Making kites at DRS

On Saturday 20th August people all over Europe attended kite-making and flying festivals to mark the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. These festivals celebrated Afghan culture and called for fair and equal treatment of all people seeking asylum.

At DRS we decided to mark the occasion by making our own kites. Kite-making and flying is a central part of the culture of many countries, Syria, Iran and Iraq amongst them.

Having distributed the materials for making the kites we set to. The room was packed with more than 40 refugees and DRS volunteers. What ensued might have seemed on the surface as pure chaos as we disappeared into a blur of brightly coloured tissue paper, garden canes, glue and balls of string.

The refugees were very engaged in the task and then from beneath the chaos rose a mass of beautifully bright and lovingly made kites. Everyone was very proud of their creations. Unfortunately we didn't have time to fly them. Perhaps another time.

But for me the kites were more than a toy made for simple pleasure. For some the activity brought back poignant memories of happier times. For others it was a statement of solidarity with Afghanistan and other people forced to flee their homes and seek asylum. The simple kite had become a symbol of solidarity and freedom.

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this event a success. And thanks to the refugees for all your efforts and enthusiasm. You taught me a lot.