Parliament today

We had an amazing day's input on Cities of Sanctuary and all the good work being done with groups up and down the UK to help refugees. Thanks to Thangam Debbonaire MP for Bristol West for organizing Committee room 14 for a day of sharing of refugee stories and experiences, poems and songs and all the problems in the system that fail or make the claim for asylum a difficult and protracted journey..... 

Met a lovely group from Brecon, Hay and Talgarth in Wales... one of the group members was a kindly retired doctor...... and the place is perfect for healing... refugees enjoy walks and talks and sharing - many that are from farmland areas love making friendship with the local farmers.... and are integrated into the community with care compassion and respect for one another ..... 

then we joined Thangam in the Grand Committee room for a debate on an improved system for relative reunion...... this was a little difficult for us public voyeurs as we were alarmed that the Tory response and rhetoric for we must not encourage a pull to the UK...!!!!!!!! many refugees actually are watching the attitudes and wishing to go Canada as seems the most welcoming.... BUT in among the attitudes we are groups of compassion and care and we are all in unison to improve the help to rebuild lives..... and help our global family.....

Good to see Diane Abbot and make her aware of my family link up project got to email her and cc John my MP and Thangam. I have asked if I can join in the APPG group for Refugees and she is happy...... I am to email her on the family link up project too.... So good day.....

Parliament had a sparkle today for Christmas and was good to see the young children coming for a show round.....some tiny tots were dressed in high vis jackets and looked like little ducklings following the teacher...and seemed extra tiny in the great hall ... all holding hands with one another.  We had a happy atmosphere the way it should be - but tinged with sadness that not all children where having a happy day..... horror reports on the news show that some children are denied the right to have a happy life without war and conflict.... as a global family we must stop this pain surely??

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Longing to return

I am now finding I am upset every day with frustration that I cannot get back out to see this lovely little princess and her mother in Athens.  My dear Boshra is due a second baby in February and I would like to be able to help her.  I can only hope that this project will be seen for the amazing potential it has to help many... and to help link up business and traders too.  

There are the winter months to endure and would like to get more food and clothing to them. 

Alongside the need to get out to Athens there is the neonatal cargo to still pay for.  

The family in Turkey have some amazing developments for me to help with including the idea of a centre start up..... so lots to keep me busy but I still need the funding.  

As you know from previous posts my MEP response to me is there are EU funds for refugees but only for organisations not individual carer/befrienders......  something we need to look at as so many are going out to befriend families at personal expense. There is a human need to help as displaced families are now scattered due to political border closures..... and we have amazing lives to rebuild. 

This project is my life.    I am continuing to research on the issues and search for grants and sponsors and long term funding.  This project has great potential and lots of caring, learning and sharing at its core. 

While I am grounded in the UK I can offer 

• To  present a talk on the project with a donation to fund raising......with this also help raise awareness of a cause for your organisation or group, as we blog and promote the event on social media.
• Those wishing to improve conversational English I do hold a TEFL cert and can meet up to help you. I am in London we can have cafe table lessons in great places...So contact me if you need me to help you - fee is donation to the fundraising.  
• Do you need any help with a project of yours for fee of donation to my project.
• Is there any paid work that you think I could help with. 
• Do you have concert gig where I can come along to promote my project and we do a joint social media promotion. 
• As grandmother I can babysit too :-) so contact me fee donation to the Family Link Project. 

Any ideas for fundraising please contact me email marjoriesyardATgmail.com 

Let me know if you want a page promotion on this blog as the visitor stats build up. Fee donation to the Family Link Up project. 

"Writing Local, Thinking Global" Hillingdon authors read their work

Hillingdon Literary Festival 

The reading of our collaborative work for the competition 

 Writing Local Thinking Global 

We were one of the six short listed for the prize with Umbilical Cord to Motherland - Dante and myself created from my translations and conversations together. 

Taken with Love Received with Love

With my family link up project I am a direct link up... hand to hand .... the donation of clothes given I took over as you saw in my reports earlier to Athens. In the Eleonas camp Boshra and me had a great time calling the mothers around to select what they wanted from the clothes..... The love was shared and we enjoyed our time together. Help me to share more love - I need donations to help me keep this family linked up and to reach out to the communities in the camps where they are.... This project is my life and I feel so grounded without the funds to continue my spread of love...... I have written to MPs MEPs Presidents and Speaker of the House to help me find funds.... My MEP has emailed back and led me to some funds but all the funds are for organisations to apply not individual carer/befrienders like me......So I am reliant on donations if you can help - be part of the spread of love ..... thanks Marjorie

So from donation to the great days washing ironing vacuum packing the baby clothes to the flight to Athens to arriving in the camp.... and the distribution of to the mothers......  This demonstrates my commitment to hand to hand link up.... Donations of funds will help me do more trips and help more.  

Cargo help please

The donation of neonatal specialist feed and equipment that was given with love from brave mother that had lost her child to a genetic disorder - Sadly the NHS trust would not take the equipment back and this poor mother was left with all the equipment left over as a constant reminder of the painful journey she had been through.   She asked to get this out to Athens for doctors to help with sick refugee babies and babies i the community.  She wanted her daughters short life to mean something in the world and help others...... The donation was full of love .... and this was lovingly dispatched off to Athens by the DHL.... they have given me wonderful service and the team in Athens were good. The cargo was accepted by a paedriatric dietetics department with grateful thanks... 

I need donations to help pay for the cargo bill.... again I am writing around for help but no help is coming my way. I am reliant on donations from the gofundme. The company need to be paid..... as they do a lot of work for other humanitarian causes too... We need to keep them in business to help more with good campaigns and projects....... PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME? Please I am desperate to settle the bill. My little pension is exhausted and I am trying to find ways to fund this Family Link up Project... this is my life for the rest of my life......thanks

The pick up of the cargo from my home..... the company sorted out the boxes paletted them and wrapped them and helped with all the customs requirements..... we had pictures of contents and the Athens team at the cargo depo were brilliant .... we managed to get them delivered and we got them to the camp till I could find a team that would appreciate them.  I was led to the Athens General Hospital and the dietetics team came to the camp to collect the cargo..... So this mission was completed.  But I need to pay the cargo bill..... please help .... every donation goes direct to the project needs. All my work is evidenced and I write up reports to the UNHCR and my MP to keep them updated with all I am doing as an individual carer/befriender..... 

Look back with pride..?

Help me to help this family and to have the children look back with pride that we did something to help rebuild lives and link this family together... 

Dear Princess Leen below on the registration day in the camp... The camp do so much to help for sure, respect the residents, try hard to give dignity and most of all keep safe...... But it is tear jerking to see the kids born in the camps take it all in their stride and be happy lights around the place.  Even the tag on her ankle she saw as a game.....I want so much to help and link this family and befriend them through the process most of all preserve identity as a family..... and by doing so can help so many..... I enjoy getting out in the field to help care,  bear witness and to help report on the needs of the organisations and the families. It has always been my professional duty in my days as a practicing nurse and midwife to make reports on actions... so all I do I report to the UNHCR in London and my MP.....  I am an hand to hand link up......

Rebuild lives not Limbo

I am enjoying the Human Rights course that the Utrecht University has offered online.  Been an interesting 3 hours sat on my sofa with the lap top while dinner cooking.... here I am in London and interacting with course material from Holland. 

 

There is a need to respect the rights of refugees and the right for all of us to live in dignity with one another.  My work with the Family Link Up demonstrates to me..... we have some amazingly skilled people among the refugees, well educated and with a lot to offer the world...... I had put forward creating a database on CVs to the UNHCR here in London so we can see the qualities people have in skills & education - many being undergraduates that had been about to graduate before the Syrian war, graduates we have professionals such as teachers, doctors, dentists, vets and we have business graduates..... we surely have an obligation as a Global family to rebuild lives and to integrate into the wider community..... to benefit all and not be a burden or seen as non persons or a nuisance...... surely out of respect for one another and the foundling fathers of the EU and the guiding principles and articles of human rights.... we all have a state obligation from a desire to be peaceful and unified nations respectful of one another and be together in this world our one home Planet Earth....  With peace there would be no uncontrolled shifts of populations fleeing pain and hurt in the world.. Time to heal wounds in our global society and to respect and care for one another - for the benefit of all ....surely....... 

I have to continue my project and help this family and all that they help in their communities as I am  learning so much about not only this family but our wider global family. In this uncertain time of political shifts we cannot forget we all have lives to live and to help those with shattered lives to rebuild for the benefit of all ....surely!

No more politically induced pain peace and respect of human rights to be in this world.....surely!

Yea parcel got through

yea News just in for me in the messenger....... Dante now in possession of the Writing Local Thinking Global book I sent to him....from the Hillingdon Literary Festival in Brunel University........ we have been wondering where the parcel was that I sent to Turkey....  but when he went to the PTT  (post office) to search for it .... it was there complete with thermal socks and some chocs to enjoy while he snuggles up to read his work in publication, along with other competition entries from the London Borough of Hillingdon........... This should give him a warm glow that he has a value and his work and narration of his pain as a refugee has been seen of value to be published...

now I know parcels get through to him in Turkey I can send more things - but I need funds to help with this project.    I am trying folks to find a way without the constant asking you my dear readers for donations......

But you can be part of the story with your donations... and I still need to pay the neonatal cargo bill.... so please can you spare some funds through the gofundme ... many thanks 

We have more work to get out with publishers..... The proceeds from this book are going to the Red Cross as decided by the Brunel University.  

Christmas

I am missing my little princess so much and been looking at the flights out to Athens so frustrating with no funds now!!!!  as if you play around with dates it is possible to get cheap flights just before Christmas..... I am so near Heathrow and the Athens Airport is brilliant for getting the metro direct to Eleonas..... I could even nip for a few days to drop of Christmas presents to the family and the kids in the camps..... and if I  have some funds to go on a Christmas shopping spend in the Athens City to help the businesses there..... 

Loved this day in the square we were chasing pigeons she giggled like crazy at them flying....... if only we were as free as birds to fly and do what we enjoy doing and in my case is helping this amazing family and their communities.... 


Sadly I also am running into deep problems too with he neonatal cargo bill that needs paying.... it is dreadful state of affairs as my pension is not enough to handle this.... and as you know from my blog I am looking at all sorts of ways to fund this project and help rebuild lives.   If only I had reached this stage of my life as a woman of substance I could have done all this without any need to reach out to you for help.  

My project has been commended in parliament by those I have contacted and my MEP has got back to me with some useful funding links - BUT they are only for organisations not individual carers and befrienders.....so I am reliant on donations on my gofundme, grants and sponsors.......and fund raising events...... there are many individual volunteer befrienders maybe we should start a consortium to get the funding to share... we can evidence where funds go and the outcome achieved..... 

Could you help me with donations please and contact me with any ideas on funding....?  marjoriesyardATgmail.com. Also can you give me some feedback as to why I do not get any donations of funds... to help modify my reach out marketing of the need.  I know it is difficult as there are so many demands for donations from charities....and all have needs to address....... But with this project I can demonstrate that I am a hand to hand link up...... 

Hand to hand help with my project 

fundraising entertainment

Had a fun afternoon with Maggie who is an Egyptian Twirling dancer,Tanoura Darwish  we met when a friend of mine was fundraising for her charity Halo for bereaved children.... Maggie has got back in touch with me and today we met for a coffee in Ealing Broadway to discuss how we can put on some shows to fund raise for the Family Link Up project........contact me if you are a performer, musician artist director who would like to help with some fun shows to help my project...... and any sponsors please come forward to me...... We have lives to rebuild and we can help one another along the way.... 

And any interesting venues to let me know! 

contact me marjoriesyardATgmail.com 

lol this was us all having fun in 2014 for Halo 

Studying

In the dramatic changing world of elections and shockwaves I am even more intensifying my international studies to keep understanding of it all and keep some insight into the world politics.  I am continuing to build on my Turkish understanding as the family members in Turkey see that they may have to stay and settle there.  I hope I can get out to help with the drop in centre they are planning.. But I need the financial freedom to get out and about to make my independent reports and assessments... I so wish to help link up business, traders, universities as I link up the family.   Thanks to the Hillingdon libraries for these tow books.... I still need to get copies of Professor Hale's work as he is incredibly interesting on Turkish socio-politics.   

Spotting shopping & Update

While I am grounded here in the UK - Can not help being a Great Aunt to my family and little Leen with all our little friends in the camp.  Keep spotting things I would like to get out to them... This ball is fun as it makes a boing sound when you catch it... so can imagine Leen giggling like crazy at this ... bless her.... but the fact it has animals in the different facets it is a great educational tool... hear me out lol  .... if you sat the kids round in a semi circle around you and had a throw and catch game you could ask in English, Greek or Arabic where is the Hen ... where is the horse... to build up vocab & understanding - can imagine it being fun with the boing noise and then they make the animal noises too...... ohhhh so miss being in the camp with the kids...... 

and these fun animal skittles she would love these... Found these in the Waterstones shop in Nottinghill Gate and then in the British library found the Zoo buggy book..... you can still use the visuals and play with all the different languages... not confusing as I see how the little ones are flicking easily in and out of the languages around them.... so much fun...and wonderful... 

I have also submitted an idea of for a series of Children's books to an agent... there simply has to be a way I can help rebuild lives and regain some financial dignity for them all too ... as they have lost so much... 

I am needing some donations for the womenfolk of Islamic clothing - so was looking at the mosque and have been asking the Sisters for help..... and I have written to companies..... but sadly no response to my call for help, though many have appeared interested....... I really do need some donations in the gofundme so I can 1. settle the neonatal cargo bill and 2. continue to get things that are needed, 3. continue to be able to get out in the field to help and befriend and perform ongoing assessment of needs and progress to resettlement.  

I have had a response from my MEP about funding and there is some funds but it is only for organisations not individual carer/befrienders like myself..... So I have to find a way to fund this project as it is my life now for the rest of my life..... My work as been commended and glad it is seen of value in effort love, care and compassion. 

Thank you for you visits to my blog and hope you can help.. 

if you have any fundraising ideas and want to get involved in the story then contact me on facebook or email marjoriesyardATgmail.com

WE owe it as adults in our Global Family to ensure our

 global kids are safe, loved and cared for... and have a future to enjoy!