Want to help?

Priorities for the camp aren’t clothes or shoes at this precise moment. Shoes are important but the warehouses can’t distribute effectively when there are constant deliveries.  Its bottlenecked.  The priority right here, right now is building supplies.  And plumbers, builders and joiners prepared to give up their time and expertise to get to Calais to help.  The best donation right now is money.  Its costly to get items to France where the items can be purchased anyway and buying in France is more cost effective.  Money, right now, to prepare the 4000 inhabitants of the camp for a cold winter is essential. Without appropriate shelter and sanitation, they have no chance.

This is the part I ask you for money!  But if you don't have any, please skim the first part!

Even if you only have 50p to spare, it will go to good use!  The link to donate is here: http://gogetfunding.com/provide-shelters-to-migrants-in-calais/  

I'm likely to add to the funding pages as we go but at the moment, I can't think of anything more important and needed in camp than shelter for the winter.

This blog is probably not much use for anyone who has visited the camp but may help people who haven’t witnessed this ‘concentration camp’ see how difficult the conditions are and contrast this against what our media is projecting.  By all means share as much as you want to. 

If you want to physically help, there are volunteers needed for everything. From being involved in fundraising locally, to sorting out donations to being part of a team that goes to Calais to clean up rubbish.  There is even one project which assists sending SOS for boats that are sinking making the treacherous journey across the med. You can do this from your home computer anywhere in the world.  

One thing I ask is this. If you go to the Jungle, please don't go as a tourist, go to help and make sure you've made contact with someone on the ground first. There really are people out there that take the trip to Calais on some kind of warped tourism thing so they can 'take a selfie with a refugee'  I didn't believe it at first but I can confirm that its very sadly true.

If you have little time or money, education is another thing you can do. Spread the word.  Alternatively pester your local MP and MEP - except in East Lothian because ours has just been amazing about the whole situation.

If you want to get in touch, feel free - amjamwe@btopenworld.com

I suspect I'll return to Calais camp but only if I think I can contribute something worthwhile to try to improve the lives of those who live there.  If I do return, I may even subject you to another blog :)