Attention and listen: a day in the refugee shelter
Reading time 5 minuten
In the dynamic environment of the refugee shelter in Katwoude, Red Cross volunteers are committed with passion. In the story 'the day of' we meet volunteer Rahel Karim. He shows what happens at the location where refugees are accommodated. Rahel not only offers practical support but also a listening ear. This form of attention is important to support the residents.
The start-up
Two volunteers from the Red Cross are always present in the refugee shelter in Katwoude. Today, Rahel works with volunteer Salima. Before the work starts, the volunteers start with a joint briefing with the COA (Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers). Salima says: "During the briefing, various things are discussed. Think of specifics and the planning of the afternoon." Rahel adds to his colleague: "The clothing store is open on Thursday afternoons and the residents are obliged to report. It is then extra busy at the reception location. Reporting is important for residents to keep their place." As soon as the briefing is completed, the volunteers go to the common area of the reception location. There they meet the residents.
Clothing store
There is a clothing store at the shelter, which is run by neighborhood volunteers. Acquaintances or people from the neighbourhood can donate clothes to the reception centre, intended for the residents. Rahel: "In the clothing store, the residents receive donated clothing. The challenge lies in distributing these clothes fairly. Sometimes people want the same garments. We are here to ensure that everyone is helped fairly. It also sometimes happens that there are not enough suitable products, such as large sizes in clothing and shoes. Then I buy it via Marktplaats, for example. The residents don't have much, so in the end you want everyone to get something. There are many underage, unaccompanied refugees at the shelter. They are only allowed to get clothes here with a letter from the coordinator."
Activities
Salima, together with other Red Cross volunteers, has come up with a number of activities for the residents. Think of yoga, or jewelry making. These activities are often given on Wednesdays. Salima: "It's nice that the residents can do something in this way. Otherwise, they will just sit in their rooms. We also teach Dutch." Rahel added: "It's great to work with Salima. We support each other. The combination of a man and a woman at a shelter is also very important. You see that women are more likely to go to Salima, and the men are more likely to go to me." Salima confirms: "Sometimes residents have to tell their story. And I'm glad they know where to find me for a listening ear."
Curious
Rahel: "When there is no activity, we speak to many residents in the common room. We ask how they are doing. They often talk about their problems with the immigration service. We also help the residents with practical things. Sometimes we translate letters, for example from the doctor. Or we explain how to open a checking account. In addition, the residents are very curious about life in the Netherlands and about the multicultural society. For example, what does the economic or political situation look like? Sometimes I send a YouTube video in Arabic, describing Dutch society. The residents find that very interesting. I always tell people that everyone in this country is treated equally. That's very important."
Listening ear
Rahel: "I'm Kurdish and I'm from Iraq. When I came to the Netherlands, I spent eight years in an asylum seekers centre. The asylum procedure took a long time. Because of my past, I know how the residents feel and I can help them well. In the asylum seekers centre, I learned how to deal with people of different nationalities. I speak six languages. This makes it easier to gain the trust of residents. At the reception location, they speak Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, Spanish, English and Turkish. You build trust because of the activities and conversations. Paying attention and listening makes people flourish. A boy once told me that he didn't like life anymore. I then talked to him for 1.5 hours. After the conversation, he was able to look forward again. Salima adds: "Such conversations are of course intense. That is why we have a manual on how to best deal with this. In this way, all colleagues act in the same way."
Closing
“We end the day with a debriefing. Then we make a short report of the deployment, in which we mention what happened. In addition, we mention whether there are additional wishes for the clothing store and whether there are residents who need extra assistance. We send this report in our group app with all Red Cross volunteers from the reception location. This way, we all stay up-to-date," Salima concludes.