Students from Trio World Academy in Bangalore were the first ones from India to have undertaken volunteering work at the Auberge des migrants in Calais in France during their two-week long experiential and educational trip to France, the school said on Tuesday.
The educational trip was a part of the school’s Diploma program meant for the students of standards 11 and 12. The program is called CAS – Creativity, Activity, Service – which includes several other activities alongside their academic courses, according to Chandniee, French Department head.
While volunteering, their tasks mainly included sorting clothes that had come in as donation for the refugee settlements in Calais. The students worked in collaboration with a French NGO called Utopia56. They also attended a field training course conducted by the NGO regarding the work for the betterment of refugees and getting educated on the dos and don’ts while interacting with refugees, the school said.
“It’s a great feeling to be indirectly helping the refugees even though we don’t get to see who these clothes will go to because we know that we have helped them keep warm from the cold,” said Tushara, a student of Year 1 of the CAS Diploma.
“It’s a place full of young people who have come as volunteers from everywhere, from France, England, Austria, Singapore. There’s music playing in the background and there’s coffee or tea, we can take a break at any time. It’s work and fun together!” said Kevin, another student of the Diploma Program.
Amrutamshu, another Trio student thought it was “a tremendous feeling to be a part of helping solve such a big problem of global proportions in Calais where there are refugees from different countries.”
Trio and its students were also the first one from India to attend the UNESCO Mobile Learning Week held in Paris from March 26 to 30.
“I wanted the students to have a vision and experience, not just from a tourist’s perspective but other aspects as well. We traveled on trains, followed maps and discovered every part of the cities without the help of a guide,” said Chandniee, who organized the tour.