Last week we welcomed 48 visitors from the Arna centre for asylum seekers to take part in an activity-packed programme. The visit was part of our Meeting-place for Diversity programme, the aim of which is to help groups of visitors benefit from the diverse College community. Since this was project week, we had a core group of 15 students who dedicated themselves to this interaction, led by staff members Liusaidh, Leonora and Hannah.

The day-time activities included canoeing, archery, paddle boarding, fishing, arts and crafts, ceramics, dance and horse riding. Every evening we used the pool facilities at Haugland, which the children particularly enjoyed! Afterwards there was baking, film screenings, board games and a ping-pong tournament. The final evening was marked with the baking of delicious pizza and breads in the baking house, crafting friendship bracelets, board games and dancing. The programme is made possible with support from IMDI and UDI. It was most rewarding for all  involved and hopefully the beginning of a long term co-operation with our new friends in Arna.

After the project, Haleigh, one of the RCN students, said this:

“Even though the refugees who were in my group did not speak English, we still found ways to communicate with each other. It was impactful to see how much love and understanding can occur when no verbal communication takes place. It truly gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for what these refugees have to go through just to find a safe and happy place to live. A moment of realization for me was on the second night, we were watching a movie, in Norwegian, and a little girl from Syria had fallen asleep in my lap, and I thought, this is exactly the reason why I came here to UWCRCN.”

“The RCN experience is not fulfilled unless you really step out of your comfort zone and experience the world in a whole new light”, they say. The three-day, two night kayaking adventure we took part in was nothing short of a true RCN experience – including being outdoors in a “whole new experience of rain”! Collectively, we were all elated and slightly nervous about embarking on our kayaking journey. After a couple of hours the previous day learning how to fall over (easy) and learning how to help each other back into the kayak (surprisingly do-able), we packed up and drove to Korssund, to set off in our kayaks, a bit clumsily at first, appreciating a fresh burst of cool sea breeze. The windy conditions just added to the anticipation for the adventure to comes. Continuing around the west coastline, with open seas on our left, we experienced some breathtaking views – including the island of Alden and paddled past the WW2 Nazi bunkers at Lammetun, enjoying seeing a seal, eagles, and an otter. Despite the weather being a little rough at times, we pushed through and found a great campsite near a farm, shielded from the wind by trees. We quickly had to figure out how to set up the tents, a team effort for the most part because many of us hadn’t been camping before. After everything was sorted we got cosy and made dinner together and enjoyed a warm cup of hot chocolate to conclude the day. The next day’s weather was a little wetter and windier, but it didn’t stop us and we felt we had gained quite a bit of experience from the day before; we also really appreciated using the new RCN dry suits, especially with so much rain. As a team we seemed to work together more cohesively, looking out for each other. We continued along Dalsfjord, had  one capsize event, and another night’s camp in cosy dry tents through a downpour. The next morning we paddled along a calm (and rainy) fjord, enjoying lunch under a tarpaulin at Jensbua.

A lot of lessons were learned, friendships made, and memories to last a lifetime: this sea kayaking and camping PBL was a fulfilling experience that impacted us in many different ways!

Amber (Belize)