Refugee children visit RTL: Hope, Belonging and Possibility
This week is half term here in Luxembourg.
I was very honoured to spend time with these children and young adults, ranging in age from about 8 to 16, all of whom are refugees, most having left their homeland of Ukraine up to five years ago. Indeed some of them have now spent longer living in Luxembourg than their homeland. And there was one girl from Venezuela.
As an expat / immigrant we know how hard it is to move country and start again from scratch. How much harder must that be if you're leaving under intense stress, duress, leaving your family, friends, community and belongings in the main-part, to find a country that you may have never been to before; and then to start again, and try to raise your children as best you can.
SPORTUNITY asbl is a charity to give these children the opportunity to be active and gain hope to know that they do have a future and there are all sorts of possibilities ahead for them.
We spoke about news, where do they get their news (my favourite answer was from 8 year old Anna who said "My Grandma"), how do they know if it's true, etc.
Huge respect to Angelika Guertler who does this in her 'retirement' and the whole team. Building a new community means one has to be invited in, and then offer the invitation too. A community is a dynamic structure that requires nourishment to flourish.
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