“Many of my friends, family and colleagues knew I was going to Calais to volunteer for the weekend as they had been pressed for donations, so the most common question when I can came back was ‘What was it like?’
The Monday morning that I got asked this I ended up stating that there are not enough words in the English language to describe my weekend. I think having been back for less than 12 hours it was hard to verbalise my thoughts or even string a sentence together.
A few days back my thoughts are beginning to make more sense.
I realised that by day three I was already becoming institutionalised (34 years of being a teacher it’s easy to recognise this feeling)
The days quickly took on a pattern.
The mornings were spend spent in the busy warehouse. We arrived, had a health and safety briefing and were quickly assigned our tasks for the morning. I put together boots for distributing, helped with food packaging and made up the hot drink baskets cups for the day. There is never a second to stop as there is always something to do.
I have often donated over the years but never really thought about what happens to those donations. Every single donation has to be checked, is it clean? Waterproof? Usable? Intact? I will be much more mindful when I give donations in the future.
The most entertaining job at the warehouse was when Claudia offered to go to the ‘dump’ to get rid of mounds of rubbish, I was to be co-pilot! (I am now in her contacts as Fe Co-pilot). Claudia failed to tell me that she had never driven a bus before and didn’t have a manual car! However we marched on. We filled to the back of the transit to the brim, having had to get into the cardboard rubbish cage to be able to empty it. We made it down the motor way to the dechetterie, causing much amusement to the attendants there, when two crazy looking female brits turned up with this van load of stuff! It felt like a great achievement on our return to see the lovely clear space we had created. The warehouse was a well organised operation.
After a delicious lunch made by volunteers, in afternoon we headed to one of the unofficial camps.
We took our services including hot drinks, phone charging boards, games, hairdressing, English lessons. Each time we also took some kind of distribution. The first day this was food, the second day boots the third it was warm coats, hats and scarves.
Spending time with the refugees was always incredibly humbling. These people have suffered so much and they are in such desperate need but they take the time to thank you. When we arrived at the aid distribution area there was over two hundred people waiting in the freezing cold in an orderly queue for us to arrive. It took over 90 minutes to give everyone warm boots. Many of the refugees were in flip-flops or sliders, waiting so patiently and with such dignity. It is an image that will stay with me.
On the Sunday just after we had distributed coats some of the refugees came running back to say the police had come and taken their tents and sleeping bags. I myself was freezing at that point, it was just getting dark and we had to leave to get our train, a very difficult moment.
It’s easy to feel totally overwhelmed by the hopelessness of it all, I know that this Thursday many are planning a crossing, I know that it is entirely possible that one of the refugees I spent time with this week end will die. And yet, what I take away with me is that in the moment that I serve a hot drink, or give food or warm clothing, in that moment I make another humans day just a bit more bearable. That’s a moment to savour.
Coming home we were quiet. I was exhausted and cold, so cold, the warehouse was cold the camps were cold and I had on so many layers. I got into bed fully clothed in a dressing gown, finally at 6 am I was warm again. I remembered those who had had their tents taken.
How was my weekend? I don’t have enough words.”
Fiona
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Fiona, and for articulating something so challenging. We are so grateful.
If you’ve been inspired by Fiona’s story and would like to explore opportunities to volunteer yourself, you might find the following blog helpful – How to volunteer in Calais: supported vs self-organised trips.
You can also explore our upcoming trip dates and the NGOs we’ll be supporting here.
If you can spare a weekend and the cost of the trip then we will organise everything else to get you to Calais, so you can see for yourself the importance of direct support and giving and the difference you can make.
All donated funds are directed to the grassroots charities on the ground helping refugees in Calais and used for the most urgent requirements and those most desperately in need. If you would rather purchase an item of need please go to our shop and see exactly where you money goes.
