Reality Check!
When a group of teens from Port Macquarie (NSW) decided they’d like to join the “reality” craze, they chose to be refugees in a simulated refugee camp. The idea was to develop awareness of the difficulties of being a refugee, and also to raise money for relief work in the area.
The participants arrived at the local school hall, re-labelled “Cambodia Refugee Camp,” and began the process of being “refugees.” As the teens arrived, they were searched for “contraband.” The only things they were allowed to take with them were a bucket, a thin blanket and a towel.
Then came the process of delousing, injections for typhoid, a humiliating washing down with antiseptic and hair inspection for lice.
Each person was assigned an “injury,” and treated and bandaged accordingly. Some had broken limbs, others serious head injuries, there were pregnancies and newborn babies. These conditions were to be kept for the weekend, with no escape.
The refugees were then placed into family groups and given food rations for the weekend. Finally they received cardboard boxes and tape to build shelters for their family group.
Of course the local water was “contaminated,” so particpants had to take buckets on a long trek to collect fresh water to last the whole day.
Then there were the toilets: “The toilets were disgusting,” said one. “We found a hole dug in the ground. Toilet paper was newspaper, and strategically placed bushes provided our only privacy.”
A meal was served at around 9 pm: “We were all very hungry and exhausted and were disappointed to find we had nothing but a cup of gluggy rice to eat.”
Still hungry, the refugees went to bed. At 1.30 am they were woken by a loud siren, what sounded like gunfire (firecrackers) and flashing lights. Wearing only light clothes, the refugees were marched into the freezing cold away from their camp by “soldiers.” The soldiers shouted and waved their guns to keep the refugees marching. Worse was to follow.
When they arrived at camp, they found their shelters destroyed and booby traps set through the camp.”
A 5.30 wake-up call, followed by a scanty breakfast did little to relieve the previous night’s hunger. Work detail started at 6.30 am. After a hard morning’s work and a slightly more substantial lunch, the “refugees” cleaned up the camp, then went home to sleep.
“The refugee camp reality experience was great for the participants. We all enjoyed it, and raised money for ADRA.” It was a novel way to raise money and gain insight—one we’d recommend to other teens seeking a life reality check.
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