Hannahthetraveller

Aeham Ahmad: Piano Concert in Steinfurt

1/8/2022

Konzertgalerie: Tourism Steinfurt

The Konzertgalerie in Steinfurt is on my running route. It sits in the huge Bagno Park which divides the two parts of town. I’ve been past it countless times but never been inside until last week. The chandeliers glittered in the mirrors, illuminating the painted ceiling and rather ugly angel and harp statue at the back.

I’m constantly surprised that I live in Steinfurt - home to many retired people who made up the bulk of the audience for tonight’s concert. The old white people were out in force to support and learn from a young Palestinian/Syrian man. Aeham Ahmad climbed the shallow steps to the platform before the first powerful notes of his music rang out.

Before the first piece, there was a lot of talking. A lot. Firstly heckling from the audience because the microphone wasn’t loud enough, (“turn your hearing aid up” was the helpful advice of one retiree), then the painful story of Aeham’s life. Growing up in as a Palestinian refugee in Syria was hard enough, before war broke out. Aeham and his friends would wheel his piano outside and he would play amidst the rubble of bomb blasts.

Aeham talked about his music, describing how classical, jazz and eastern music all combined in his composition/improvisations. He sang too, mournful notes over sustained chords were alternated with impressively virtuosic passages. The anger, sorrow, guilt and sadness of his story poured out through his fingers to be made sound for us to share.

Between pieces, a narrator read passages from one of Aeham’s two books. Death, destruction, and loneliness filled every story - from being separated from his family to watching his piano burn. Moments of calm came too, and he encouraged the audience to sing a repeated melody with him while he played, a moment of togetherness for us to share.

Aeham’s classical training is evident. His facility of touch and the sheer speed at which he can play was astounding. In all honesty, I found it really hard to listen to him. There was a lot of loud playing, the raw emotion spilling everywhere. The pieces were also quite similar to each other. Familiar riffs would return and chord sequences were reused. The message of peace and hope that the narrator put forward wasn’t expressed in the music at all.

The audience clearly admired his dexterity and ability to perform with such passion. After a standing ovation, the first encore was based on Ode to Joy - the famous tune from Beethoven’s ninth symphony which all the German pensioners knew the words for. To me, this was a sudden contrast to the ‘real’ music - but showed off his ability to weave a melody into his own style with skill.

I can’t imagine the life that Aeham and his family have had to endure. In 2016, Aeham took the Balkan route from Syria to Germany. But I can’t miss an opportunity to draw attention to how things are now.

Aeham had achieved family reunification within a year of his arrival. That means that his asylum claim was processed, accepted and then his family could join him via a legal route. Friends of mine spend twice that time or longer trapped in countries on the way. They then have to wait years just for their asylum claims to be assessed. The wait even after an interview is months and months in France, Germany and the UK. The compassion shown by the audience for Aeham should be extended to everyone else, whether from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan or anywhere else.

Aeham is a firstclass musician, and an ambassador for others who share parts of his story, and I'm really glad I got to hear him play.

Want to DO SOMETHING! People in the UK can volunteer to help Care4Calais when people first arrive in the country. Or if you’d rather have an online task and have 3-4 hours a week, get in touch to help Are You Syrious with the News Digest.

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World Refugee Day 2022

20/6/2022

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This time last year, I’m not sure any of us could quite believe the changes today, the 19th World Refugee Day. Whilst global events influence public opinion, I try to focus on the personal stories. To me, it doesn’t matter where a person is from, what reason they have for fleeing their home country, or even if they’re a nice person or not. What matters to me is that everyone has a right to safety. Above all, everyone has the right to not to be illegally mistreated - evidence of which is shockingly abundant.

During the last year, I’ve shared a variety of person stories on my blog. These include Zoe Mitchell hiking to raise funds as well as my own effort to fund-raising via a 100 km bike ride.

World events have of course had a global impact. When Kabul fell to the Taliban last August, the implications for people I know was huge. People struggled to contact family members as No Name Kitchen and other organisations hurried to fill out forms with a hope these might lead to evacuation. Of the people left behind - women face unique and dreadful consequences.

Artwork by Afghan Street Artist Shamsia Hassani.

My trip back to Bosnia early this year was revealing in many ways. It was a relief to be able to say that things were better than they had been. However, one of the main reasons for this is that people are less able to leave the countries that they are stuck in. Travel out of Afghanistan is almost impossible, and leaving Iran and Turkey have both become more and more problematic. The updates I wrote in January and February described the changes from the previous year, but the post I wrote in March this year included the response of No Name Kitchen concerning the reception of refugees from Ukraine in Europe.

17th March 2022. European Union. No Name Kitchen has always been very clear about the solution to the so-called ‘refugee crisis’: providing legal routes for people to escape their war-torn countries and seek asylum in a safe place, as well as for migrants in general.

“The war in Ukraine, which has caused the displacement of many people to neighboring countries, has shown us that, as terrible as it is to leave your home and be separated from your family in search of a safe haven, the process can be done in a kind and speedy way in order to avoid suffering as much as possible.”

In the midst of international crises, it is the people I’ve met that will remain with me always.

Zac’s story - of the heart-break of being denied asylum in a country he had grown to call home.

"A sad story that flows like a river all over the world, a story that all human beings are familiar with, a story that has no end, migration.”

Wahid and Aziz have become a fixture in my life since 2020. The boys from Afghanistan are both settling into life as teenagers in the UK and Germany respectively. It was an honour to have their story published in the anthology Refugees From Eden which you can buy here.

Sadly, for adults claiming asylum, the wheels and cogs of the system grind devastatingly slowly. In my letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, I told the story of how Mohammed had suffered during his time. 2 years after arriving, Mohammed is still waiting, struggling with mental health, always waiting.

“Dear Priti Patel,

I am writing to you about my friend Mohammed. He is an asylum seeker from Sudan and is currently experiencing the indignity of the British asylum system.”

Through my growing work as a freelance journalist, I’m attempting to spread the word about the illegal actions at the EU’s borders. Nothing speaks more powerfully than someone that experienced a journey to supposed safety than Sahar’s story. If you click on no other link in this article, click on this one to read my article on Migrant Women Press.

"I was sitting at the restaurant across the road from the Sedra Camp when I first met Sahar in the summer of 2020. A small woman in vibrant clothing walked the short distance from the camp gates slowly. Her warm smile was shy at first, cautious of meeting strangers. We had a small chat about the weather and the camp as we waited for the drinks. I say small talk, but we lacked a common language almost entirely. It’s amazing what can be communicated with no words at all."

There will never be a “solution” to the “migration issue”. People move around the planet that we all share. I was absolutely disgusted that the flight from the UK to Rwanda nearly happened. By sharing stories I hope to convince people around me that migration is not a crime and that kindness should always be the first priority.

Please share this round-up with someone you know. Perhaps someone who you think wouldn’t be that interested in “the refugee situation” but who is open to listening. And as always, comments are welcome below.

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BERWICKSHIRE COASTAL PATH: Microadventure in Scotland

3/6/2022

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I’ve always got a bit of a, what I call, “mad plan” at the back of my mind. Sometimes involving sleeping in airports or on buses, somehow squeezing in an adventure into whatever else I happen to be doing. Alastair Humphreys coined the term ‘microadventure’. And it was with Alastair’s help that I could set off on the Berwickshire Coastal Path.

This mad plan did in fact involve sleeping on a bus. The night bus from London to Edinburgh is only barely useful, as booking train tickets in advance can be not too much more. But I was disorganised about when to travel, booked last minute and then nearly missed it, thinking that it left Victoria Coach Station at 11:30 pm when departure time was actually 10:30 pm. It was exciting to be waking up in a new place.

Edinburgh in the early morning was a treat, no tourists and clear skies. I had given myself one day to gather some kit together before setting off to walk the Berwickshire Coastal Path. From Cockburnspath (pronounced Co-burns path) to Berwick-Upon-Tweed, it’s just 50 kilometres along the cliffs of Scotland and then into the northerly city of England. Thanks to friends Beccy and Charlotte I could borrow a raincoat, sleeping bag and big backpack. I’d brought my brother’s (now mine I think, finders keepers, sorry Ben) Bivvy bag from my mum’s but I still needed a sleeping mat. Enter Alastair’s twitter followers. Minutes after asking Al to retweet my request, I was in touch with Nicholas, via someone else, who came and dropped off a roll mat. I couldn’t believe the generosity of going out of his way to help a complete stranger with a mad plan.

My previous near-miss with a bus had me at the bus station rather earlier than necessary to get the 253. I had to remember to get off at the right place, otherwise I’d end up in Berwick without having walked anywhere. An hour and half after leaving Edinburgh, I was a bit dozy from the journey, but it was suddenly time to get off. Within minutes of starting my walk, everything was wrong. I needed to pee, my water bottle fell out of its holder, I was too hot. Ok, kit sorted, now to find the sea.

The first finger post on the Berwickshire Coastal Path. I do love a good footpath sign.

Proof of reaching Siccar Point.

I quite like not researching too much into what I’m doing. I don’t want someone else to spoil the surprises. But I do love a good travel or adventure book, preferably similar not too similar to what I’m doing. For this trip I was reading James Scanlan’s A Moroccan Journey: Agadir to Tangier I’d started it on the bus and had the words echoing in my ears as a strode along the first stretch of cliff top. Walking from Morocco to England was a bit different to my current two day challenge, yet we both had big packs and adventurous outlooks. James shared a similar outlook at the start of the journey, and writes at the start of his journey:

“He stopped at the beach by the first Ferris Wheel to be built in Africa, to readjust pronouns and rehydrate, then off I walked… the whole world smelt of rotten fish.”

My first milestone was Siccar Point. Nicholas of roll mat fame had told me of the geological importance of this bit of coast. It’s called somebody’s Unconformity. Henderson’s? No, that's the name of the veggie restaurant. Hudson’s? Could be. It provided proof in the 18th century that the world was aeons old and not just 6,000 years old. (No fact checking here, might be all wrong.) To reach the point, which offers no view of the rocks that are so famous, requires dodging cowpats and their menacing producers. After a windy swig of water in celebration, I had to return along cowpat path to continue. But I took a selfie with the information board, so that’s ok.

Whilst the stunning scenery and surprisingly good weather were a joy, there’s always those moments when you question your sanity. I’d run out of water and was traversing a long, slow, grassy gradient. Sheep shit everywhere. I was hungry but didn’t want to stop in the shitty field. My left ankle was tired of constantly walking along the sloping ground and the wind was so strong it nearly knocked me off balance. It is in these moments that peanut butter scoped from a jar with a pita bread tastes the best!

My impeccable timing meant I reached the quaint village of St Abbs just as everything was closing. I heard the bolt slide shut on the visitors’ centre (and loos) as I rounded the corner. But I didn’t need amenities, I had the ocean (and sufficient nutrition). Sitting on a stone bench in the sun, overlooking the harbour, munching on raisins and chatting to my OH on a video call was all I needed right then.

The cove where I slept. Bliss.

“How did you sleep?” was the first question of my friends on my return to Edinburgh. “Ridiculously well,” was my smug response. My superpower is the ability to sleep anywhere. I’m so grateful for it. After walking through two perfectly good coves, I decided to settle in the third. The reddish rock offered substantial protection from the still-howling wind and I found the perfect spot above the waterline in some soft grass surrounded by growing ferns and pink and purple flowers. By 8:30 pm I was snuggled in my borrowed sleeping bag, as James was once again walking through rain and around illegal sand mines on the Moroccan coast.

I don’t mind my own company at all, something James and I share. “Naturally introverted, I could easily walk for six months without talking to a soul, and all I’d have to show for it at the end would be half a haiku.” At 4:30 am I peaked out at the stunning sunrise. Reds and golds sparkled on the sea. Then promptly fell back to sleep until my alarm at 7 am.

Never has the automatic door of a Co-Op made such a welcoming noise. Eyemouth is my new favourite place. The little sandy beach was the perfect location for my breakfast of Diet Coke, apple and well travelled Plenny Bar (see this post if you don’t know what that is). I had to have a paddle. I’d just seen a man wade in in only swimming shorts, so I can’t be that cold right? Wrong. But so refreshing. Especially given how much of the path was high up on the cliffs, I wasn’t sure when I’d be at sea level again.

“Nobody cares that much. I’m sorry that’s not true. Nobody cares at all.”

James quotes Bill Bryson in his book, about reading other people’s blog posts about walking, so boring. So I won’t bore you with the hours of jagged coastal rocks, grassy cliff tops, occasional caravan park. You’ll see them all when you walk it yourself. But the constant sun (yes I got sunburnt in Scotland) was remarkable. James too focuses on encounters and people rather than his route. The friendly old chaps who filled my water bottle, and the dog walker who spotted the deer and the cyclists walking their bikes up a steep hill, those are the memorable things about my journey.

Berwick-Upon-Tweed was welcome when it came. By which I mean, after I accidentally continued along the coast instead of turning inland. After purchasing some much-needed aftersun location, I sat by the River Tweed, composed new words to a tune that was stuck in my head, and let James arrive in Tangier. We shared the feelings of relief, disappointment, triumph and agitation at the temporary end to our journeys.

Massive thanks to Nicholas, Beccy and Charlotte for lending me kit, and James Scanlan for keeping me company. And to Alastair Humphreys for constant encouragement of mad plans.

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Meat Free May: Tips for Success in 2022

5/5/2022

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I read a lot of stuff, a huge variety, from EU policy to ultra runner interviews and little dino cartoons.

Meat Free May is one of those things like ‘Dry January’ that manages to motivate people to make changes to their regular habits, some of which will hopefully stick beyond the intended time.
Here are five resources from my extensive reading that can help, inform or entertain if you’re looking for less meat and diary in your life.

Vegan Recipes from Vegan Food and Living Magazine

I mean, you can literally just Google ‘easy vegan meals’, or even with a specific ingredient ‘leek recipe vegan’ or ‘fast, easy vegan recipe’. But Vegan Food and Living has tried and tested recipes with lovely photos of hopefully how your food will look.

Gemma Nichols and Paul Kerton aka the Hench Herbivore.

2. Educate Yourself

I had a great chat with Paul Kerton and Gemma Nichols recently. Paul, aka Hench Herbivore, told me he didn’t just go vegan overnight. But what inspired him to change and stick to those changes, was education. Check out their YouTube Channel and books. One resource Paul recommended was Nutrition Facts.

3. Eat Enough, and check that you are My Fitness Pal

Gemma told me “many people switch to whole food, plant-based diet and don’t stick at it because they’re hungry or even feel weak. That’s because veggies and pulses have a lot more fibre and water and are less calorie dense than processed or animal products.” That means you need might want to check out the calorie content of some of your newer foods. The app MyFitnessPal can help with that.

4. Snack away

You don’t need to go hungry, and you don’t need to buy fancy snacks. I will literally just eat a whole carrot when I get peckish. Or an apple. I love apples. This snack guide can help with ideas, but if it is handy to have a healthy-ish vegan delicious treat, check out Tribe products. I always have one in my bag in case of emergencies.

5. Be Kind to yourself, and try your best

If you have a day of forgetting, being unprepared or just not caring - don’t worry about it. Try again the next day. Or try to have all your lunches vegan and don’t worry about other meals. Have fun trying new things, eating chips and drinking beer, saving the planet and being kind to animals.

Are you trying to reduce meat and diary in your diet? Are you already vegan and have extra advice? Comment below.

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Fasting for Ramadan: Hunger in 2022

21/4/2022

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Photo by Victoria Shes on Unsplash

I'm not going to eat all day today.

It's Ramadan and I'm joining my Muslim friends who have been fasting during daylight hours since the beginning of the month. I've fasted a couple of days each Ramadan for the past couple of years. I wrote about it here last year.

My motivation is a bit different this year though. The first year was definitely in solidarity with my housemates. The three guys I was living with went to a lot of trouble making delicious Iftar meals for us all. The pleasure of breaking fast together in the evening was all the more joyful because it was a shared experience.

Besides from convivial solidarity, my motivations have expanded this year.

Literally billions of people around the world go hungry every day.

By not eating today, I will experience the hunger that many, many people experience due to poverty. Through no choice of their own, half the global population are designated "in poverty". Which surely demonstrates how broken our global community is. The excesses of the West are known to impact the global south through climate change which, as individuals, we have little power to change.

This article from Noema Magazine highlights how "the richest 10% of people are responsible for 52% of cumulative global emissions — and the 1% for a full 15%."

These statics aren't really that shocking anymore, there's been so much publicity about climate change and what should be done. It's easy to feel worn down - like there's little point in stressing about the short journey I just drove when rich people fly around the world on private jets.

“Today, talking about food means talking about a system in crisis,”

Food is really important. It's hard to concentrate on work or studying if your stomach is growling in hunger, and it's hard to do the manual labour needed to plant crops when you don't have enough calories to fuel the work.

This article in Where the Leaves Fall accepts the importance of children being well fed so that they can concentrate and learn effectively. The article isn't all just doom and gloom, but has some good news stories of the successes of projects around the world in providing free school meals. Hurray! The wider impact on the community when children can thrive in a variety of ways is huge. Finland is a prime example, Tanja Grén credits the availability of free school meals with "turning Finland from a poor, war-torn state into a prosperous, welfare nation."

Later on today, when my tummy is rumbling and my mind wanders to what delicious meal I'll be able to savour tonight, I'll think too about those without enough to eat. Of course I'll think of my friends in Bosnia, trapped by the EU's borders. I'll think of my Muslim friends fasting and praying, and I'll think of the millions of hungry children, eager for a better future, whose lives are impacted by the greed of the West.

I usually try to finish a blog post with a call to action, but I'm struggling to suggest a cause to support or charity to donate to in this instance. The issues are too broad. I can only think to suggest that we must all be outward looking, be kind to those around us and consider ways to tackle bigger issues in ways that our own mental health can manage.

As always, comments and suggestions welcome. Do you fast? What small steps can we take to change the inequalities about food availability?

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Back From Bihać, Bosnia: March 2022

20/3/2022

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Sunset over the River Una in Bihac, Bosnia.

Two months back in Bihać flew by. From arriving via treacherous, icy roads to hiking through spring flowers, the seasons changed during our nine weeks there.

Fortunately, the situation is much more stable than in previous years. People-on-the-move are still facing difficult conditions. They are living in broken houses, but neighbours are helping by providing food or phone charging. Sometimes, people are taken to Lipa Camp against their will, only to have to walk the 20 plus kilometres back again, but it’s not too often, and a night in the camp is ok since it's reopening in December.

My previous post details much of the daily work volunteering for No Name Kitchen, and with more time and resources than previously, we tried to make improvements to what we can offer. Fruit and more vegetables in the food bags and a laundry service for those living in more stable places. Doing what we can when racism and corruption prevents people from renting their own accommodation or accessing their money.

A shower in the fields outside Bihać

Another precious resource we had this year, was more time. With more volunteers, we could carve out dedicated space for spending time with people outside of any other activity.

I had a coffee with Sohail, a tall, strong man who had worked as an electrical engineer. He’s got a big beard which makes him look older than his 26 years, excellent English skills as well as his native Pashto (he’s from Afghanistan) and Turkish after years working there. We chatted about Turkey which I had visited recently, as well as getting operational advice on places to meet people where the authorities or neighbours won’t mind or report us.

Sohail was also keen for advice, he wants to work as an electrical engineer in Western Europe but many governments don’t recognise foreign qualifications, so it’s not a straightforward process. And that’s after having an asylum claim accepted - waiting is a part of everyone’s future, even after they have reached a safe place. The time taken for initial interviews is months and then there is further waiting for a response, during which time you’re not allowed to work. Only wait.

The wild horses of Livno, Bosnia - a team trip on our free day.

No Name Kitchen is a family, a community of people who share values, commitment and ambition. And it’s growing - recent calls for translators and legal advisors demonstrates the tireless search for more ways we can help. We’ve had discussions about bases in new places, responding to the changing trends to the Balkan route as well as elsewhere.

The invasion of the Ukraine remains a conversation on everyone’s lips. Some people presume that Bosnia will receive increased numbers of refugees, but logically that’s not the case. Safe and legal routes have been rapidly provided in Western Europe to those fleeing war from Ukraine. A show of humanity that wasn’t extended to those fleeing war in Afghanistan or Syria. Below is the press release issued by No Name Kitchen which entirely and eloquently expresses my views. Please read it.

I know that I’ll be a part of No Name Kitchen as long as there is a need to help those at Europe’s borders. I’ll probably end up back in Bosnia - it’s a wonderful country to visit. Stand by for posts and articles about touristic attractions from capital city Sarajevo and the wild horses of Livno - but who knows where the next adventure will be.

Thank you to everyone at No Name Kitchen for all the hard work, and especially to Stephanie for being my constant companion in everything. There are always difficult situations and hard moments to navigate, and doing it together is always so much easier! If you feel moved to support our work, donate here.
Press Release Below.

Bosnian Coffee in Sarajevo

PRESS RELEASE: The reception of people who have fled Ukraine has proved us right: offering legal channels for migration is possible

17th March 2022. European Union. No Name Kitchen has always been very clear about the solution to the so-called ‘refugee crisis’: providing legal routes for people to escape their war-torn countries and seek asylum in a safe place, as well as for migrants in general.

The war in Ukraine, which has caused the displacement of many people to neighboring countries, has shown us that, as terrible as it is to leave your home and be separated from your family in search of a safe haven, the process can be done in a kind and speedy way in order to avoid suffering as much as possible.

Even so, the European reception response that we are witnessing these days, and which we support, shows immense hypocrisy on the part of a 21st century Europe that has by no means overcome a xenophobia that has left devastating events in our history.

The people we support in the places where we are working - and which are always areas bordering the European Union-, are also escaping from wars, threats, poverty, lack of opportunities or dictatorships. When they try to reach a country where they can seek asylum or start a new life, they find a border full of violence, a Europe that does not comply with its own laws and international agreements, with illegal refoulements.

Why are we saying that the EU's reaction to the Ukrainian people shows great hypocrisy?

- When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August, very few people were welcomed in Europe to escape, even knowing full well that many of them were in danger because they had worked with foreign governments or agencies. No Name Kitchen collected cases of many, many families who needed to find a safe haven and received no response from the European authorities.

- Some borders are opened, while others are closed. Every day, present in border towns, we meet people with bruises all over their bodies or who have been ripped off their clothes. This happens to coincide with the fact that a large number of the people in Ceuta (Spain) and in the Balkan countries come from Muslim countries. This intervention could lead to greater Islamophobia in society or normalise xenophobia towards people from Asia or Africa.

- We have seen how black people who are trying to flee the country have encountered a lot of discrimination in their flight, as the news have shown in recent days.

- We see that if there is international political will, there are ways to put pressure on a country in a context of war, with economic and political measures. This is something that the international community has refused to do with other countries, as in the case of Israel with Palestine.

With all this, we want to call for reflection on how aporophobia and Islamophobia determine our external border control policies. People fleeing countries like Afghanistan or Eritrea are doing so for the same reason as the nearly two million people who have left their homes in Ukraine today.

Regarding the reception of people from Ukraine, we would like to recall how the asylum applications of people from this country who fled the war that started in 2016 have been almost entirely rejected in Spain. We hope that this decision taken now is out of true humanity and not as part of a political game.

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Bosnia in February: a Bihac update

12/2/2022

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My early morning run. -1C when I start, then the sun rises over the mountains.

After five weeks back here, there have been changes. I now feel like I have an overview of the situation here, read on for more details.

It’s amazing how much the weather affects everything, isn’t it? The snow and ice has gone for now. The sunny days are beautiful, temperatures reach the teens and we can walk in just t-shirts. The nights are still freezing though. As soon as it gets dark, temperatures plummet below zero again.

The warmer weather brings different challenges, the van slips in mud instead of ice as we drive up dirt roads to replenish the water stations. The water is used more quickly by those living in tents or broken buildings now that there’s no snow to melt.

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the showers! Another organisation invented portable showers. The boiler, which runs on a gas bottle, is mounted onto a crate with straps - meaning it can be worn like a backpack to transport it to remote locations. We bring a camping shower surround and plenty of water, and the guys can shower for as long as they like. This is a service we could never have dreamed of offering last year. Showers take a while, leaving the van and volunteers standing around in fields for hours, visible to authorities. Most of the work we do is criminalised (due to complex Bosnian law) but both police and locals mind far less than they did last year.

A view of the Bihac from the memorial on a hill.

The showers are amazing. Such a clever design and they are part of a wider programme to promote various other health topics. Scabies is a big issue. The parasitic skin condition requires treating every member of the group with all-over body cream and showers have been essential to this treatment. The blankets, clothes and sleeping bags of everyone staying at the same location have to be washed at high temperatures too. The logistics of the whole process now involves several groups with different skills and equipment.

The improved conditions for people here are the subject of many conversations with journalists, other organisations and donors. But the other day, as I was standing around while a couple of people were showering, the reality of the situation hit me once again.

Yes, a shower is better than no shower, but it’s still outside, there’s limited privacy, and the experience of relying on volunteers to bring you the opportunity is degrading.

The people here want the opportunity for a dignified life, where they can make a decision to shower or not shower whenever they like. They want the opportunity to work and pay their way, to contribute to communities and provide for family members elsewhere. Or not - maybe some people want to spend all the money they earn on a fancy car and expensive TV. Why not? It’s a choice that the rest of us have.

In every sad story there are elements of happiness. I took this report of a violent pushback. The young man from Afghanistan urgently needed dental treatment and whilst we were waiting for the appointment, we were chatting. The details of his most recent illegal deportation came up. Please read the report. It gives in insight into the every-day conditions people here are facing.

Despite improving conditions, the EU is still responsible for illegal acts. But as you read it, you can think of this guy eating a croissant for breakfast, he’s in France. He has new challenges now, but the violence of the Croatian authorities isn’t one of them, and for that I can breathe a sigh of relief.

An outdoor shower is better than no shower, to support our continued work here, donate to No Name Kitchen via this link. Comment of support and encouragement are always welcome!

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Back in Bosnia: Snow and Ice with No Name Kitchen

15/1/2022

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Fehtija Mosque in the centre of Bihać,

Less than a week back in Bosnia, here's how it's going and some stunning photos.

Staring into the darkness, the full-beam of the headlights lit up the falling snow, obscuring the winding road. We had no choice but to stop in the last Croatian town before the border with Bosnia Herzegovina. The bad weather was a stark reminder of the conditions that we were about to enter. Volunteering in Bihać, Bosnia, take three.

After a wonderful weekend hiking in the mountains around Lake Bled in Slovenia, we eventually arrived back in Bihać this week. The snow is worse than at any point last year. Daytime temperatures remain below freezing, pavements stay slippery all day and great snowdrifts line the busier roads where the snow ploughs have cleared.

The tower of St Anthony's Church, ruined during WWII.

The sight of mosques and the smell of woodsmoke in the air are so strange yet so familiar. For three months last year, our hair and clothes remained saturated with the not unpleasant smell and the call to prayer punctuated our day. The strangest thing by far is the absence of friends. Thankfully the people we met last year have made it to Western Europe now, and face different challenges with asylum processes. Without their help with translation and logistics, we couldn't have been nearly so effective.

No Name Kitchen is the same and different too. The same problems of failing vehicles and not enough pairs of shoes are faced by different volunteers.

But actually, there are so many improvements, especially since that first summer here. In August 2020 we arrived in a city in chaos, struggling to cope under the pressure of thousands of people in need (both native and non-native) and volatile politics. Publicity surrounding the fire at Lipa Camp has led to more international support.

The harsh winter conditions lead many people-on-the-move to return to Bosnian capital Sarajevo or neighbouring Serbia. The camps there are equipped if basic, but a brave few stay in the north, somehow surviving sub-zero conditions. Where last year most people lived in the broken buildings known as the Nursing Home and the Old Factory, now most live on the edge of the city. The big squats were closed by authorities, wanting to force the problem away from plain sight. Now, up to 100 people are in tents outside of the residential streets, with others staying in smaller buildings, out of the way of too much attention.

A friendly snowman in Bihać, Bosnia.

Our tasks remain providing food for cooking and clothes and shoes, but now include firewood and water provisions - both things that we weren’t able to do last year. The poor van has to manage the dirt roads with huge cans of water to refill the tanks installed by a partner organisation - not made any easier by the snow. I thought that border violence would be less of a problem right now, with few people attempting to cross mountains or sleep in the woods, yet within a week of being here, we learnt of one group, expelled from Slovenia to Croatia and then to Bosnia, in nothing but their underwear, having had their possessions stolen. Needless to say, their plea for asylum went unheeded.

Yes it’s cold and living conditions are harsh, but it’s so beautiful here.

Stunning sunset on the edge of Bihać, Bosnia..

Please leave comments or words of encouragement below. Plus, if you would like to donate towards our work here, visit this link. And stand by for more updates.

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Bosnia and Back again, A roundup of 2021

22/12/2021

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My trusty car Bob, in Bosnian winter.

In a year that has seen Coronavirus continue to disrupt our day-to-day routines, life has continued. I thought I’d offer a roundup of my year, including reflecting on the people I’ve met who face continued difficulties.

This time last year, Lipa Camp burnt down. The camp in the vicinity of Bihać in northern Bosnia was really just a collection of tents on a mountain top. The shocking news, which was shared by the mainstream, was added to by friends of mine who I had met in the previous summer who were sharing photos and updates of the chaos. The former residents camped in the snow before being held on buses, only to be returned to the ruins of the camp. The ‘new’ Lipa Camp has now been officially opened. The desolate site now houses unaccompanied minors and families as well as single men.

Before they had heard the news about Lipa Camp, the local residents of Steinfurt had already started helping. Stephanie and I returned to Bihać in February after coordinating half a truck of donations to be taken from northern Germany to Bosnia in our wake. Stef’s firm Uselab were extremely helpful and local Rotary Clubs had been particularly generous. Stef was happy to return to speak at the clubs in recent months about how we had put their donations to good use.

When we got back to Bosnia in February, we found a much less chaotic place. Winter meant that there were fewer people that needed help. As the weather warmed up, we were soon working harder to provide as many people as possible with food to cook, clothes and sleeping equipment.

We also met up with some friends from the summer. Friends from Afghanistan and Iran who were hoping to claim asylum in a safe Western European country. It was at once nice to see them again, but hard to see them in the same situation as before. The inequality bites the hardest. I am allowed to stay in whatever accommodation I like, shop where I want and wander across the border at my leisure. All of these things are denied to other people, simply because of the colour of their skin and of their passport.

In a break from the day-to-day routine of answering messages, organising distributions, sorting the warehouse and collecting border violence reports, we took a break. I was eager to visit Sarajevo again - I’d been there for about 24 hours - but covid restrictions shut the city down just at the wrong moment. Instead we went to Banja Luka.

It was Ramadan when we left Bosnia and returned to Germany. I wrote something about fasting alongside my friends.

It took a little while to adjust to life after two months in Bosnia. Yet, I kept in touch with a lot of people. I now have friends from all over the place, living in various Western European countries. It’s great that they are no longer trapped at the border with the EU, but there are new challenges that face them. I’ve changed everyone’s names for the sake of privacy.

Photo: Stephen F. Evans

Abdul is in France now. He called me from Paris where he was sleeping on the floor of a friend’s room. He was agonising about whether to claim asylum in France or to continue to Germany as the asylum rules are different in every country. Germany is notoriously slow to give passports to those whose claims are granted - we’re talking 10 or more years - but are faster to allow people to work. Abdul stayed in France and claimed asylum. He was transferred to accommodation in the south of France, where he knows nobody, and has since waited 6 months without news of when his interview will be. He has no right to work.

Abdullah is in a similar position. He’s from Sudan and I was delighted that Adventure Uncovered published this article that I wrote about him, despite it being very hard to have the interview.

I’m sometimes asked why people don’t claim asylum sooner in their journeys. This is especially true of people who risk crossing the Channel to reach the UK. You’ve got to have a good reason to risk your life. Family connections and language skills are often reasons, but my friend Zac’s story shows how difficult it is to claim asylum in Bosnia.

Waiting is a common theme for everyone in the asylum process. A family that we met in Bosnia, who are from Afghanistan, found their way to a camp quite near Steinfurt, but due to the Dublin agreement - which originally aimed to share the burden of refugees between all EU member nations - they face deportation to Croatia. Fatima, 15 years old and with a fiery temper and a quick wit, has health problems. More moving isn’t going to help her. They came here to be near an older brother who has been in Germany a while, who can help and support them while they find their feet. They need to wait until the Dublin ‘runs out’, hoping that they don’t get a knock on the door in the meantime.

Training for our 100 km cycle ride in aid of The Afghan Women's Association.

I’ve learnt so much during the last year. About the Spanish enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, about the situation for women in Afghanistan since the Taliban take-over, what it feels like to cycle 100 km in a day, the process of contributing to a book and what it’s like working on a small farm.

And I’ve got more political. I am appalled by UK politics. I’m shocked by EU policy. I wrote this letter to Priti Patel which was shared by the solidarity group Are You Syrious. I’m a volunteer editor with AYS now, we share news relating to refugees and people-on-the-move including EU policy. COP26 got me thinking about how everything is connected and allowed me to share my love of carrots.

As Christmas approached, I shared some gift ideas (evouchers still available!).

December 2021 also marks a year since the publication of the Black Book of Pushbacks. This time last year I spent hours re-reading the tormenting stories to proof-read the texts before it was presented to the European Parliament. Despite the overwhelming evidence, pushbacks continue.

Looking ahead, January 2022 in the Balkans will be cold. Stef and I are returning to Bihac in January to continue working with No Name Kitchen. We’ll be there for two months, helping with food, clothing, health and reporting border violence. But actually we’re mostly going to hang out. To make new friends, drink tea and chat with people from different parts of the world about whatever comes up. We’ll get to see the beautiful Bosnian countryside, eat delicious, accidentally vegan baked goods, catch up with old friends and adventure across Europe once again. It won’t be easy, but it’s going to be great.

Please consider donating to the work of No Name Kitchen.

As a grassroots organisation, I can assure you that the maximum possible amount of money is spent on the field - not on fancy offices as is the case with some larger organisations. Scrupulously fair, the donations are shared between the bases in Serbia, Greece, Ceuta and two in Bosnia based on the needs at that moment.

As people on the ground with the most immediate knowledge of what is happening, we can respond to changing situations and work in a way that we feel is the most effective and with the help of the people we are supporting, I’m utterly convinced of the impact we have. The victory of providing one person with new glasses in an atmosphere where getting an appointment at the optician is a challenge, is shared by the whole team.

I'm always happy to answer any questions about asylum processes, how you can help, why I keep going back and anything else. Just comment below or use the Contact Form.

Wish us luck!

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Christmas Gifts with Meaning

9/12/2021

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Snowy Bihac, Bosnia. April 2021

I’m really trying not to be Scrooge this year. My heart sinks when I see the wasteful, commercialism that Christmas instills in so many people. Yet, I know many people make efforts to give waste-free gifts and donate to charity as well as making wonderful vegan festive meals with loved ones. So I can’t be too grumpy about it!

If you too are fighting your inner Scrooge and want to give gifts with meaning, then I’ve got a couple of ideas.

As last year, I’ve got e-vouchers for No Name Kitchen. Stef and I are returning to Bosnia in January. The situation for people there remains extremely difficult. The cold weather, violent authorities and struggling local community mean that we can contribute again to easing some of the hardship.

Last year, we were able to arrive with loads of donations of money, clothes and medical supplies. Thank you! We’d love to do so again. Full details and how to buy the vouchers - from a hot meal, to an entire outfit - are here.

It's been great to keep in touch with people that we met there. We've got friends originally from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq who are now settling into life in Western European countries. Struggles still await them, the asylum process, learning a new language, studying or finding a job. But at least they're not in mortal peril as they frequently were in Bosnia.

Refugees from Eden - Wild Goose Publications.

There’s a general consensus that you can’t care about something you don’t know about. And that the more you know about it, the more you care and more likely you are to act if change is needed.

So if you’d rather give a physical gift and want to inform your friends about the plight of people in Bosnia as well as elsewhere, why not give them this anthology. I wrote two of the stories that are in there. You can buy it directly from the publisher here, and profits are going to a refugee charity.

Do you want a signed copy?! Contact me here and we can sort that out.

Have you read the anthology already? What do you think? I need to write a squeal to Aziz and Wahid actually...!

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World Refugee Day 2022

BERWICKSHIRE COASTAL PATH: Microadventure in Scotland

Meat Free May: Tips for Success in 2022

Fasting for Ramadan: Hunger in 2022

Back From Bihać, Bosnia: March 2022

Bosnia in February: a Bihac update

Back in Bosnia: Snow and Ice with No Name Kitchen

Bosnia and Back again, A roundup of 2021

Christmas Gifts with Meaning

Hannah the traveller

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