Whilst there are a number of macro projects from NGOs and International organisations I really feel it enhances the support of refugee families if we can befriend and be carers of families particularly those that are scattered now between Turkey & Europe... I find like many other individual carers an immense bond with my family and am able to connect to other services and projects too for them. I listen and take notice of their ideas too. Of course we as a combined family and carer/befriender have many ideas too on how to rebuild lives. The key need for all is funding to get those ideas in to action plans and measured outcomes! There can be, with good initiatives a good return on the investment of funding as lives are rebuilt and become successful. This can turn burden into benefit for any host country.
There is no doubt that as I have witnessed, Dante and the family groups in their community do a lot of unofficial social work helping one another. They shoulder some of the burden of the most vulnerable, ensure hospital and doctor appointments are made and patients attend as needed.
There is a wealth of skills and knowledge among the communities I am in contact with .. teachers, reporters, writers, business administrators, IT engineers, historians, artists and craftsman. There is a need to harness the skills and their ideas to help the host countries. They have a desire to help their hosts out of grateful thanks too!
I put forward that as volunteers that are able to cross borders we can help link up traders from different regions and countries.. it would be good if there could be mayor to mayor link up of other cities in the world to help problem solve, trade network and build enterprises to enhance the host countries economies rather than be a burden.
There was a strong discussion in the meeting of a need to help integration of refugees in the host country as the crisis continues and the population increases not so much by influx but now by birthrates. Educational needs are prime importance with clearly the need to learn the host country language to help integration. There have been successful use of refugee doctors and nurses within the Turkish health care system. All healthcare is free at the point of need.
Languages are always key - has I report to you in this blog it is wonderful how the younger children simply absorb the languages spoken around them. So targeting the children early on language learning is vital. My Syrians want to learn as many languages as they can as they enjoy learning & see it has the only way to be able to build their lives in the new surroundings. We have fun learning languages. I have been invited to learn Turkish with our Turkish communities here in London .. so looking forward to visiting the centre.
There are some useful Links here I have found to help you read more on the situational needs in Turkey. Open Democracy article - Employment & Social Enterprise and this report pdf is useful for more intensive reading. "Turkey recognizes the role of building better labour market opportunities for refugees through the 3RP" Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan 2017-18
