Louise

Louise’s Personal Story

In September 2015 I received a Whatsapp message asking if I had any clothing to donate for refugees – this was the moment I first became involved with the refugee crisis. In the weeks leading up to this day I’d sat in tears as I read heartbreaking reports of the suffering of refugees fleeing their war torn countries in search of safety in Europe.

That one simple Whatsapp message was my ‘call to action’, immediately resolving my sense of despair and helplessness, giving me a practical way to make a positive difference.

The ‘ripple effect’ quickly followed as more people, feeling equally helpless and disempowered, discovered there was a way to help refugees in Europe right on their own doorstep. Within a week, a few local friends collecting bags of clothes became a 1000 people on a Facebook group all willing to donate their clothes, time or money to make whatever small difference they could. This joint effort eventually led to the formation of a charity, one that continues today to collect essential aid items for refugees and deliver them to where they are most needed.

The collected aid was initially sent out to the Greek island of Leros and to Calais in France. During the winter of 2015 I was fortunate in being able to visit both places and volunteer in the refugee camps there. I witnessed everyday people from all over the world and from all walks of life come together to engage in a myriad of tasks that directly supported refugees. A retired nurse dressed the cut feet of young men who’d climbed over jagged rocks as their rubber dinghy sank beneath them. A BT engineer helped install essential wifi within the camp, a hotel manager who spoke Arabic, tirelessly translated the urgent needs of the refugees and often listened to the heartbreaking stories of their journey. Grandma’s played with young children and held tiny babies while the parents waited in line for dry clothing. There was a job for everyone no matter what their skills or previous experience.

And all of these combined efforts really did make a significant difference to the lives of those whose suffering was greatly exacerbated by the wholly inadequate response of the European governments. Where international support agencies should have been, they were often nowhere to be seen and so gaps in urgently needed aid and support were filled by everyday people.

Witnessing all of this had a profound impact upon me. Ever since that time I’ve looked for a way to increase awareness of the current refugee crisis within our local communities, with the direct purpose of reaching out to people, that like me, feel compelled to ‘do something’ that will make a positive difference once they are armed with the truth and reality of the situation.

RAVEN has been created out of this desire, by a group of like minded individuals whose experience and involvement in the refugee crisis led to a shared vision – ‘A world where refugees are treated with dignity.’

We’ve witnessed the resourcefulness, compassion and resilience of both refugees and volunteers and believe strongly in the potential of all human beings. We know that when people are empowered they can and do achieve great things.