December 2017 – Page 2 – The Chuffed Academy

December 8, 2017

Urgent Help for Alieu and his Family, by Manuel D’Auria

“My name is Manuel D`Auria. I live in Germany and I am a social worker by profession. I started to work voluntarily with refugees after a great number of them came into my neighborhood here in the South of Germany about 3 years ago.

While working and spending time with the refugees I experienced a great need for (social) support on all kinds of different levels. One of the main obstacles is of course the legal status. Many have a real hard time here in Germany because they are not allowed to work or are forced to be sent back to the country where they first registered in Europe or even send to the country of origin. So I started to do whatever I was able to do and whatever what was necessary to do for those with whom I was in direct contact (e.g. dealing with lawyers, doctors, public authorities and so on).

The fact that the Western World is mainly responsible for the massive crisis we face right now (and the great suffering of an endless number of people) did fire me up to do something, no matter how little, I had to do something as I feel that human rights and social justice should be guaranteed to all without any discrimination.

Because of this campaign we were able, due to all the noble donators, to sent the family of the peron, for whom I started this campaign, some amount of money (200€). This enabled them to buy the most necessary things, like food, for at least 6-8 weeks. He has 4 children, a wife and a mother who are all depending on him. Unfortunately the money we sent is nearly finished and because he has no chance to work right now in Italy (where he is at the moment) his family is still in need for some financial support until he is able to earn his own living again (hopefully very soon).

The next step will be that he will come back to Germany to try again to make a living here and also to get proper psychological treatment for the massive mental pain he has to suffer. He already had a well paid fulltime job while he was here in Germany the last time. However, as he was not allowed to work any longer and was sent back he was not able to continue this work and therefore lost the opportunity to support his family. The company he was working for even wanted to give him an apprenticeship, wich could have opened a whole new future for him. This was not meant to be at that time. We cannot stand still waiting for things to get better, we have to get up and work for truths and rights until true human rights and social justice cover the earth like water covers the sea!”

Learn more about this cause and how you can help by checking out the link below:

December 8, 2017December 8, 2017

Crowdfunding to help refugees in Calais and Dunkirk, by Spider!

Helping Refugees in Calais and Dunkirk, Spider Davila

”I became aware of the refugee crisis, like most people, by hearing about it almost daily in the news. My heart ached for these people, but I felt helpless to do anything about it. When my friend Michael began posting about the work he was doing with Refugee Youth Service in Calais, looking out for those that had no one else to look out for them, I felt I had to go.

With my kitchen experience, Michael pointed me to ‘Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK)’. Working as a chef hadn’t been fulfilling to me in years, but as part of the frantically energetic kitchen at RCK, standing over bubbling pots of curry, I felt fulfilled. My cooking was important again. After spending three weeks in Calais, I promised myself that not only would I come back, I would do what I could to make others aware of what is happening in Calais and Dunkirk.

The work that these organisations do is important now more than ever. Winter is upon us and there are hundreds of refugees sleeping rough in the woods around Calais and Dunkirk. Sixty percent are children. Not only does the government nothing to help them, they actively work against them. The CRS (French national police) slashes tents and pepper sprays sleeping bags and blankets to make them useless. I met several children with legs or arms in casts and pepper spray burns on their faces that told me their injuries were at the hands of the police. Human Rights Watch released a study this summer on the current situation and titled it “Like Living in Hell.”

The crisis has all but fallen from news cycles but the need for help is stronger than ever. During the summer, many students and travelers come through and help only for a day or two. Sadly, these resources diminish in winter.

There is hope, though. There are volunteers that have dedicated their lives to being there for these people in need and they are there for them every day, 365 days a year serving warm meals, handing out warm clothing, and watching out for those without anyone else to do so. I’m honoured to be able to contribute my small part.”

Read more about Spider’s amazing cause and how you can help by checking out her crowdfunding campaign page below:

December 8, 2017

Electronic Dance Music for everyone, by Sound School

”My name is Bridget Chappell. I run the Sound School: a Melbourne-based community school that’s taking on inequalities in electronic music. We run free workshops in skills like: DJ-ing, Ableton, synth building, circuit bending, and more. The School is open to everyone, especially women, LGBTIQA+ folks, people of colour, with disabilities, and on low incomes. After all, electronic music wouldn’t be what it is today without these communities!

This dream only started to become a reality after an accident at my day job as a bike messenger. Not only could I not ride my bike after, but I couldn’t play my cello either. I just had to focus on the music I could play one-handed, like on my laptop! I started teaching myself how to make electronic music two years ago, and most of that knowledge has been super hard-won. This stuff is complicated, expensive, and pretty hard to access socially for lots of people. A 2015 Forbes list of the highest paid EDM (Electronic Dance Music) DJs are all male and mostly white. These dynamics trickle all the way down in music scenes : who is taken seriously, who is encouraged to take it up at all, who is paid, who is booked, who teaches, who learns, and who shapes different kinds of music.

Meanwhile, I saw artists of diverse backgrounds all around me in Melbourne making amazing music, based on skills they fought hard to learn. I wanted to celebrate them and learn from them so I started putting together our first program: the Winter Sound School. We ran 12 workshops, facilitated by 14 local artists, attended by over 200 people. It was incredible. The project was completely self-funded, run by volunteers, which has now turned into a community of skill-sharers. So many people who came were so excited that something like this exists, and that after coming to the School they felt close to finally being able to actually make the kinds of music that inspires and connects them. The pilot program went so well that we won The Age Music Victoria Award this year for Best Experimental/Avante Garde Act!

We’re planning amazing things for 2018, including new workshop series both for youth and budding noisemakers of all ages, and an artists lecture series on creative process and identity in electronic music. We’re super excited! But we need your help raising funds. We’re raising money to buy new equipment for the School’s awesome new workshops and to support contributing artists who have worked so hard and donated so much of their time and skills. We’ve reached far and wide to source as many materials for free as possible, so we’re only fundraising for the absolute essentials and know how to get the most out of your donation. Help us make music accessible and powerful for those who need it most.”

Learn more about this amazing cause and how you can support it by checking out Sound School’s crowdfunding page below:

December 8, 2017December 8, 2017

Care4Humanity: Helping refugees through the rough winter

The following stories share the experiences of the volunteers behind the organisation Care4Humanity:

”In 2015, Europe saw record numbers of refugees since WW2. Myself and a friend knew we had to step up to help. Initially we put out a call for help in our local church community and soon our social media campaign was heard by hundreds of people all over the world. Care4Humanity was born.

As a team made up solely of volunteers we have sought ways we can send aid to refugees in France, the UK, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and internally
displaced people in Syria. The community has literally donated tonnes of donations. Alongside the aid, we have regularly gone in groups to Northern France to aid in any way we can in order to make the situation better: from building shelters, serving food and playing games with children. We have always been met with the greatest hospitality and have been blessed to meet hundreds of people who have made our lives richer.

The winter sleepout is in aid of refugees in Northern France who currently sleep rough in freezing temperatures. We will purchase good quality winter sleeping bags with every penny we receive.”
Naomi Potter

“My son and I moved to the Kent coast 4 years ago. At night we can see the twinkling lights of the French coastal villages across the sea. About two years ago I started hearing about the refugees in Northern France and every time I’d see those twinkling lights I imagined people going cold and hungry. Usually after a wardrobe de-junking session I’d bring my stuff to one of the many local charity shops but now I wanted our donations to get to the refugees.

It took some googling and messaging but then I was put in touch with a local
woman who would take them over to France. She asked if we would come along on the next convoy. In June 2016 my son and I came along to Calais for the first time and met the amazing volunteers who set up the Facebook group Care4Humanity. Meeting the volunteers of other grassroots charities on the ground, seeing that none of the major charities or governmental agencies were active in this area and most importantly meeting the refugees,
whom without exception have all been warm, generous and dignified, just made me come back month after month. Although I’d love to help out over there full-time, as a sole parent of a child with autism that is just not an option.

Care4Humanity makes it possible for people who want to help by giving their time, skills, goods or funds, to do so in the quantities they can afford. Volunteers can participate in organising local donations, sorting events, apple picking, funds or goods raising and going to France once a month to give aid and relief directly to the refugees. An added bonus is that you will meet new people at each C4H event.”
Annette Jonker

“I am a student at the University of Kent studying ‘Criminology and Social Policy’. Alongside my full-time degree I also work two part-time jobs and try to volunteer when I can. Most of my volunteering is with the University but I also volunteer for Care4Humanity whenever I can spare my time. It’s not something which I can easily fit into my schedule, but it is a cause
I am passionate about, so I make it work. I first started volunteering for Care4Humanity in my first year of University (two years ago now). I was learning about refugees in one of my modules at University and there was also a lot of media coverage about the topic, at the time.

However, I quickly grasped that maybe the way things were being reported weren’t necessarily true. I went along to volunteer a few times and saw for myself the need for help: families without homes, men without adequate clothes and children without shoes in a very cold climate. There was limited food, clothing, water and shelter. The conditions were horrendous. This is the reason why I chose to carry on volunteering. The media doesn’t show much, but the refugee crisis is still present and still very real. Although we can’t make a massive difference to all of the refugees in the world, our team can go out when we can and provide some help to those who need it and bring some joy to the refugees on those days. Whether that help be clothes, food or activities. The members of our team can change regularly but there are a few staple people within the group who drive it forward. They do so much work alongside their personal life and I truly admire them for that. I chose to fundraise for this charity because I have seen first-hand the help that is needed.

These people are more than just refugees: they are humans who deserve love, respect and recognition.”
Pebbles Buckley

Learn more about this amazing cause and how you can help by checking out Care4Humanity’s crowdfunding page below: