Working with DINA Venue on the Little Amal project is something I will always be proud to say I was a part of. It was eye-opening to say the least. My involvement began on October 28th by helping DINA Venue put up the flags that young people had designed at workshops across Sheffield, for Amal’s warm welcome. Seeing these hung side by side in tudor square was a beautiful foreshadowing for the event ahead.
On the 29th, Little Amal arrived in Sheffield. So far having travelled almost 4970 miles from the Syria/Turkey border to the UK. But before she was ready to greet the public at 6pm, I was given the privilege of seeing the impact the event was having on the public first hand. There were stalls set up across Tudor Square with activities such as; building lanterns, bread making, writing welcome messages etc. I helped run the bread making stand which I loved. Seeing the pure joy and excitement in the children's faces as they made their own bread and, once baked, shared it with their friends and families. It was truly heart-warming.
I learnt a lot that day. When being asked to make bread with the public, I hadn't even considered the social significance of it until I had an interaction with a non-English speaking group of children. I thought I would find it hard and I didn't want anyone to feel as though they couldn't join in. It turned out speaking the same language didn't matter, they were able to copy my movements and enjoy the activity just as much as anyone else. It was these moments that really made me appreciate the Amal project and how much the little things can help people around us feel welcome.
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