Red Cross Blogs

Show your support during Refugee Week

By Mark Cox
June 15, 2009 at 8:50 am

I often feel I had quite a traumatic childhood. For example, Richard Jones from class 4B can deny it till he’s blue in his fat face, but he really did hold my head under water for 20 seconds at Wigan baths. I’ve never been quite the same since. And my Dad’s refusal to get me an even half-decent BMX when I was 13 still has me waking up in a sweat some nights.

Having said that, there’s nothing like speaking to refugees to put my own momentous ‘issues’ into perspective.

For example, I recently went to interview Bosnian-born Aldijana, a bright solicitor based in Nottingham who oozed charm and easy confidence. Until, that is, I asked how she fled her country and suddenly I was hearing this tale of terrified families being rounded up in a field by armed soldiers, convinced they were going to be shot.

Then there was Eric from Rwanda, an unfailingly polite and cheerful chap, who had been imprisoned, witnessed horrible events and then been forced to leave his mum and sister as he fled for his life. You often read this kind of line – ‘forced to leave his mother and sister’ – in refugee accounts and it’s easy to become a bit blasé about it.

But think for a moment what that really means: leaving those you love most in the world and not knowing if you’ll meet again. Listening to Eric describe leaving his family was heart-breaking.

Now based in Leicester, Eric’s a refugee case worker for the Red Cross, helping others who have been through similarly traumatic experiences. He’s adapted well to living in England and his over-riding passion is Arsenal football club. (As if the poor sod hasn’t suffered enough…)

Both Eric and Aldijana give the lie to the idea that refugees are uneducated scroungers coming ‘over here’ to leech off the state. Like thousands of others, they are talented, good-spirited people who add enormously to the fabric of our country.

This week, support the Red Cross’ campaign – and help spread the anti-discrimination message – by changing your own online status on Facebook, MSN, Bebo, Yahoo or Twitter, as well as through generic emails and blogs.

Tags: Refugee Week, refugees, volunteer

The Red Cross values comments both complimentary and critical. However, we will not tolerate the following: aggressive or personal criticism of the blogger, breach of copyright, obscene, defamatory, profane, sexually oriented, racially offensive or likewise objectionable comments.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 8:50 am and is filed under Health and social care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.