Refugee Week is an annual festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. I wanted to bring awareness to these celebrations as they often get missed from the calendar. 

"Founded in 1998 and held around World Refugee Day on
the 20 June, Refugee Week is an open platform, with
hundreds of organisations and individuals holding
Refugee Week events across the UK every year.
This year (15-21 June) will be the first virtual Refugee
Week [...] responding to the theme ‘Imagine’." Refugee Week   

I took my 'Imagine' theme inspiration from a boy called Ahmad and his brother Jawad who managed to escape the oppression of Afghanistan and stayed in a camp in Calais. Speaking with Jawad he explained to me that he wanted his brother to be with their sister in England so he could have a good life. They boarded a lorry and headed across the channel, making the 21 mile trip to what they hoped would be a better life, nearly dying in the process. The brothers are now thriving in England and Jawad has helped create a VR experience to show people what it is like to travel as a refugee using his younger brother's illustrations. The project is called Parwaz VR and you can find more info here - 

https://www.facebook.com/ParwazVR/ 

What am I doing exactly

On the 18th June I'll be walking the 21 miles from Calais to Dover in one stint which from Penistone where I live, will take me to Dronfield - I'll be walking whatever the weather. Refugees don't have the luxury to choose which weather they travel in so neither should I. I do have the privilege to be able to fundraise instead of having to experience displacement - so I am and you have the privilege to donate (so please do if you can) 

So why RCK? I have been to volunteer with these guys before and the work they do is incredible. They are volunteer-led meaning that the chefs, drivers, pot washers, choppers, peelers are all there because they are dedicated to providing healthy nourishing food for refugees so that displaced people can feel human in such demoralising circumstances.

A bit more about RCK from RCK

"Since 2015 something extraordinary has happened when thousands of fellow human beings have come close to home needing help, we have got up and helped and whilst doing that we have unintentionally created a new way of helping that’s accessible to all. A revolutionary way of helping that provides humanity and nourishment to hungry and vulnerable people creating a connected and kinder world & our mission is to give highly nutritional food support to displaced people whatever their situation. Food is a language the crosses all borders"