We want to take VTeam´s Refugee Teaching Program into the Calais Jungle
WHO ARE WE?
We are a group of eight passionate students who run a volunteering project called Refugee Teaching Programme (RTP) at our university. With RTP we help local refugees in Essex to integrate into our community by teaching them English, providing a welcoming environment and helping them with other struggles they might face. We are all studying different subject areas of social science related to migration and human rights. This year we are aiming to expand our work by going to the Calais Jungle.
OUR STORY
As members of the RTP volunteering project, we are all very passionate about the project and the topic of migration itself. At the moment we are leading a group of approximately 40 volunteers consisting of students of different ages and backgrounds working with local community. We decided to take it one step further and expand our group of beneficiaries by going to the Calais Jungle.
Despite all the media attention that migration crisis gets, Calais has disappeared from our sights. But the camp is still there, and people there still need and deserve our help and attention. People living in the camp are alienated from the society. Moreover, not only there is a huge need of basic necessities, but also a huge need of volunteers who can provide some support to the refugees. The living conditions in the Jungle of Calais are severe, especially during the winter. Hence, we decided to contact different NGOs working in Calais to help us get access to the camp as well as information about the current situation and different ways in which we can help.
Furthermore, to raise awareness about this issue and to fight stereotypes about migration in our society, and specially at the University we will document our experiences at the camp and will release the video after the trip.
WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
Here´s detailed plan of where the donated financial resources will go. The cost would breakdown into a number of elements:
- Transport – We will try to arrange the use of a University of Essex minibus. We already found a designated driver who has experience driving the route otherwise we will need to pay for hire - this could be £30 each. Part of the transportation is ferry crossing - if on a minibus this would be around £15 each way
- Accommodation – the hotels and hostels rooms can range between £25-£50/nigh per each. As eight people are going for three night it will make up about to £700
- Food whilst in Calais – allowance of £10-£15 per person per day
- Remaining money – will be used to support local refugees
The approximate guessed figures for each are around £140-£175 for the stay
Total: £1000.00
FIND US HERE
All updates on our trip will be posted on our Facebook group
FB Calais: https://www.facebook.com/Essex-Students-Volunteering-in-Calais-350862282341966/
For more information: FB RTP: https://www.facebook.com/rtp.vteam/
Email: ha17368@essex.ac.uk , se17273@essex.ac.uk
HELP US SUCCEED
We would really appreciate donations no matter how big or small they are, but if you can't afford this, you can still help us by sharing this project on your social media and telling all your friends and family about it!
THANK YOU XX
