We have been looking for a deeper meaning for our project. We have always wanted this to be about something bigger than ourselves. This dream is not just about two gals from Norway who want to go to the South Pole, it is bigger than us.
After a number of coincidences, I stumbled upon a refugee organization called Dråpen i Havet. They work with refugees who are all fleeing war, conflict or climate crises. We quickly found the tone with their energetic team in Norway and entered into a partnership. We want to put refugees' living conditions on the agenda and help Dråpen i Havet in their work to make their lives a little better.
On this occasion, we have been working in recent weeks to organize a field trip for some of the refugees from Ukraine.
After much preparation, gathering of equipment and logistics, we were finally ready for the trip. We brought three of Dåpen i Havet's employees with us, and 20 adults and children along for the trip. We walked from the subway station at Skullerud up to Kattisa.
There we set up camp, had some lunch, played outdoor bingo and tried our hand at some Norwegian lessons. Then we went on a long blueberry expedition with a massive catch, and many big, blue smiles. We prepared a gourmet dinner consisting of various noodles, soups and drytech. Throughout the evening, we played a lot of relays, and games such as potato races and sack races. Played blocks and ate lots of delicious marshmallows and popcorn to the great delight of the kids.
“Norwegian is so hard to learn, everything sounds the same, like a "full fugl" sounds like the same word, but means a drunk bird.”- Nina
Throughout the evening and night it started to rain in buckets and buckets, but luckily we had good sleeping bags and tents so everything remained warm and dry. The next day was spent hunting for copious amounts of blueberries because it was a real hitter. We also ate breakfast and went for a walk in the area. We then packed up camp and found our way back to town.
This trip leaves me full of impressions, experiences and new knowledge about people. How they have lived and live now, cultural differences, and how you manage to see positive things in life even when it is really very dark. I am inspired to work hard and never give up. These are strong women and children who stand up, learn and adapt. Thank you so much for a wonderful trip, and I know there will be more in the future too!
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