This trip started when I was sat on the tube 4 weeks ago reading “Grazia”. As materialistic as this sounds, every week they have a really good section on current affairs. It’s written by level headed liberal women. I like to read it because you get the real story not some fake, fabricated tripe that the likes of “The Sun”, “the Telegraph” “Evening Standard” etc are feeding you! That week’s story was about 2 girls about my age, who had just been “humanly trafficked” from Syria to Calais. They described what was happening in the “jungle” and it really did touch me. Instantly I had to do something, I was in such a mess on the tube, that I had to start to organise something.
That’s when I started a Facebook page and little did I know four weeks ago that SO many people would want to help, we received so many donations
and over doubled our money target. And with that I booked a ferry for the 14th of September and rented an estate car, to carry everything over.
And wow…. The day came and I am not going to pretend I wasn’t apprehensive because I was. No matter how much you try and block out what the media are trying to feed you, if you are sat on the tube on your way to work reading the same old shit that they are throwing out deep down you know it’s not true, but you know these people need your help. They have nothing and at the moment their need is a lot greater than my family and mine.
Santiago, Sam and I all set off from Weymouth (Dorset) at 8:30am completely stuffed in the car; as you can see.
We drove to Dover and took the ferry. Getting into Calais was the real eye opener, even as we drove off of the boat, you could see two refugees trying to run through the port and as we drove further you could see a big police van following behind. All I could feel was a terrible queasy feeling in my stomach.
As we carried on driving about five minutes later we came across big high fences with barbed wire and then as we looked up we could see the camp. Inside was a make shift church that they had built and little huts made out of sticks with tarpaulin on wet mud.
In between arriving in Calais and getting to the camp we managed to drive around and get lost about 10 times, trying to find a place to buy tarpaulin; trying to find Esther (a woman who had been volunteering in the camp and who very kindly helped us). Arriving at the camp felt so inhumane. We could not understand how these people are left to live like this. The French government should be ashamed for letting this get to such an extreme. The rest of the EU should be ashamed for not offering to help. What is the point in being part of the EU if we are not going to help each other out?
With that we met Rob and a refugee who was working in a camp for one of the charities. All goods that we received we gave to these guys. By the time we arrived we had missed their morning distribution. They are able to do it fairly and equally otherwise the stronger ones in the camp take everything for themselves and some people were being left with nothing.
They then introduced us to a group of people (who you can see in the inset) who are absolutely amazing. They have such big hearts and were the warmest most positive, beautiful people I have ever met. Living in the shit conditions they are in I couldn’t believe it. Really happy and so, so strong. We got into conversation with them and they offered us coffee. They lit their fire and what looked like a BBQ grill and took out the pot filled it with some water and put it on top of the grill and we all started chatting.
One guy told us his story. He saw himself as ‘Lucky’ not to have a wife or a girlfriend. He was a teacher in a secondary school in Syria. He wanted to leave because he was scared of the bombs and guns that were going off outside his home. He made his way to Egypt where he paid $2700 (some had paid $3000) to spend nine days in a boat to get to Italy and then made his way into France. He was trying to get to Sweden where his sister is, but the French police caught him. They took him in and asked “give us one good reason why we should let you go?” He took out a photo of his sister and showed them. They said it wasn’t good enough and put him in prison for 40 days. Then when his time was up they put him in the camp and left him to fend for himself. It makes me angry because the French press is publicising the fact that they have moved a lot of them on but they had placed another guy in there two days ago, I suppose this lie is to calm down the French public?
Another person explained to us that his wife and daughter were already in England and that they are safe. Every evening, as soon as it gets dark, many of the refugees walk two hours down the rail track to catch the train to England. If they are not successful (which is the norm) either due to being caught, breaking a bone or death, then those that are able walk back for two hours and try again the next day. These are the lucky ones, if you’ve no money to leave your country then you don’t leave – simple!
Hearing these stories did not come across as sadness. These people have so much hope that they were going to succeed and were going to get the good life that they deserve meant there was no room for even one negative thought. I don’t know where the negative image of them has come from. Maybe some British feel threatened because these people are educated, speaking English, French and Arabic (multiple dialects of both the latter); they are teachers; they are dentists; they are normal people! We have a lot more to learn from them than they do from us. They were so rich in happiness and love and we are miserable and constantly moaning about materialistic things. If this trip has taught me one thing it is to stop with the bullshit, be truthful and appreciate everything. You really do only live once and tomorrow everything could be taken away from you – forget regret.
Only being there for a few of hours has completely changed my mentality. I am really glad I went. The problem now is that I feel selfish and pathetic. These people are so strong. It’s disgusting that there are British people judging these refugees and have no time of day for them, calling them ‘scum’ saying racist, bigoted comments. I just hope that one day they don’t have to watch their partner being raped, have their house bombed or even have their child washed up dead on the beach somewhere and humiliated in front of the whole world!
Taking the time to go and meet them and be with them for a short time made me realise that they didn’t want anything from us. All they want is a smile, a hug and to know that someone out there cares.
I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated, whether it was money, clothes, shoes, toiletries and/or food. We do have some money left over and will be making a second trip before Christmas which we will be organising over the next few weeks.
I also want to say thank you to all that came over to my house to organise and help with all of the donations!
And my family. Thank you for storing all the donations in your house (mum and dad) and in your garage (nanny).
Sophie Cridland
