91吃瓜网

Student-led club聽Baytna聽脿 Vous gives 91吃瓜网students the chance to assist, engage with and learn from聽vulnerable or displaced people in Paris and elsewhere.聽

By Camille Passi

Imagine that聽you had to聽flee everything you have ever known:聽your country, your聽job, your friends. What things聽would you聽pack? What thoughts聽would be聽going through your head? If you are a聽parent;聽what worries聽would you have聽about the safety of your children? These are just some of the initial thoughts of refugees when they are forced to flee聽their聽homes.聽A refugee is any person forced to聽leave聽their country because of war, persecution or a natural disaster. The UNHCR聽(the UN聽Refugee聽Agency)聽estimates that聽at the end of 2020 there were聽82.4 million聽forcibly displaced聽people聽worldwide,聽26.4聽million聽of whom聽are refugees.聽 Also, it is important to clarify that there is a difference between a migrant and a refugee. A refugee is someone聽forced聽to flee their home while a migrant is someone who聽chooses聽to leave their home聽for聽financial reasons聽or聽job opportunities in another country, for example. Words have meaning and those meanings matter, especially in this context.聽聽

Baytna聽脿 Vous聽(or BV for short)聽is a student-led organization聽that聽provides opportunities for聽students聽to聽meet and engage with refugees, especially those who are resettling in France. These encounters allow students to speak with, understand and connect with refugees and their stories. We hold workshops that build awareness of ongoing refugee crises and聽host聽fundraising events to support refugees with their urgent needs.鈥疘n addition, we聽foster聽meaningful partnerships between BV,聽the University, and different organizations helping refugees.鈥�聽

Our聽most recent聽event this semester was holding a bake sale to benefit newly arrived Afghan refugees in Paris. We held the sale on October聽21; its聽success helped聽us raise聽funds to purchase urgent needs for two refugee families in Paris.聽What made聽this experience particularly聽unique was that students then went to meet the refugee families they were raising funds for. This event showcases the direct and hands-on approach that聽BV聽strives to create through聽its聽events. In this way, students can create meaningful connections with refugees in their communities.聽