Dulcie on volunteering in Calais and the importance of media representation
“I came to Calais with mum – we were so aware of the refugee crisis and Care4Calais had the most direct impact and interaction with people on the ground so we wanted to get involved. We thought we would be here for two weeks but four months later and we’re still here!
The media can paint such a negative image of asylum seekers and how it’s going to have a negative impact but the people I have met here are nothing but lovely. They only want to positively contribute to the UK. People need to know about the reality of the situation here because this is something that can be avoided – whether it’s through education, who we vote for or the petitions we sign.
I’ve become good friends with lots of refugees since arriving here. We have such different life experiences and are really learning from each other but we also are able to find so much in common.
A few of the people I’ve met since being here have safely completed the journey to the UK. We’re from such different worlds but now we can have conversations about what they think about the cities they are in or what they think about the British weather and food – it’s so great being able to discuss this shared experience” – Dulcie, Care4Calais volunteer.
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