Hackney,
23
June
2017
|
14:27
Europe/London

Hackney school children learn about child migrants for Refugee Week

Tayyibah Girls School Cllr Potter Refugee Week 2017

School children from across the borough learnt about refugees at a series of interactive workshops in Hackney Museum, part of national Refugee Week, which runs from 19-25 June.

The pupils listened to stories directly from people who came to the borough as children from across the world after fleeing their homes and seeking refuge in the UK.

One of the people the children got to speak and listen to was Linh, who fled Vietnam as one of the “boat people” in the 1970s, with her father. They had to leave her mother, brother and sister behind, as they only had enough money for the two of them to travel. They eventually made Hackney their home. Linh’s father went on to set up An Viet, the Vietnamese Community Centre in Hackney.

Ameena Ahmed, Year 5 teacher at Tayyibah Girls School, who attended one of the workshops said: “It has been an excellent experience for the students, a real inspiring look into the lives of those with real courage.”

Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK. It aims to encourage a better understanding between communities and raise awareness of the reality of being a refugee.

The Deputy Speaker of Hackney, Cllr Clare Potter, who attended an event, was glad to see children learning about such an important issue.

 

 

Deputy Speaker, Cllr Clare Potter
Cllr Potter said: “Hackney has got a really strong and proud tradition of welcoming refugees and migrants to the borough. It’s really important to understand reasons why people seek sanctuary and celebrate their contribution to our diverse community. The students have really enjoyed learning about members of our community who came to Hackney as child refugees and I would like to thank the Hackney Museum for hosting the interactive and engaging event.”
Deputy Speaker, Cllr Clare Potter

Hackney Museum are working with Queen Mary University of London to deliver sessions for Refugee Week as part of the Child Migrant Stories project. You can listen to Linh’s story here.