Volunteering at Joel Nafuma Refugee Center
Empowering refugees through the art of listening
Spring 2015
Rome, Italy
Picture: Holding the peace flag handmade by refugees. (Featuring Rakeen Akila, a former refugee and advocate from ​Afghanistan and Daniela Morales, volunteer director in JNRC)
In spring 2015,I volunteered in the Joel Nafuma Refugee Camp(JNRC) in Rome, Italy. I helped serving food and distributing clothing and toiletries to the refugees; I designed and facilitated events that help refugees create meaning out of their everyday life; I held hour-long conversations with refugees in which they revealed their traumatic stories; and I also worked as a volunteer artisan who collaborated with the refugees to use art as a platform to express their previously muted voice. Through my work, I developed a trusting relationship with the refugees. Some of these relationships ended up allowing the refugees to finally reveal their deeply buried stories and helped them processing their personal trauma.
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Reflecting back on this experience, I realized that I have grown so much in interpersonal communication. I learnt about the power of listening, the honor and dignity that we can give to people when we are listening with empathy and making no assumptions. I have also became very conscious about the intricate power dynamic in the discussion of international politics - how the heavy attention given to larger political issues can cover up the tragedy experienced by the individuals. Realizing the flaw of the system, I have since became even more determined to use my own actions such as listening intently in everyday life, to empower others.
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The change starts from here.
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Task Accomplished
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Produced art products that help raising funds for JNRC.
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Advocated for refugee rights among international students studying in Italy.
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Facilitated a vigil that demonstrated the inclusivity of JNRC through featuring refugees speaking five languages.
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Helped refugees overcoming communication problems due to traumatic events.
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Produced a video that documented the art work of the refugees who participated in the JNRC Artisan program.
Husky Leadership Competencies
Listening
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Listening is one of the skills that are, I believe, truly essential and powerful in creating genuine human connection. Throughout the formal interviews I conducted with the refugees and many hour-long informal conversations, I developed strong listening skills: I became very present in conversations, which allowed the speaker to feel honored and cared. I also became very attentive and aware about the underlying assumptions and implicit cultural norms carried in words and sentences. Being able to listen actively and attentively allowed me to really understand not only the verbal messages but also the viewpoint of the refugees.
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Empathy
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The ability to think and act empathetically is so important in humanitarian work. Many of the refugees, if not all, have experienced a great amount of unimaginable trauma. I learnt to work with them empathetically by not assuming that I know everything, thus honoring their own unique experience. Being able to listen closely and intently, without rushing into judgment or consolation allowed me to appreciate their perspectives at a deeper level. Showing my understanding of their circumstances from their views allowed me to enter a unique space where I get to facilitated their healing through conversations.
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Appropriate Interaction
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One of the biggest challenge and learning I had in JNRC was how to appropriately interact with the refugees. The suitable way I found was to treat them as equally intelligent peers. As I became close friends with the refugees, one of them told me that they felt honored being around me because I do not treat them as child or beggars as some other volunteers do. I realized that it was true that many of the volunteers entered the space without really understand what the refugees needed from them. Being alone in a foreign country as a refugee, they need people to treat them as human more than anything. I became really glad that I got to interact with them in a way that made them felt treated right.
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Self-Understanding
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In JNRC, one of the refugee who became my friend told me about his experience surviving human trafficking and escaping from murder. I realized it is beyond my ability to grasp his grief. So instead to reacting, I just listened in silence. After our conversation, I felt extremely honored, intrigued and inspired by his story. When the refugee told me how dignified he felt through the silent between us, I realized that I truly enjoy being a empowering listener who allows people to open up and be vulnerable, in order to heal and become strong again. Being able to empower others has become one of my core value ever since.
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Service
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As a volunteer in JNRC, I served more than 500 refugees in total, by distributing daily care products and breakfasts. I organized daily events to help the refugees feel welcomed and connected to the place they were in. I also served the refugee community by organizing talks and events to foster a healthier refugee community with growing voice.
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Social Justice
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One of my service in JNRC was to co-organize a vigil in memory of 2000 refugees who died while sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. My team and I collaboratively converted the refugee center to a chapel where we hosted around local Italians and international visitors, and featured five different languages spoken by five refugees from different countries in the condolence. It was extremely beautiful for me to witness people of different nationality, race and religion coming together. It was a room of love and empathy. I learnt that through organizing events that serve social justice, it is possible for me to make a change and bring all the difference together.
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Creating Change
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Through my volunteering experience in JNRC alongside my research about the refugee policies in Europe, I learnt that the current situation of refugees are a historical problem that is unlikely going to be solved within a short amount of time. That said, I learnt to best advocate for the refugees and create changes by personally spreading the message about the importance of humanitarian works with refugees. I have learnt that many people whom I have shared my experience in JNRC with have came more attentive about the issue. I believe creating change needs to start from personal level. And I am determined to continue my work beyond JNRC.
