hold onto these words; let it go

to be a caption to the captionless

In the middle of the camp is an Orthodox church.

We put off our shoes and quietly walked inside. I noticed icons duct taped to the tarp walls.

#welcometoeurope

Put high and very visible, I immediately noticed this flag with planet earth on it.

After taking this picture, we ran into a very sociable African guy with a contagious smile. “You don’t know me? If you don’t me you’re not supposed to be here.

My name is Zimaku, I help with a lot of things”

#welcometoeurope

One night we went to an Afghan restaurant in the camp.

Very cozy makeshift temporary structure, warmth from the kitchen, a plasma tv with a Bollywood movie in the corner.

Lots of introducing ourselves, lots of asking each other where where we’re from, lots of guessing of ages.

Showing pictures of families, showing baby pictures, showing pictures of countless of friends that died in the war.

Talks about the devastation and horrors in the countries they’ve come from, talks about hope, talks about God.

We encouraged each other, we blessed each other. We prayed for each other.

#welcometoeurope

In the Afghan restaurant, a guy suddenly came sitting next to me and shoved his phone in my direction.

It had the Google Translate app opened and it read: “May I have a conversation with you through automatic dictionary?” The guy was about my age and was 2 years into his university degree when the war started. There was nothing left for him in Syria. ‘They’re all criminals. President Bashar Assad, ISIS, free syria army, the international justice courts, everyone’

He was going to try one more time to cross the canal tonight.

#welcometoeurope

welcome to europe, 2015

5,000 war refugees neglected by the UK and France government

#calais #thejungle

After meeting Atiff, we had to hurry to start distributing warm and waterproof jackets to the rest of the camp.

Before we left, Atiff put this cup of delicious coffee in my hands to go.

Atiff fled because of the war in Sudan. “All we have to do is end all war in the world and have peace”

#welcometoeurope #thejungle #calais

While distributing winter coats to guys with wet sweaters in the pouring rain, I met a refugee from Afghanistan.

He is so excited about moving to the UK, he had a I Love London iPhone case.

In 8 months he traveled by foot through 12 countries.
Stuck in Calais, he runs away from the police daily, tries to jump over the fences and has ripped pants to show for it.

His British mother is in New Castle.
When handed his coat ‘I need bullet proof one’

#welcometoeurope

The volunteers here are absolutely amazing people.

One lady has been renting out her own van to facilitate distribution.
In a compassionate motherly way making sure everyone in the line gets what they really need, giving people even a choice in colour, style to treat them as human beings.
When the can ran empty and a huge crowd started pushing in on us aggressively, she was still serving everyone as best as possible.

When the van got closed and the crowd walked off, she was the most heartbroken about the refugees still left standing in a cold wet sweater and dirty flipflops.

#welcometoeurope

A guy came up to us asking wether dogs see or smell better. He was a Christian persecuted in Iran and worked in a hospital before.

Another guy jumped three fences and almost made it, but fell very poorly and now was asking us about the nearest hot shower to wash his wounds. We directed him to the hospital.

We heard stories of refugees making it through to England and whatsapp-ing volunteers. Last night half a family made it.

These stories are outweighed by the news of tons of refugees dying on train tracks or on the highways.

The local hospital permanently has 60 patients that got electrocuted by jumping the fences.

#welcometoeurope

All around the camp are intimidating riot police vans with officers on stand by and pushing refugees back into the camp if they get too far on the highway.

We encountered a police squad with full on robocop style armor and massive guns looking looking intimidating and scary.

In the middle of the squad a guy in nice formal office clothes and a red band around his arm saying ‘police’. Constantly helicopters and airplanes flying over the camp.

Garbage left, no information on where to go, the government is doing nothing besides holding refugees in the camp and building electrified fences.

A slum is growing out of proportion and gives no clues of going anywhere soon.

#welcometoeurope

“omg hij maakt een selfie met dat beeld”