Ciara Purton and Scarlet Shaw reflect on their interview with the founder of the Refugee Buddy Project
Image: Megan Crombie
One busy Saturday just before Christmas, we walked into the lively market set up in Hastings Museum by the Refugee Buddy Project. Every stall was run by a refugee or a helper, all looking to support the charity or raise funds for refugees at home and abroad. Everywhere we turned, there were lovingly handcrafted gifts, décor, and food from around the world. The atmosphere was warm and bustling like a family gathering, with a sense of community filling the air. This was a perfect representation of what the Refugee Buddy Project is all about.
The charity was founded by Rossana Leal in 2017. After fleeing Chile in 1976, Rossana and her family received a wonderfully kind welcome from a small village in Scotland. From then on, Rossana wished to recreate the same kind of welcome she and her family experienced for the new wave of people entering Europe. And so the Refugee Buddy Project was born. One key activity of this charity is their Buddy Programme, where those new to the country are buddied up with local people and together they support each other by having someone they can talk to about this new experience, help each other practise English and offer long-term friendship, which is vital for feeling safe, happy and supported.
While at the Christmas market, we were able to talk to Rosanna, who runs the Dove Café, one of the charity’s very successful programmes. The Dove Café acts as a brilliant place for refugees to build up confidence and skills, setting them up for future employment. Many go onto courses in commercial cookery and related activities. The volunteers can have many different roles in the café, such as working front-of-house, customer service, barista skills or basic kitchen skills. But most importantly, they build up confidence in English and workplace communication. The Dove Café creates a safe place for all, where they can share their own recipes from home and try new things together.
When discussing the biggest struggles refugees face when adapting to life in the UK, Rossana noted that learning English was a common issue. Not being able to speak the language of the country a person is in can create a barrier between the locals and refugees, which can lead to a sense of not belonging. This is something the charity actively works against, helping to build a community that both refugees and locals can share. Other challenges refugees face are a lack of cultural understanding and navigating the education system, both of which can other the refugees. But overall, Rossana told us the worst and sadly most prevalent problem that the refugees face when migrating to England is the racism and hate they experience towards them, especially online. This is the biggest enemy of the Refugee Buddy Project and a challenge they confront in order to make society more accepting and kinder. We asked Rossana how she thought social media and the digital world impacted racism. Rosanna explained how the media spreads mostly negative stories with a ‘nasty narrative’ about people seeking refuge, spreading false narratives that oppose the reality that the charity sees daily. She told us that, ‘The reality is support and acceptance,’ despite the raging racism online.
While the Refugee Buddy Project does amazing work already, they have even more plans for the future. Rossana shared with us how the charity wants to offer more help to the people in the Crowborough men’s camp as they are currently living in mass accommodation, which the charity is largely against. Their problem with mass accommodation is that it’s impersonal and othering, separating the refugees from the community they are trying to live in. The project wants to immerse them in a community that they can peacefully live in and be accepted into, rather than keep them isolated. They plan to continue their current work of buddying refugees whilst working towards this goal of further inclusion and the integration of refugees into British society.
Rossana also informed us about the charity’s funding, explaining that they receive money both from their work at the Dove Café and the events they host as well as receiving funding from the government’s Charity Commission. The Charity Commission supplies charities in England and Wales (like the Refugee Buddy Project) with funds to support itself, as well as ensuring that they comply with charity law, maintaining the official register of charities and promoting public trust by investigating mismanagement and abuse. It is these profits that allow the charity to do all their amazing work and continue to help those in need.
As we came to the end of our interview with Rossana, we asked her one more question: ‘What is your message to young people?’ Rossana replied passionately, ‘Being young and not questioning the things happening around you and in the world is a crime. You need to search for the truth before you make up your mind on something. With all the hate and fake news being spread, it’s your responsibility to find out the truth and help the world become a place made of love.’
If you want to support The Refugee Buddy Project, come along to their many fundraisers and events throughout the year and have a lovely day out, as well as giving your support for an important cause. You could also stop by at their Dove Café in St Leonards, where all the profit goes towards helping newly arrived refugees in our local areas. Here they offer a wide selection of locally made food and treats. And if you would like to properly get involved with the charity, they will always happily welcome new volunteers to help with events.
