The Red Cross in Hedmark, is composed of two local branches, and almost 45 youth volunteers. They meet at the last Sunday of each month to spend two hours, sometimes more, with 14 young refugee boys and girls. For those young, the Red Cross become one of the most important outdoor activity in their life at the asylum, to not say the only one.

Life at the asylum centre

They live at 30 min driving up in the mountains of Hamar, where they spend most of their times indoor, trying to fill their time with something interesting. They can’t go out after 17:00 pm, the time of the last bus from the down town till the camp. Maybe the situation will be tolerable for the adult refugees, but it is unbearable for the young ones, it is really hard, to find yourself stuck on a one place, far from everything, while your body is just full of energy and power to live life till the end.

The first activity with them consisted of three hours of chatting, and gathering around a delicious pizzas dinner, with some ice breakers and social games, without forgetting to put and discuss the plan for the coming activities. We end up with a fine list of activities most of them focusing on sports and outdoors things.

The next Sunday, the activity consisted of more than three hours of hand craft, where the young refugees tried to express themselves by making some candles, and achieving some decorations on mirrors, or making small boxes from matches, or some jewelries. It was almost Christmas time, so they prepared some gifts for themselves.

The third meeting was also for few hours of sports. The Red Cross Youth tried to borrow a volley ball place at one of the schools in Hamar, we were divided into 2 groups playing volley for almost two hours.

“Maybe we can meet more than once in a month! We are seriously having fun with you and you are the only reason to go out after 17:00” This is the usual request of most of the young asylum seekers. The youth volunteers are 45, and there is a still lot of Sundays, and you would be always surprised when you see that the volunteers are always more than the refugees on Sundays. Especially that all the volunteers are students and employees at the same time and they enjoy the Sunday’s activities as much as the refugees enjoy.

Although sometimes the activities are happening at the Red Cross house, but still the volunteers are always ready and motivated to go up with their personal cars, drive 30 min at night and under snow, to the asylum to bring the young refugees for the meeting, and sure to take them back.

It is quite easy to be proud because we are helping young people to improve their situation and facilitate their stay and way of living in a new country, but it doesn’t take you so long to recognize how big is the help that they are giving to you, when they are satisfied at the end of an activity, or smiling while saying thank you after giving them a ride to the asylum.

Their reaction after the activity motivates and encourages us to work harder and come up with new ideas to bring joy to their lives. It is quite strange how they can keep smiling despite all the difficulties and how they can keep on hoping for a better day. I call them “The fighters”.

That is why we are really looking forward for the last Sunday of this month…..