It is in shelter of each other that the people live
Irish proverb
Over the last 2 years, Corrymeela have been hosting Conversation Hubs which enable people seeking asylum or refuge in N.Ireland and local people to support and learn from each other.
Our Hubs originally supported families arriving from Syria, who were struggling to integrate. They were vulnerable, didn’t speak English, and had problems with housing and education. Many of the families also reported that they had experienced racial abuse which made them feel unwelcome and isolated.
Corrymeela Community members volunteered to ‘meet’ people seeking refuge or asylum on Zoom calls to support them to learn English. Many of these individuals couldn’t read or write in Arabic so they found it really difficult learning English. The speaking and listening at the Conversation Hubs focussed them and helped them to learn in a more informal way.
Learning English has helped the people we are working with to feel a lot more confident and motivated — they can now help their children in school, navigate the education system and help with their homework. A few also managed to pass their driving test as we helped to translate the theory test and road signs to support this. One of the women has now started studying to become a nurse. Some have even been able to gain the English speaking qualifications they need to apply for citizenship.
The Hubs also enabled Corrymeela members like Joyce to learn about new cultures and build new friendships with people from different parts of the world.
As someone seeking refuge myself, I have experienced how Corrymeela is enabling people from different communities to live well together.
Seeking refuge in Northern Ireland from Sudan, I found it really difficult and challenging to navigate my own integration into the community in East Belfast where I live. But I was lucky, I got involved in a Corrymeela programme where I made lots of new friends from both sides of the community and from the new communities. It was magic, it brought people together and I wanted to do more. I volunteered as a translator and then was successful in getting a job as a Project Officer working with the team at Corrymeela supporting the Syrian refugees.
Corrymeela is dedicated to the healing of fractures and the building of new and healthy relationships in the aftermath of trauma. We hope you might feel able to help us today.
Your gift can help us support 7,500 people to live well together next year.
We appreciate that things are tough financially at the moment and I know everyone is struggling but I hope that you are still able to support us. A gift from you, of whatever you feel appropriate, will help us ensure that more groups like these learn how to live well together.
Please give what you can as your donation helps us continue to support others.
£30 could help pay for someone who is seeking asylum participate in a day of respite and renewal at our Ballycastle Centre
£55 could enable a person who is seeking asylum to stay overnight at our Ballycastle Centre
£100 could help pay for a facilitator to host a conversation with a group of up to 15 people to discover ways to live well together
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