5 Ways to Support Refugees Without Leaving Your Sofa
If you’re like us, you probably finished alphabetising your Ben & Jerry’s collection, organising your closet, and streaming all your favourite shows weeks ago. So, now what?
With refugees struggling particularly acutely during the COVID-19 outbreak, we came up with 5 excellent ways to support your neighbours while having some fun. And — bonus! — you can do them all right from your sofa. That’s a win/win/win in our book.
Give these a swirl:
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1. Learn a Language
With NaTakallam’s online language lessons, you can learn a language while providing a direct income to refugees. They offer Arabic, French, Persian, and Spanish lessons delivered by teachers who are themselves refugees. Whether you’re a total newbie or want to advance your skills, it’s the perfect way to become a seasoned linguist. Learn more here.
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2. Go Shopping
Our friends at The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN) run an online marketplace where you can buy amazing products from refugee-led businesses, including handmade mindfulness puzzles, fashion, and food products. Many of the entrepreneurs have graduated from Ice Academy which we run in partnership with TERN. You can also make a donation to an all-important emergency loan fund in exchange for discount and loyalty cards.
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3. Join TimePeace’s Online Community
The wonderful folks at TimePeace help connect locals, refugees, and people seeking asylum in the UK. Their online Slack community is a fun and safe space for anyone to chat or join weekly activities like meditation or their book club. Learn more here.
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4. Get Cooking with Migrateful
If it has to do with great food, we’re in. Migrateful’s amazing refugee and migrant chefs are run online cookery classes so you can learn delicious new recipes to try in your own kitchen. Sign up for a class here.
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5. Listen to a Podcast
You may have heard of Hassan Akkad, the award-winning Syrian filmmaker who’s become a viral superhero after cleaning hospitals in London to help fight COVID-19. A couple of years ago he was on the Adam Buxton podcast talking about his journey from Syria to London. Listen here.
There’s never been a more important time to check in on our neighbours, support those in need, and open our hearts to vulnerable communities. And when supporting refugees is this fun and easy, there’s no reason not to!
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