From the Classroom to the Camps: Chichester Schools' Refugee Week Fundraising

During Refugee Week this year, Children on the Edge were delighted to have been invited to two local schools in Chichester to speak to pupils about what it means to be a refugee and how we support some of the most marginalised refugee children to learn, play and thrive in our colourful learning spaces.

We began our week at St James’ Primary School in Emsworth where Sarah (our Education Specialist) and I spoke to all 230 children in their morning assembly. We took the children on a refugee journey to help show them what it might feel like to become a refugee. 

On Wednesday, Sarah visited The March Primary School in Chichester and spent the morning working with Year 4 and 5 children. The children were taken on the same refugee journey with more time to experience how it might feel to leave their homes. They decided what they might pack in a hurry and what it would be like to arrive in a new country after a very long and difficult journey.

The children at both schools were extremely engaged and already knew so much about refugees. They had some wonderful ideas about how to make a refugee child welcome at their school. These included sitting next to them, asking them to play, helping them with their school work, learning words in their language and finding a game from their culture to learn and play with them. St James’ even has a group of dedicated ‘Welcome Buddies’ whose job it is to look out for new starters who might have moved here from another country, and to make them feel welcome. 

We shared the story of Afika, who was forced to flee her home in Myanmar when she was just 5 years old, after the army attacked her village. Her father had to carry her much of the way on foot to the border, where after crossing the river in a boat, they arrived at Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. 

Afika remains in Kutupalong now, aged 13 and attends one of the learning centres supported by Children on the Edge. She loves to learn and  hopes to be a doctor when she grows up. 

The year 4 and 5 children at The March had the opportunity to write letters to Afika which five children bravely read out in a whole school assembly. The letters showed the children's empathy with Afika’s experiences, wished her luck with her lessons at school and celebrated her dream to become a doctor one day. 

The week culminated in some exciting fundraising initiatives to raise money for children just like Afika. A cake sale was held after school at The March, led by the Reception class, which raised £60 and St James' organised a whole school ‘Enterprise Day’, which raised nearly £400!

ENTERPRISE DAY AT ST JAMES’ SCHOOL

At the end of Refugee Week, the children at St James’ school were very excited to hold an ‘Enterprise Day’ to help fundraise for Children on the Edge and the school. Classes were given £5 with the task of turning it into a profit. 

The children baked cakes and biscuits, made bracelets and bookmarks, planted seeds and created artwork to sell to each other, as well as setting up games and activities for other children to play, for a small fee of course!

I was blown away by their energy and creativity, and the whole school was buzzing with energy. It was a joy to see. During our assembly at the start of the week, we challenged the children to see if they could beat last year’s fundraising total of £388 for Children on the Edge, which they very nearly did, raising a whopping £385.58 in one afternoon! If it wasn't for the excitement of a visit from a fire engine, Mrs Love, the teacher who organised the event believes they would have easily beaten it! Well done to everyone involved, what an amazing achievement.

Sarah and I would like to extend a huge thank you to Mrs Adams at the March School and Mrs Love at St James’ School for inviting us in to visit and for coordinating all their amazing fundraising efforts for Children on the Edge. All the money raised by the children will make a huge difference for children like Afika and her friends who attend the learning centres we support.