Cork seeking to resettle and support one refugee family into our area under the Department of Justice Community Sponsorship Programme. A decade of war in Syria has left 13 million people homeless, hungry and without hope - half of that number in refugee camps in the Middle East. Over one million children have been born in these refugee camps since the war began. As a community here in Ovens and Fa
rran, we wondered what we could do to help in the face of such an overwhelming problem. We have seen how communities like Midleton, Kinsale and Carrigtwohill have already provided a home and support for a Syrian family. We felt sure we could do this too. Surely, in Ovens, we have what it takes to support a family in need? The One Family Project, an Ovens-based community project, commenced in March 2021, on the 10th anniversary of the war in Syria. We have been approved as part of the Community Sponsorship Programme, an initiative that has been developed by the Irish Department of Justice and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). This project facilitates a community - neighbours and friends - to welcome one Syrian family and to be their support system as they settle into our way of life. This small scale community method has been operating successfully in Canada for decades and is a proven way of encouraging integration for those who are coming from crisis situations. This Community Sponsorship Programme is highly regulated and follows very stringent guidelines. The programme requires that we as a group source accommodation and fundraise to support the family for the first 2 years of their move to Ireland. A minimum of €10,000 must be raised before the family can be approved for resettlement to Ovens. The refugee family will arrive in Ireland following selection by the UNHCR and a strict security and health vetting process overseen by the Department of Justice and the gardaí. The Ovens/Farran parish and community has a long tradition of volunteerism and support for worthwhile causes. The One Family Project is a natural extension of this community spirit. As we continue to support our own, we also feel an obligation to assist those from other countries, as the emigrant Irish have also been supported in their times of need when they settled in the UK, the US, Australia and all over the world out of dire necessity. The One Family Project gives each one of us the opportunity to make a difference in the life of this one family. Here’s how you can help -
• Support the project by spreading the word amongst your neighbours and friends in Ovens. For further information go to www.integation.ie or contact a committee member.
• Keep an eye on our Facebook and GoFundMe pages for upcoming fundraising events and volunteer to participate.
• Donate at www.gofundme.com/f/the-one-family-project - even though the family will be entitled to state services and supports, we still have to raise a minimum of €10,000 before we can welcome our family to Ovens.
• Keep in touch with committee members if you have skills or resources which would be useful to our family as they settle in. Are you a landlord? Are you aware of a vacant property in the area? Maybe you speak Arabic? Can you donate a new fridge? We want to hear from you! Community Sponsor Groups we have spoken to say it has been the most worthwhile thing they have ever done. This project will make an enormous difference to one ordinary Syrian family. It has the potential to make an EXTRAordinary difference to our community in Ovens. Get involved!
