What I experienced opened my eyes, all migrants expressed needs for decent shoes as theirs were breaking. It was raining and cold but weatherly conditions seemed to be somewhat the norm and completely acceptable. Women walked up pushing children in buggy’s with their clothing soaked and they were desperate for a seat, decent clothing and a hot drink.
All migrants were from politically oppressed areas, where war and conflict were prevalent. So, adverse weather and sufferance is a daily penance. Not one migrant was aggressive or angry. Many gave a nod of acknowledgment as if they knew that we were there to help and a few even offered to help me tidy the clothes away after distribution.
Many see coming to Europe as being a chance to be a normal human being with rights to exist happily and flourish as a productive person – what should be a God given right.
Little do they know that they are going to be shunted into hangers and treated no more than like herds of cattle. Out of sight is out of mind. Oh yes, what happened to all those women and children dispersed from hotels? It appears not discussed not public knowledge so long as countries aren’t being invaded.
The United Kingdom is somewhere I can’t wait to escape from, I find it draining and depressing. And on a recent visit to my university town is was awful, as my wonderful professors were concerned at redundancy. Why? Visa difficulties have stopped many international students coming in and these were a big revenue for universities across the UK and they also paid more than UK students, but because employment is now so difficult for international graduates to get after graduation, universities are losing a major financial resource.
It must be my brummie origin – I grew up with balti mile and my father worked in India for 7 years and spoke of international travel fondly. I happily grew up non-racist and very appreciative of different cultural experiences.
If the Western world isn’t careful and ways changed the capitalist society may fall on it’s derrière and as I see it Africa to me is the promised land where people interact happily with nature and one another and as Wole Soyinka tells in his fabulous book, they are the happiest people on the planet.
Simple.
Have a nice day y’all and blessings.
Alison Cecelia Bramwell