Life as a refugee support volunteer with it's occasional victories and frequent defeats.

Occasional Victories is a place for links, news, rants and raves about Refugee related issues.

If you would like to contribute just drop me an email at carigeen(a)yahoo.com

 
Why won't people who are looking for help...

tell me the full story?

One family is looking for help moving from the site to private rented accommodation.
They also tell me that no one ever arranged school for their three children.
They even insist on me taking copies of medical certificates that I don't want.

Later I find that they had forgotten to tell me that they had previously been in rented accommodation,
and been forced back into direct provision when the health board would not pay rent allowance.
The children had been in school until they left the site.

posted by Carigeen at Thursday, April 03, 2003

 
Now why am I not surprised?

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | Special Olympics sign vandalised

Larne was always the second-nastiest town in Northern Ireland (Portadown came first) but it looks as though they are making a bid for first place.

The Iraqi kids are not coming anyway. Staying alive must be a higher priority than the Special Olympics at the moment.
posted by Carigeen at Wednesday, April 02, 2003

 
Sometimes things work

One of our people is counselling a woman with psychological problems on site.
Today the client phoned asking for help for someone else.

At the gate I met Irena who is 8.
I'd not seen her since Christmas when her family got status and moved off site.
Big screams of delight and hugs from her and her mother.

B has got a job at weekends in a retirement home.
Her African hairstyles are a big hit with the old ladies in the home!



posted by Carigeen at Tuesday, April 01, 2003

 
There is no doubt at all

that the British and American imperial adventure in Iraq will fail.
If an occupation force starts this way then they are defeated already.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Iraqi civilians killed at checkpoints

I remember British troops being given tea in the Bogside in 1969 and, a year later, gunfights with them on the same streets.
posted by Carigeen at Tuesday, April 01, 2003

 
Weekend off

The first weekend I've had off in quite a while was great.
I spent it putting up outside lights, building a stone wall and painting a fence.

OK, batteries recharged, let's go!
posted by Carigeen at Monday, March 31, 2003