The Big Walk. Dec 2021.
This term, we have been exploring the journey refugees go on to find safety as part of our work as a School of Sanctuary. In particular, we have been learning about 'Little Amal', a 3.5-metre-tall puppet who represented all refugee children that have travelled to find a new home. She embarked on a remarkable journey from the Syria border across Europe to the UK! Little Amal travelled an astonishing distance of 8,000km in total.
To contextualise and understand how far Amal and other refugees have to travel, we took part in a ‘Walk for Amal’ allowing us to understand the struggles people are faced with when seeking sanctuary. We each walked 1km to help contextualise how long and far 8,000km might be and the time it may take. Collectively as a school, we walked 97km, which isn’t even 2% of the distance travelled by Syrian refugees. Our wider partnership school family has also been walking and reflecting upon the journeys those seeking sanctuary face. This has sparked curiosity to find out whether we have collaboratively reached a distance similar to Amal. We discovered that as a partnership that we have covered a distance of 1,377km. This is under a ¼ of Amal’s brave journey.
OLSJ 97 children = 97km
Sinclair 210 children = 210km
Mansel Park 420 children =420km
Holy Family 420 children =420km
Bitterne Park 630 children =630km
As part of our journey, we also explored learning more about the different countries Amal passed through and how those countries are supporting refugees and asylum seekers. We also discussed the cultural celebrations of welcome that happened in each country to welcome Amal.
On our walk we carried our prayers for refugees that we had written. We read them at the end of our journey, whilst thinking of all the children that Amal represents. We hope that all refugees around the world are able to find a place of sanctuary and safety this Christmas time.
You can find more about Amal’s walk here: https://www.walkwithamal.org/