Reading time 1 minuut
Video 8:41
Dreaming of a normal life
Derk Segaar, Head of International Assistance Gener at the Netherlands Red Cross, takes you to Almere in this episode. He is visiting shelter ‘De Markerkant’. There he is given a tour, meets several Red Crossers and speaks with a number of residents. One of them even had to walk for five months to be safe.
Shelter De Markerkant in Almere offers 150 places for refugees. In addition, there is room for 20 residents who are present for a short period of time. Jacob de Jongh supervises the activities. "There are a lot of people who have lived here for more than a year," he says. "That's not nice for them. Refugees are in a very difficult position and are sometimes traumatized. I do think that a close-knit community has developed at this location."
Conflict
Derk wants to know from Jacob whether he has ever experienced a disagreement between residents in the shelter. "It is very logical that people sometimes come into conflict with each other. We try to make them feel safe here, heard and seen. This can take away some of the uncertainty and sometimes also the nature of the conflict. Of course, you can't take everything away. A lot of suffering remains. That's sometimes difficult."
Clothing store
Residents can pick out clothes every Tuesday in the clothing store of De Markerkant. The clothes will be donated and can be picked up free of charge for the residents. Volunteer Rebecca ten Hagen is responsible of the clothing store. "I was rejected for work and wanted to do something meaningful. It's always a lot of fun in the store. People are allowed to take as much as they need."
Building a new life
Derk talks to Amer and Hosen from Syria. Amer has been living in Almere for about 15 months. He fled Aleppo two and a half years ago. He has now been in the Netherlands for a year and a half and is waiting for his official papers, so that he can work and build a new life. The wait is frustrating, Amer says. "We don't do anything here at all. You lose purpose in your life. I have a master's degree in Textile Engineering. I hope to be able to continue my studies and obtain my PhD in the Netherlands. I also dream of bringing my family here and living a normal life."
Pleasant stay
Gemma Bennink is location manager of De Markerkant. "I sometimes feel more at home with the residents here than in the Netherlands. I have lived in Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. As a result, I have a certain contact with the residents and that creates a bond. I know their villages and know a lot about their history."
The Red Cross is there to make the time of the residents as pleasant as possible. "Unfortunately, there is not much we can do about the waiting period, but we can do something about a pleasant stay for these people. We also help them prepare for the future. We support them with Dutch language lessons and access to the job market."
Amer: "I dream of a normal life"
Five-month walk
Derk finds it incredibly impressive to see what the Red Crossers are able to achieve here. "The residents have experienced the most extreme things. The Red Cross is helping them. I wish everyone to talk to these residents. Amer has walked for five months to get here. He has been living apart from his family for years. All he wants is security and a normal life. A chance to go back to work and take care of his family again." For many, life is normal, Amer dreams of a normal life.