KRAN WELCOMES LITTLE AMAL
As Amal (hope) takes her final steps on her journey to hope and safety, we reflect on what The Walk meant to us here at KRAN.
From Gaziantep (Syrian-Turkey border) to Manchester (UK), it took 8000 kilometres for this unaccompanied minor to reach her destination. Amal walked through 65 cities and villages and participated in over 100 welcoming events on her way.
Here in KRAN, we were preparing to welcome Amal for months. We talked about The Walk with the young people we work with and made decorations and welcoming banners for the day when Amal reaches Dover, Folkestone, and Canterbury.
KRAN banners
Many of the young people we work with remember their walk to safety in the UK.
Working with unaccompanied minors for years and years, we heard different stories from the journeys. They are full of a mix of sadness, laughter, fear, hope, and all the emotions one can feel.
Hearing how Amal was unwelcomed in some cities and needed to change her route to the UK reminds us of the reality that unaccompanied minors and all migrants face in too many places all over Europe. Luckily for Amal, she reached her destination safely. She received more support and even celebrated her 10th birthday on her way.
The Walk itinerary
We celebrated Amal (Hope) for unaccompanied minors and young people with our friends from the Gulbenkian, Canterbury Cathedral, People United, Canterbury College, and others helping young refugees build their new lives in Kent.
One of our Youth Ambassadors, Rishan, who came to the UK as an unaccompanied minor at the age of 16, shared her impressions with us:
Seeing Amal made me feel so emotional in different ways. It made me remember my journey to the UK and how I felt when I lost hope as everything wasn't clear and safe on the way.
Amal isn't just an ordinary little girl coming to the UK. She is a story of every young refugee escaping from war and all the awful things. She tells a story of young refugees who would like to be treated with love and compassion as human beings. I am so happy to see and feel how Amal gathered us and showed us that we only need to be human without all of these boundaries that separated us. I loved and enjoyed how the kids from school were joyful to call her name. And the older people were smiling and waving to her. That was incredible and extraordinary.
We hope that this walk inspires people all over the Europe and UK to welcome and support refugees in their communities. It did inspire us to stand even stronger with the young people we work with.
