Making A Better World
Inspired to help after seeing those pictures of little Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi’s body on the beach four years ago, I helped to collect items to send to refugee camps and have since helped in the resettlement programme for refugee families in my town, by co-ordinating donations of furniture, cooking equipment, toys and so on for their homes,” says Vickie Robertson.
“At the time it helped to deflect my personal struggles with an abusive relationship. I met one of the families one day and we really clicked. The type of trauma that they were going through was very different to mine but there was a kind of understanding between us and, as I spent more time with them, it gave me a healing that I needed. I found the men to be incredibly gentle, fantastic people who treated their wives beautifully and as equals – it really made me realise that what I was living with at home was not normal.”
“I had been born into a situation of domestic violence at the hands of my abusive stepdad and was removed from the home and adopted. I said that I would never let a man lay a hand on me, but actually ended up in two abusive relationships in my adult life. Helping the refugee families gave me a sense of self and helped me to see that I had to take action for good, and I ended my abusive relationship. Now, I am single and focused on my four children.”
“The physical bruises of domestic violence may heal but the emotional bruises last a lifetime and I am now an advocate for survivors and their children. I have founded Kaleidoscopic UK, an organisation of survivors for survivors in the Thames Valley which provides open ended support groups and prevention programmes.
Lit up on the stage at our first conference a few weeks ago, was a remembrance tree which displayed the names of 72 women, men, children and one unborn baby, all fatalities from domestic violence in the first nine months of this year. Lessons don’t seem to be being learned – numbers of domestic violence seem to be rising and there is a lot of work to do. I recently also campaigned outside parliament, where we used pairs of shoes to represent lives lost to domestic violence.”
“We have now resettled five refugee families in our town and seeing how they have grown and integrated into our local society is wonderful, working in schools and volunteering and offering help with other new families to show their gratitude.
“They call me ‘sister’ in Arabic, which is amazing. That, for me, is just so rewarding, seeing someone that you have helped thrive, in however small a way it might be.”
“I hold a Christmas party every year for both causes and this year, both the refugee families and families affected by domestic violence will receive presents donated via my local Tesco’s Giving Tree. We can all help in some way to help relieve suffering in its many forms. If we all did a little bit more to help others, what a different place the world would be.”
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“We can all help in some way to help relieve suffering in its many forms”