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Published: November 4th 2016
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We cant believe how fast the two weeks have flown over. Today has been our last day of the programme and its been a interesting one!
Up nice and early to lots of lovely rain, we headed out for the bus to cross roads. Took us about half hour to find our stop but we got there in the end.
When we arrived we met with Tanya Zhyla and Denisa Sava, who were both lovely! They talked us through their amazing work that they do for all different types of people at their base. Their base is a walk in for Eu Migrants. They have helped over 1184 people in their years, 25% of this figure being female migrants.
We were shocked to hear the range of different nationalities that have migrated to Sweden, people from countries such as Bulgaria, Syria, Italy even Finland. Between the colleagues they amazingly spoke 8 different languages fluently! For anyone that's amazing but the fact they use these language skills to help so many people was a massive eye opener to how important language and communication skills are.
Cross Roads was originally set up a project but was finally made an
official company in January 2016. Since then they have acquired a mass number of volunteers who help run classes to teach the migrants life skills and basic Swedish. This flows into the migrants work possibilities. The cross roads main aim or 'mission' as swedes like to call it, is to get all the migrants into working roles and to secure them a citizenship so they can provide for there families and be safe in a decent home.
Another one of their main missions is too allow each migrant access to free health care and dental care. They do this by supplying the migrant with a almost type of coupon with money on. Kind of like a gift card you get off your nana at christmas. By doing this they have saved many lives which is a over whelming achievement for anyone.
The centre offers free breakfast to migrants, 5 days a week as well as computer access. These two things are crucial! The breakfast to ensure they stay healthy and the computer access to work on their CV and apply for jobs in order to flow into the Swedish society.
Cross Roads is an amazing support system
which we all were amazed at and even felt blessed to be invited to learn about their ways. The experience made us all feel so grateful for our lives back in England. (Which we are all missing)
Later during the day we headed back to the main Västra Göteland base to meet with Jackie Brown. With a name like jackie brown we knew she couldn't be Swedish and we were right she was in fact american!
Her presentation was all about Eu Migrants as well. Jackie moved to Sweden a couple of years ago in order to be with her boyfriend. She used the system in place for migrants and managed to get herself a internship lasting 8 weeks through vastra goteland. Fantastically she has manage to gain a full time job throughout the organisation which is brilliant! Her work experience is very similar to ours with us being apprentices.
After learning about the situations of a migrant at cross roads on the morning it was great to meet with a real life example of how their system works. Jackie has now gained a full citizenship and is happily living in Sweden with no problems. How amazing.
That was our last work session!
We headed back to the hotel and each did a evaluation of the week with Peter and told him how much we have appreciated the opportunity and enjoyed our time here in Sweden.
Time had come to go for 'the last supper'. We'd been told that The Barn was the best burger place in Gothenburg so we had to try it out! The recommendations weren't wrong! We all demolished them! Helen says its the best burger she has ever tasted in her life. So if your wanting the best burger of your life, get yourself to gothenburg!
We are all packed and ready for the long day of travelling tomorrow, its a sad time to be leaving but were all so excited to be reunited with our families!
See you all soon.
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