Emilia Symington at Dunkirk Refugee Camp

November 11, 2016, by Joe Ward

Volunteering at a Refugee Centre: Learning Languages, Lesson Planning and Leadership

By Emilia Symington, BA Theology and Religious Studies

Are you interested in undertaking work experience in another country, but worried about the cost? The International Work Experience Grant can offer up to £1000 to support you.

Designed to enable students to undertake work experience opportunities that they might not otherwise be able to afford, the grant will support expenses such as accommodation, travel and visas, living costs and vaccinations.

In this blog, we meet Emilia Symington, a theology and religious studies undergraduate, who volunteered at Dunkirk Refugee Centre in France.

Can you give us some details of your placement?

I worked in the children’s centre every day, organising lessons, art activities and play sessions for children there.

What new skills did you learn?

I worked as my own boss for a lot of the time, meaning I improved my dependability and leadership skills. I also had to learn a little of the local language, meaning I had to work at adapting to different situations with different people.

What would you say was your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement was definitely with one little boy called Shia. On his first day on the camp he was entirely mute. At the end of his first week, he fell over and cried but it was completely silent. He was only four years old, and it was clear he had learned not to cry.

Near the end of my placement I took the children to the lake with their parents and some other volunteers. The volunteers and I agreed we needed to do more activities with the parents. One of the things that you become aware of on refugee camps is that parents can become somewhat disillusioned and detached as they are unable to feed, clothe, or, to some extent, care for their children. This creates all sorts of issues when the families finally settle.

One of the activities we’d organised was going on these little boats. Shia went on with his dad, and when he got off he came skipping over and gave me the biggest hug. He was so excited he couldn’t stand still, and the entire way home he was singing “row row row the boat”.

I worked incredibly hard over the course of my placement. Since it was in a field I was passionate about, I didn’t mind doing long hours or getting my hands dirty. At the end of my placement I was asked if I would like to return after graduation and take on a full-time position in the charity, and I didn’t hesitate. I look forward to working for the Dunkirk Children’s Centre in the future, permanently.

What would you say was the biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge was with other volunteers. People routinely came out to help but only stayed for a matter of hours, which was very disruptive for the children. I didn’t want to curb people’s enthusiasm because I needed help, but I didn’t think their input was constructive.

After much deliberation, I spoke to the volunteers and discussed the issues I was having plainly. It did mean standing my ground and potentially disappointing some people, but it also meant that the job we were doing was done more efficiently.

Can you give us three top tips to share with other students thinking of doing a placement abroad?

  1. Learn a few language phrases before you go
  2. Contact your phone provider and ask about home-from-home rates
  3. Don’t forget to ring your bank before you go!

If you want to get more details on the International Work Experience Grant and could help you fund some work experience overseas, visit our webpage to find out what it can be used for and your eligibility. You can also complete an expression of interest for funding, which will be assessed by our team.

You should also read our information about internships abroad and the things you need to consider when applying for work experience in another country.

Posted in International Work Experience Grant