When Toni and I first decided to do the destitution challenge it was very much said on a whim and because we were a bit obsessed with Twitter at that point, we tweeted about it and after announcing it from the rooftops we felt obliged to carry it out. I am so glad we did though. We have definitely raised awareness of destitute asylum seekers – a lot of people have been commenting on the facts we’ve been writing and asking me things in person (not just “Are you hungry?”), but showing a genuine interest in learning more. We’ve received so much support and interest, on the blog alone we’ve had over 600 hits and hopefully lots more to follow.
The challenge has certainly made me think more about the conditions destitute asylum seekers are living in, and like I said in an earlier post, we’ve had it easy. I can only imagine how hard it must be to feel rejected and lost in a country you barely know whilst coping with issues of poor accommodation, couch surfing, and often, homelessness. Not forgetting the absolute anxiety of returning to your own country for fear of persecution, torture, rape and death. It is sickening that the government does not have any policy for asylum seekers living in destitution and that means of help and support is left to charities who are contending with such difficult funding situations amidst the coalition’s austerity measures.
I wasn’t expecting the challenge to affect me so much personally. I am so impressed by our willpower – so many people offered us free food, whether it was a biscuit, a sip of someone’s drink, a home-cooked meal or free samples at the market, we’ve refused every last bit. The challenge has really made me appreciate food, not only the taste but the value. I’ve felt quite down at times this week due to hunger, lack of tasty and fresh food, lack of protein, fibre, vitamins. My energy levels have plummeted and I’ve found it hard to concentrate on my work, not forgetting the effect on my social life. After realising how much I unnecessarily eat, I will definitely snack less, eat smaller portions, plan my food better and not let things go to waste. Plus I’m not eating pasta for a while!
We may have complained a lot about the food we’ve eaten this week but for £10 a week, charities like the Boaz Trust and the British Red Cross are saving lives and giving destitute asylum seekers that little bit of hope. We haven’t collected sponsorship for our campaign but if anyone would like to donate to Community Arts North West (the organisation we volunteer for – they create access to cultural and arts production for asylum seekers and refugees and other people on the fringes of mainstream society, whilst offering tonnes of other support and training opportunities) or the Boaz Trust, you can here:
http://www.can.uk.com/about_us/about_donation.htm
http://boaztrust.org.uk/get-involved/financial-giving/
(You can donate money or alternative gifts like food, toiletries and travel tickets to the Boaz Trust)
I hope everyone has enjoyed keeping up with our progress and continues to read the blog!
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