“Look out for the redhead sophomore Joelle Takahashi said as we boarded the train for our weekly trip from Lausanne to Moudon, a half-hour ride. He looks adorable but he’s the biggest trouble maker of them all.”
“Excellent I thought. This was only my second time volunteering at the Moudon refugee facility in Switzerland, and the next two hours sounded like… a challenge, to say the least. Along with an average of eight other Pepperdine students, I try to bring a bit of encouragement, education and, of course, fun to refugee children waiting with their families for word that they can settle permanently in Switzerland. Many of the young boys release some of their endless energy by playing soccer with Pepperdine guys. The girls and younger boys often do craft projects with the rest of us, even though few of us speak enough French to truly engage in any conversation.
Once in Moudon, I kept my eyes peeled for this little boy as kids began to pour outside, excited that we had arrived. He came up to me pretty soon after we arrived at the government-provided housing center. Most of the children ran over to shake our hands with a warm Bonjour!” while younger ones just looked at us with wide eyes. It was then that I saw a redhead sauntering toward us. A pot-bellied 5-year-old with a devilish grin was circling our group. We made eye contact and he winked. I immediately knew— I was going to like this little troublemaker.
The housing is provided under a mandate that offers administration and integration of refugees while they are trying to gain access to live and work in Switzerland a process that sometimes takes up to 15 years. The refugees in this particular apartment building are only families and represent many different nationalities from Africa the Balkans and the Middle East. The majority of families in the Moudon Refugee Center come from Albania and Kosovo. The majority are of the Islamic faith and many suffered persecution and economic hardship before fleeing their native lands over the past decade.
Most of these children speak two languages French in addition to their native tongue but none speak English. Sophomore Danielle Thomasma said learning to communicate was one of her biggest fears but it turned out to be one of the easiest problems to overcome.
“We walked up and saw these kids speaking really fast in French and running around and I was just thinking ‘Oh my gosh how am I ever going to help?'” Thomasa said. “But then we started playing some games and they slowed down their language for me and even helped me out with some words. We were able to communicate so easily just through motions and a few simple words. Every week we went it became easier. Soon it was almost as if there was no barrier.”
Pepperdine students work with two different groups: younger children and an older group of girls. Sophomore Joelle Takahashi organizes the younger kids program while sophomore Emanette Peniche organizes the Big Sister program.
“I volunteered to lead the new program because I was interested in working with girls that are going through something I’ve gone through— your teen years Peniche, a native of Mexico, said. Also since I grew up exposed to two cultures I was interested in seeing girls from all over the world and how they related to each other.”
Peniche and the other Pepperdine students have learned that the children are impressionable and they appreciate the attention and care.
“They take advantage of every second they have that I’m there and are really eager to learn new things Peniche said, They know there is a lot more out there and by me being there they just want to know more.”
This cooperative volunteer program is organized by Sydney Moyo the founder of Neighbours Global Connections a Swiss charity established in 1996.
Neighbours Global Connections runs multiple projects of community services that include training in peacemaking and conflict resolution since so many of the children and their parents have fled from areas of the world where disagreements led to war.
Program director Mary Mayenfisch met Moyo at an Anglican church in Lausanne where he was speaking. Together they organized the program for Pepperdine students. Moyo wrote in an e-mail that it is important for Pepperdine students to volunteer at Moudon because “it takes them away from their ‘bubble’ campus of their familiar surrounding into the wider community outside of the Lausanne Pepperdine Campus.
“[Pepperdine students] have so much to offer Moyo added, and if their services are offered in love and good faith makes a great contribution to the lives of the underprivileged among this refugee community.”
The contributions of Pepperdine students to the children at the Moudon Refugee Center helps make the lives of these children more enjoyable especially on the day I’d been warned about the red-headed boy. All of us were expecting trouble out of him especially after his sly little wink. For our craft project we used rigatoni pasta as beads to make necklaces. Though I was at first nervous that this activity would only appeal to little girls it turned out the little boys may have enjoyed the project the most. My little red-headed friend not only made one necklace but made another one for his mom.