World Refugee Day marked at Mount Sion
Some of the large attendance for World Refugee Day
Day of Activities hosted by ISU
The Information and Support Unit for New Communities hosted a gathering to mark World Refugee Day recently.
Different activities went on to commemorate the occasion. On display were projects prepared by ISU clients showcasing their talents and skills. These exhibitions included Food, Photographs, Arts, Crafts and souvenirs from different Nationalities. There was a dance performance by African Children from the local Mercy School, a Sing-Song Performance by the ISU Voluntary English Class, and short presentations by ISU staff, Pat Murphy, Waterford Garda Chief Superintendent and Br Ray O’Dwyer, a representative from the Congregation of Presentation Brothers.
The event was extremely well attended and well represented by different Community Organisations in Waterford.
According to ISU Director, Brother Kevin Mascarenhas, “there are over 15 million refugees worldwide outside their country of birth. These Refugees left their country of birth for reasons related to war, political persecution, tribal disputes and religious conflict. On this day we gathered to honour the spirit and courage of millions of Refugees worldwide, to recognise and acknowledge the many contributions Refugees have brought to Waterford City and to Ireland.
“Refugees outside their birth country can be individuals from different walks of life- their migration to another country does not make them anything less than what they used to be, they move out of their country with wealth of knowledge, skills, experiences and capabilities, attained higher education status and qualifications. Some Refugees encounter difficulties settling into their receiving country due to obvious reasons such as language and cultural barriers to mention but a few”, he added.
The Information and Support Unit for New Communities (ISU) was established in September 2006 in direct response to needs of Migrants living in Waterford of which a majority are Refugees. The aim of the ISU is to provide opportunities for New Communities living in Waterford to enhance their lives and their ability to be contributing members of the Irish Society. This is done by by providing services such as
• Educational Programmes (e.g., English language classes, Literacy classes, Computer Skills, Information Sessions etc),
• Work Readiness Programmes (e.g. Preparation, Job Seeking Skills, Experience/Job Placement)
• Cultural Integration Programmes (e.g. Cultural Events/Activities, Cultural Exposure to Ireland).
Beverly Elechukwu, of the ISU Staff, wrote the following short poem in honour of all Refugees everywhere who once had a dream.
I Once Had a Dream
I once had a dream, a dream to be somebody
I once had a dream, a dream to make a difference
My dream seemed to fade away
Events of life swept my dream away
When I had a voice, I felt very tall
When I became voiceless, I felt really small
Change came with its challenge
Some good, some bad, as in all baggage
I still dream, I will not let go of all I want to be
Piece by piece my dream is making real of what I want to be
I am beginning to feel tall because my voice is coming back
All I want is an opportunity to stand tall and not look back
Dreams come true; with hard work I can achieve it.
If I don’t give up, I can become it
(Poem by Beverly Elechukwu)
