I haven't posted as much as I wanted but my time in the Netherlands is coming to an end so I wanted to post an update. As you can imagine volunteering while working during travels can be exhausting - especially living in such primitive conditions because everything takes 10x longer when there is no electricity or running water.
This volunteer experience has humbled me beyond words - especially being a highly independent type-A who's use to doing everything for myself. For some reason since I was young I've always felt I was inconveniencing others if I asked for help so I learned to depend on me, myself, I & at an early age & just figured out a way to do it myself. But not anymore, I've had learn to ask for help many times, for many different reasons, during this journey. It's tough for me having to depend on someone for a simple ride to the store - not being able to hop in my car and go where I want to go, when I want to go is a huge adjustment, but it's difficult to complain about anything when around refugees who've lost everything.
For those who don't know refugees are those who've fled their countries (usually due to war) and seeking a new country. There is an unbelievable amount of red tape that goes into finding a country that will give them status/citizenship and most never get it because the governments usually require proof/paperwork that refugees can't provide (it's hard to prove your identity when your house has been bombed & you've lost everything). Madhat, my refugee caravan neighbor, was denied status a year ago, even though he has the paperwork - they kicked him out of the refugee camp so he was homeless until he met Tom/Amal.
The US has a lot of problems but I've never had to worry about not being able to come/go as I please & I can't even begin to fathom my entire country being there one day and obliterated due to war the next. But I do have a problem with countries, such as the US, creating refugees after obliterating a country then not wanting to help the innocent people and/or kick them out of the US. I don't know why the innocent people always pay the price for their government's decisions. I've had so many conversations reminding those I've met during this journey that the government doesn't always represent what the people want. This administration definitely doesn't represent me which is partly why I left - I needed a break from the madness. There are so many broken/corrupt systems in the US (voting, judicial, educational, IRS, etc) and this last election left me feeling like my vote doesn't count anymore - considering my ancestors died for me to have the right to vote has left me feeling sad and a little helpless.
Not to mention the legalized slave trade that still exists so a lot of refugees have their passports stolen by corrupt governments and sold into slavery. I heard the first-hand story from Madhat & almost fell out of my chair in disbelief. Yes you read that correctly, there is still slavery in almost 2018. So the next time you hear someone say slavery was a long time ago tell them to Google 'Lybia' and have several seats!
On a much lighter note - I made a few videos...
1. My host, Amal, had her birthday party in the teepee next to my caravan. The video shows refugee Yousou, from Senegal, playing the drums (Tom is the white guy sitting behind him & Amal is the tiny lady dancing at the end). It was a freezing 2C/33F so I didn't stay long - lol
2. I was invited to a vow renewal ceremony by friends of Tom/Amal, Sadioen (Indonesian from Suriname) & Andrea (German). They met and married (via arranged marraiged) through their church and 15+ years later still going strong - I've never met a modern couple who had an arranged marraige so it was great to hear their story. They invited me with open arms only 15 minutes after meeting me and Koen was more than excited to share about his faith. It was an all-inclusive, interfaith ceremony with about 10 couples at a beautiful hotel by the beach. They are dancing to a beautiful acoustic song & also Madhat sung a beautiful Arabic love song to his wife who he hasn't seen since the war. They also invited me to spend Christmas day with them and let me stay at their beautiful home while they when on holiday to visit relatives. Their generosity melted my heart and I'm so glad to have had the priviledge to meet them.
3. Each Friday they have an activity for the kids because the camps don't provide any fun activities (they're run almost like prisons). I know for a fact working with kids isn't my calling but it was nice to see the smiles on their faces even though they live in difficult refugee circumstances. They definitely taught me more than I taught them :)
I didn't plan to volunteer during this journey but I'm glad I did. This is definitely an experience I'll never forget.
Even though there were days I wanted to quit/leave I definitely have a greater appreciation for the simple things in life. I learned more about the Dutch experience than I ever expected. My selfless hosts made me feel like part of the family daily, and I enjoyed all of the enlightning dinner table conversations.
Also, construction began on Tom/Amal's permaculture project & they're excited to see their home being built and the neighborhood coming to life. It's tentatively set to be completed July 2018. And just to clarify, they aren't a 'live off the grid' family - they sold their traditional house in August to fund this project so living in these conditions is a huge sacrifice for them. Video of the family and Madhat celebrating in the tiny house/hut when they got the approval to begin construction of their project after months of delays...
Well that's it for the Netherlands. Thanks for being such an inspiring part of this journey.
Next stop Copenhagen, Denmark. I'm not sure what's there but I'm too close not to stop in for a few days to see & I'll finally get my typhoid vaccination and malaria tablets for Africa that I've been waiting months for :)
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
- Mohandus Ghandi
Life is a journey... #EnjoyingTheJourney
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