Dignity For All Program: A Quick Glance (A Joint Newsletter Between Crescent School and Havergal College) The Journey of a Syrian Refugee
Millions of Syrians have fled from their country since the outbreak of the civil war. They have been forced to travel by water and by land with little money, few supplies, and uncertain paths ahead. Syrian refugees tend to first travel by foot to countries such as Turkey (a common choice), Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan. Many of them then travel across the Mediterranean Sea to reach countries where refugees are welcomed, including Germany. However, prior to boarding a boat, they often have to wait on the coast for many days, living in wretched tents and crowded hostels. Furthermore, corrupt groups of human smugglers charge each refugee thousands of dollars for their boats, which is seldom affordable. Even if the refugees can pay for their passage, the conditions are dangerous and appalling: the overcrowded boats may often capsize, causing many people to drown. If the boats reach land, often along the coastlines of countries like Greece, Syrian refugees must pay high prices again to travel by buses to specific countries. At this point, many refugees must start their new life anew as strangers in foreign lands, often without their families, who were left behind due to the dangerous journeys. Although this description is just one example of the long route Syrian refugees may take, one thing is certain − their journeys have only just begun. -
Sabrina Mastroianni, Havergal College
The Painted Crisis
By Colleen Rose, Art Teacher at NipigonRed Rock District High School
With the refugee crisis in Syria becoming a global scale issue, people all around the world have lent a hand to aid in whatever way possible. Germany has been a large driving force in humanitarian aid, taking in over 220,000 of displaced people. Understandably, many of these migrants are children who have had to endure and survive through horrendous and violent situations. To prevent further damage to the minds of the youth, visual arts has become a means to cope with the trauma. Many pieces of art painted by Syrian children depict bombings and war torn buildings, the only reality known to the kids. A Kurdish art therapist by the name of Hassan Deveci owns an art studio in Cologne, Germany. He has been working tirelessly with Syrian children and their parents in helping them come to terms with their experiences. He notes that from his sessions, more often than not, the children depict images of helicopters, bombs and most heartbreakingly, sadness in the form of tears, dripping from the eyes of simple stick figures.
As innocent as the images may appear, deep beneath, they uncover the turmoil that was survived as well as the true, raw emotions that were felt at the time. In addition to the sessions assisting in the management of the death and brutality they have witnessed, it also serves to improve their German language skills. This allows the kids to make a more seamless transition from Syria to Germany without being alienated by their peers. With their German improved, they are able to communicate their feelings and open up to their parents and friends about their lives in Syria, a large step in the healing process.
October 30, 2015
Issue 1