Visioneers Wednesdays: Crafting with Refugee Children
On a cloudy Wednesday in the end of September, I headed to Berlin-Schöneberg to participate in one of the weekly Visioneers projects. I was thrilled to spend the afternoon crafting with refugee children and fellow volunteers. The event was hosted by Connections Café and run by the blogger Julia and the artist, also Julia. The goal of the event was to make phone cases and mostly get to know each other.
As soon as I arrived, I felt the friendly atmosphere created by the owners of the Connections Café, Larry and Teri. Connections Cafe provided a separate room for the Visioneers activity, and all participants sat around a large table that facilitated discussion. This positive environment helped everyone open up and fully enjoy the afternoon. Greeted by big smiles, the children were ready to stitch some fabric together.
The materials were all prepared in advance, and the kids were sewing two pieces of cloth together to make the case. Then the children decorated the top fabric with elements they chose. Some decided to decorate with flowers; others put their initials on or simply sewed on a smiley. The children were asking us for advice, interacting in German or English, and genuinely enjoying themselves. Cookies and drinks were also available for the kids in case they wanted to take a small break.
The children I met were from Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan. They were all willing to participate and contribute. The kids, variety of ages, were curious and often asking me questions. They were smiling, open, and excited to be there. I was happy I got to learn a little bit about their personalities and help with crafting. Laughter was often filling the room and all volunteers, some of whom from Wayfair, certainly had a great time.
After a couple of hours, the phone cases were finished, and we were all ready to head home. The children initiated hugging which was greatly appreciated by everyone. My cloudy afternoon was spent in the best possible way.
Interested in joining us? Send us an email to learn about ongoing projects!
blog@visioneers.io
Connections Café: http://www.book-connections.de
Julia’s Blog: http://funkelfaden.de
