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Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
NESAM DIEVA GAISMU PASAULĒ
NESAM DIEVA GAISMU PASAULĒ
by Kirsten Hastrup
The first time I met refugees here in Denmark was when I joined a newly started network group in my local community north of Copenhagen in 1998. Refugees were mostly young men and families from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the beginning, I thought I was going to help them, but after a while, I found out that it was not about ME helping THEM, it was about offering friendship, love and care and about finding a way together.
All refugees have a traumatic story to tell, because you do not flee your country without a reason. In the beginning, I often had nightmares because I thought that I could save everybody and take away their traumas. I felt insufficient. After a while, I realized that I had to be more realistic about my own capacities, and I found out that it was good enough just being myself offering my friendship, bringing a bit of hope and light into a troubled everyday life.
When I meet some of “my” refugees today, that is exactly what they emphasize as being the most important factor on their way to integration; meeting voluntary locals who cared about them and offered them friendship. It is extremely rewarding seeing them today as full members of the Danish society, and hearing about their children having completed an education and started new families.
In my professional life as a teacher, I specialized in teaching Danish as a Second Language and worked with children and their families from all over the world, both refugees and immigrants.
I have summarized my experiences in the following list of good advice:
Kirsten Hastrup 24.05.2022