Supporting refugees
John Middleton and Yvonne Iligageza from Rwandan Coffee Club with coffee and tea on display at St Helens. Photo Isabel Telford
Baindu Tamba with her group of Liberian dancers from Launceston. Photo Isabel Telford
Delighted with response
John Middleton and Yvonne lligageza from Rwandan Coffee Club travelled up from Hobart bringing coffee and tea samples for this event and parishioners prepared and served delicious home baked slices to around 70 people who crammed into the parish hall on a wet and windy day.
Baindu Tamba and her group from Launceston danced, sang and entertained us. For the young at heart there was a one-of opportunity to get their grey locks done in a corn roll avec beads! This was a day for friends, neighbours, families and strangers to come together to show support for refugees and we were delighted with the response.
All of us were deeply moved by refugee statements from Yvonne (Rwanda/Hobart) and Baindu (Liberia/Launceston) and their stories of journeying to Freedom from Fear which is also the theme of Refugee Week 09.
Most people were locals; one new resident to St Helens from Queensland spent most of the morning minding a two week old African baby called James while his mother entertained us. Many folk were amazed that there was no charge for the morning tea and John’s and Yvonne’s supplies of teas and coffees completely sold out – a staggering $925 was raised to help support dispossessed victims of genocide still in Rwanda.
Post-event chats show that parishioners want to support refugees in other ways.
Isabel Telford,
for Break O’ Day Parish