Panorama 2008-2009 part (3)

(1)

This picture was taken in January 09, during a stand against human trafficking in Bergen city centre. In the picture Trude "volunteer from Bergen" was selling me in an auction conducted during the activity, every one from those who saw the role play was surprised and wondered if something like this is still happening in this world, and the answer was simply yes, it's happening every day even though it takes many different types and ways. I think that Bergen red cross youth are doing a great job against human trafficking and we got the chance to be a part of this great group in the west of Norway.

(2)

Fløyen, this beautiful mountain in Bergen city has a special place in my memories, I have been on the top of this mountain several times, sometimes joining Red Cross youth , and sometimes with friends, the scene to the city from Fløyen is very beautiful, and you can see the Northern sea from there as well. I like that mountain very much, and I hope to go in Hiking trip to it once more before I leave to my country.

(3)

In this picture I was plying Santa clause role during the Christmas dinner in Hordaland district office. It was quite funny role play actually within the social programme that evening.

(4)

This picture was taken with involve your self campaign group, in that day we participated in 2 shows in Oskøy and Fana VGS schools, the shows included by theater shows and presentations about human trafficking. Many organization are participating on this campaign in Norway including the Red Cross youth. More information can be found on the campaign web badge, just click the link above to visit .

(5)

This picture was taken in Bergen city centre last September, I'm sure I will never forget this charming city.

,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Panorama 2008-2009 part (2)

(1)

This was an interview with Christina, she was the leader of Multi-mix group in Bergen red cross youth, the group has been rewarded in that day by Bergen municipality as an active youth group.

(2)

This picture was taken during a blood donation stand in front of the student centre in Bergen city in Halloween day, this activity is runs by the students group and we had the chance to participate in similar stand also during Valentin day too. The stand was for recruiting blood donors and to give out information about red cross activities. In the picture there are some children from kindergarten with their supervisor having some candies and "SMALL" information by the student group.

(3)

This picture was taken in Oslo in the red cross head quarter, while we were having a role play about human trafficking during the Human trafficking seminar with my colleges the youth delegates in Norway. In this picture appears also Sandra Melina from Colombia in the right side and Aline Ferry from Rwanda in the left side.

(4)

This picture has been taken in Oslo during the youth delegates training course in Haroldshiem Hostel, appearing behind me the professional photographer who was teaching us some skills of taking good photos that day.

(5)

This photo is in front of the lion Statue, it's one of so many Statues that are laying and standing every where in the beautiful city of Bergen.


,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Panorama 2008-2009 part (1)

(1)

This was a presentation about Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers structure to the Hordaland Red Cross youth during weekend gathering in September last year.

(2)

This was a presentation about Sudan to the Multi-mix group in Bergen city, this group is a natural place to meet socially with other volunteers and participants that are new to Bergen/red cross youth.

(3)

This picture was taken with the international humanitarian law group, while they are having an educational game about rules in war.

(4)

This picture taken by Susanne L F, the leader of red cross youth in hordaland, she is a sophisticated and professional volunteers leader. the picture is in front of the small lake in December 2008, before Christmas, you can see the lake water is frozen because f cold weather.

(5)

This picture is with Susanne's family in September, it was in the first week of our arrival to Bergen, we gathered around dinner table with her family and also Trude who is appearing in the picture, she was a youth delegate in Lebanon last year, and she was leader of Bergen red cross youth, and recently she has been assigned to the district board.

,,, stay near, tomorrow there is more :) ,,,

Home calling (1)

Yes, it's true that now we are approaching the end, now I can see it from here, my home city Kassala, and I can feel my first steps down in Khartoum airport, in 20th of June evening, and I wonder how will it looks like? . Yes I'm very excited now to that day, more than every time before.

But,,, still I feel like I have many things that I haven't done with yet, many things that I haven't seen before, but now I can see them very well, and I Say to my self this shouldn't be like this, we must do something to make it better,but no time, the timer already started to countdown in the opposite direction now, tik, tik, tik, 17, 16, 15. My current plans needs more moves, quicker steps, I hope that I will be able to finish it, even though it's not that much things to do, but still I feel really like in hurry.

Norwegian has a very nice saying (Ordtak) a friend of mine told me with, and that is "Borte bra, men hjemme best" that means to be out side is good but to be in your country is the best.

Scene to Bergen city from our Flat

It's 23:00 pm, if I wasn't here I wouldn't believe that dust time can last until this late, even though it's more lighter further North, I'm sure that our friends in Bodø and Tromsø enjoying mid night sun right now. This is Norway. (front scene to the city from our flat in Laksevåg, Bergen).

This is the same scene during new years Eve, it's giving an overview to big space from Bergen city, and also the view is from high angle down to the city because the flat is on mountains area, so it was a great chance to see most of the fire works in the city.

The same scene during snow storm in December last year. because it rains too much here in Bergen so snow can be melt quickly.

Gratulerer med dagen Røde Kors

I was looking forward to be in the parade in 17th of May celebration with the Red Cross column, since I have heard about how fun will it be from so many people. And yesterday I was very impressed really to see these waves of people full of happiness in the city centre, watching the parade, which is really deserves to be watched, I feel like being in the past but in a very modern edition, with all these national dresses and the carnival of classic cars, classic bicycles, dances, and many good things.

Red Cross column was full of life and love to the people who really react very nice to what red cross volunteers doing, clapping to them and saying after tem their slogans, "røde kors i morgan, Gratulerer med dagen, hipp hipp, Hurra hurra hurra".

After that all together we went to the red cross activity house and enjoyed the Norwegian traditional rømmegrøt

Celebrating 150 years of the Red Cross movement in Hordaland

From 15:00 to 17:00 many volunteers participated in the event which has been organised by Bergen Red Cross, to spread out information about Red Cross in the city centre, just some leaflets and fliers to be handed out to every one in the street.

some volunteers has really creative ways to have peoples attention, like that one who was walking on a rope that he tie it between the two trees in front of Bergen red cross activity house, the way which leads to Fløyen mountain which is one of the tourist places in Bergen, so the street was crowded with people going and coming, while he is walking on his rope, some people approach him, and then he smiles and lets them to try walk over his rope, and during that he tell them about Red Cross and hand some leaflets to them.

Me and my college Mohammad were also distributing leaflets in the city center, during that day for one hour and then... no thing left all the leaflets has been distributed by the volunteers, I'm not sure how much was it, but I think it was too much quantity, every one just came over and tokes what he can, and went out spreading, talking, enhancing red cross 150 years.

Next day with Trude and Ruth from red cross youth in Hordland, we went to Voss where we participated with the local branch in their stand, which was really full of activities, many old women "volunteers" making food and coffee, first aid group was just near to us having a competition, and the local red cross branch as well.

2 sudanese In the winter land

Fine winter coure with Search and rescue group

can you imagine how cold was that day?,,

I will tell you something; to understand how cold was that, just think about some one who used to average of 35 degrees in his normal life which also can exceed to 45 degrees in the summer, imagine if this person came to a country where the temperature is cold but bellow zero degrees are so often in the winter, but even though imagine when somebody from that cold place to tell you that he will take you to spend some time in "a very cold place" if this expression came from someone who used on cold winter, then of course I will be afraid to go, but also I was so excited to see how will it work, because I know that there will be some arrangements to keep somebody worm somehow.

The temperature was -5 degrees bellow zero which is cold, but the problem was the wend, it's true that the wind can multiply the weather cold when it comes, and imagine to stay out there for 4 hours.

to make it little near to those who doesn't experience this, I will give an example, which the fridge temperature when it make ice then that cold is zero degree, so we were in -10 fridges at that day :)

But the arrangement were very good, Me and my college were wearing a special suits which are really worm, in addition to extra jackets sweaters and even wool underwear, gloves, sacks, and also there was a special wind cover which we put on while we were out side, to keep our bodies more protected, but still i was feel with cold, ohhh it was really especial experience that I have had in my entire life.

this was quit funny experience, when I tried my very first skiing on my life, I thought it's as easy as I'm seeing it on TV, but then I found my self loosing my balance down to the snow for more that fifty times I guess, after many tries I just headed to one of the sloops and sat on the skies down, it was so nice experience.

this trench is one of the regulations that the search and rescue groups use to protect the victim from the wind after they get to find him until they evacuate him to the medical care.



This snow cave is also something amazing, can you imagine that the temperature inside is only zero while it's bellow zero with many degrees outside?
we have been told that it's even can be more warmer by using special sleeping bags and when you breath your body will take care of warming you up, and then you can sleep your night in there without any problems.






this is when me, my college and Håkon our contact person were digging our snow trench. the snow was very deep, and it was hard to move over smoothly, it's too soft to carry such load of flesh over. so I was trying to touch lightly the surface trying not to sunk down in the snow.

Activities with asylum home group in Bergen city

Hiking trip to Fløyen with the asylum seekers:
The first activity with the asylum home group in Bergen city was hiking trip to Fløyen Mountain, where we and about 10 of the youth from the asylum home in Bergen were participating in addition to the group and Susanne from the Red Cross youth district board. Most of the participant were Arabic speakers, some of them speaks English and one of them is multi language he can speak Norwegian too, our role was to help the group starting up, and we found ourselves helping somehow on establishing a communication between the group and the Arabic speakers passing the messages in Arabic and back in English. At the end Susanne told them about multi-mix activity too if they are interested to join in the coming future, and they were very interested on the Red Cross youth activities, asking many questions, and luckily they got most of the answers they need.

Social gathering in the asylum home:
On 22nd of April we met the group and the 10 participant on the administration office of the asylum home, the activity was to know each other and to make some plans for new activities, and the group hanged some made some nice posters with some alternatives, so as to be used as a check list, but also the new ideas from the participant were welcomed during the discussion as well. Finally they agreed on having hiking trips, visit the aquarium, climbing sessions, swimming sessions, barbecuing and making food. So they started to have the plans setted for May and June according to these results of the wishes of the asylum seekers.

Hiking trip to Løvstakken Mountain:

Seems we are going to experience all the seven mountains in Bergen, I wonder why I didn’t started these trips earlier, and why I missed all this pleasure all this time, perhaps because I wasn’t able to realise how beautiful is those mountains and the city view from up there. This time we went with the asylum seekers to the mountain of Løvstakken, it’s one of the seven mountains surrounding the city of Bergen, 477 meter above sea level, Located west of the center of Bergen, and has a great views from the top to Gullsteinen and Nordaasvannet in south, Fyllingsdalen in west the Bergen fjord in north and the center of Bergen in east with great hiking paths.

We spent a great time up there, while the weather was wet and foggy in the beginning but then suddenly it turned to be sunny and more beautiful, and this is one of the habits of this charming city, it can suddenly turn to an unexpected weather type, so that I always have some extra clothes, umbrella and sun glasses with me.

We are looking forward now to a tour to the all seven mountains which is going to be on the 24th of may, and it seems like a public rally will take place that day since many people from Bergen city and perhaps from other places in Norway are going to participate too.

As a preparation for the next activity which is going to be in the asylum home administration office in Bergen, on 1st of April me and my college Mohammad went there and hanged a poster made by the activity group, and we talked to some of the asylum seekers and some of the officers in there in order to commerce for the coming activity.

Red Cross youth-Human Trafficking stand, Bergen, Norway

Almost all the youth delegates in Norway, in addition to 2 volunteers from Telemark, 2 from Akershus, and 2 from Oslo university student group, were gathered due to an invitation from Bergen Red Cross youth to participate in a long weekend full of activities against human trafficking. (18th to 20th of April 09).

A series of really long, but interesting and successful events, started Saturday morning in Torgallmenningen yard. Luckily, the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining all day, and all over the yard there was crowds of people hanging around enjoying that weather, while red cross volunteers moving around telling them about human trafficking and collecting money for the Red Cross projects against human trafficking outside Norway.

It’s not the first time that I have been "sold" here, but this time Colombian, Nepalese and Norwegian beauties were "sold" too. It was amazing this time. Trude, the slave seller calling and burning up the competition and a lot of people paid attention to what we were doing, and many of them contributed and donated money to the campaign, by the end of the day we were able to collect some NoKs, and to distribute a lot of flyers and information around.

Next day was a fun hiking trip to Fløyen Mountain, and sightseeing trip afterword around the beautiful Bergen. Some of the volunteers and the guests participated in this activity, and it was so much fun that day.

Last day started with a stand in front of the student centre in Bergen to spread information about human trafficking, but also to advertise for the humanitarian forum in the evening in Bergen University.

At the evening, 55 people came to the small auditorium in Bergen university with plans to participate in the humanitarian forum about Human trafficking. It was started by Sandra Milena and John Freddy, the two Colombian youth delegates. Then a police officer spoke about human trafficking, but gave a legal perspective to the problem for. It was an interesting presentation were the participants asked a lot of questions during his speech. Then Jennifer from Rwanda gave a speech about human trafficking in her country. And after that we rapped it up with a movie about a project in Nepal which was also meaningfull and interesting.

At the end I would like to say that I’m very proud of what Bergen Red Cross youth have done this weekend, and also our guests, the volunteers from the other districts and the youth delegates. I hope that they will continue their amazing performance and team working.