A journey to Sweden: photos from the Looma camp!

A journey to Sweden: photos from the Looma camp!: "No comments! Children can eat an icecream even with closed eyes... We will face all difficulties together! Who will eat the goodies ..."

photos from the Looma camp!

No comments!

Children can eat an icecream even with closed eyes...

We will face all difficulties together!

Who will eat the goodies first?

No comments!

it was a teambuilding game, and this team was the best!

Philip is explaining the rules of the next game!

We are the champions!!!

Camping is the best place for integration!

Volunteers and children are dancing

boys love brottning (wrestling)

On Saturday, 25th of September, Tamam organized one day camp in Looma, Lund.
On saturday in the afternoon I went to the meeting place at the train station, where all participants and volunteers had to gather. I recognized Tamam children with their shining smiles and happy faces. After all had come we took a bus to Looma, which is 20 min far place from the town. There we stayed at the scouters camp. Everyone was highly inspired...
At the beginning Philip Sandberg, ex president of Tamam, introduced volunteers to children and announced the rules for staying in the camp. Here I met a girl whose name is also Zarina, and who is also from Kyrgyzstan. She and her brother Isaak are ethnic uzbeks, but they have been living in Sweden for almost 5 years. They could hardly speak russian, and even don't speak uzbek at all.
After introduction part kids had plenty of free time before the dinner. They played different outdoor games prepared by volunteers and just had fun.
Later some of young cooks joined to the dinner cooking process. Pizza was for the evening menu.
Dancing is the source for joy and energy. Kids and volunteers could dance Makarena, and Arabic music the whole evening. as for me I joined to a nice kids from Taiwan and Iraq in the kitchen. Although I am not good at swedish, we could interact somehow in half swedish - half english language.
Everybody felt tired in that evening, except for some boys, who couldn't stop gigling and making noise. Indeed, children were excited of being together.
The morning started with a loud music of Eminem and boys shouting. When I entered to the kitchen it was full of children having sandwiches and yogurt for the breakfast.
After participants gathered outside of the camp and played funny games prepared by Philip. Children were divided into 4 teams. Each of them had goodies, different kinds of sweets, as a prize at the end.

two Zarinas

Little cooks

The concluding part of the camp was eating pasta.

A journey to Sweden: Lund is protesting against racism!

A journey to Sweden: Lund is protesting against racism!: "People started gathering at 7 pm on the central square... Yesterday, I have participated in a peaceful demonstration against racism and xe..."

Lund is protesting against racism!

People started gathering at 7 pm on the central square...

Yesterday, I have participated in a peaceful demonstration against racism and xenophobia in Sweden. Yeah, historical event I would say. There were many people (no numbers have been announced yet) gathering in Thursday evening on the central square. Mostly they were students and representatives of different organization like us, Tamam. After all people gathered we divided into several groups and started marching along the Lund streets, and shouting slogans like: "No racism in the Swedish Parliament!" and "I want diversity!".
I had amazing feelings. Marching together with others, I could feel the atmoshere of friendship and strength. This is so different from my countries experience of having demonstrations that smoothly become the arena for drunk people, and maroders stoling and crashing all the shops in the neighborhood.

" I am mourning with everyone. I think there should't be any racism in Sweden, and my participation in the demonstration is the first step forwards friendship!"

Everyone is frustrated with the election results...

Tamam is also taking an active part in the peaceful demonstration.

Moreover, this was an action from a Swedish people showing that they don't want migrants to leave the country, and think they are the part of the society, part of Sweden! Great!

A journey to Sweden: There were many people, mostly immigrants from dif...

A journey to Sweden: There were many people, mostly immigrants from dif...: "There were many people, mostly immigrants from different countries like Iran, Taiwan and even from Kyrgyzstan Fredrig has organized goo..."

There were many people, mostly immigrants from different countries like Iran, Taiwan and even from Kyrgyzstan

Fredrig has organized good activities for everyone to speak Swedish

Yesterday I have participated in Swedish cafe, and this activity is suposed to be for swedish speaking guests. Because I don't speak any swedish it was at least pleasant to meet people from my home country Kyrgyzstan. Gulsha and Magomed are from Bishkek. But Gulsha has been living here for 4 years already. And her husband arrived 2 monthes ago. They have two children, Zarina and Isaak, and they participate in TAmam's activities a lot.
So, right now I am going to the anti rasistic demonstration in Lund. have to go...

A journey to Sweden: Tamam is gathering adults!

A journey to Sweden: Tamam is gathering adults!: "not bad Zarina! Some participants were busy with making australian cookies Seda, another EVS volunteer from Armenia. She conducted..."

Tamam is gathering adults!

not bad Zarina!

Some participants were busy with making australian cookies

Seda, another EVS volunteer from Armenia. She conducted an English cafe

Volunteers from all over the world, Germany, the US, Greenland and New Zealand andAustralia

Cookies are ready! bon appetite!

Today the day was full of new aquaintances and events. In the middle of the day we met with Seda at the center and had an icecream from MC'donalds. It was so sweet. Then we went to a planning meeting in Tamam's office, where we spoke about starting a new group for only girls. At least people think there is a need for doing so, because some female immigrants cannot attend activities for both genders because of some religious assumptions, or personal shyness. We came to conclusion that each of us will get contacts of girls, and ask of their interest in different types of activities.
Most astonishing thing for me was that many young people here in Sweden are very much interested in election, and most of them were disgraced with the results, that Swedish Democrats took some places in the Parliament. This party is known as a racist one. There had been several protest strikes at Stockholm, and in Malmö. Gustaf, Karrin and other members from Tamam are going to the central station to strike against Swedish Demokrats as well. As far as I understood eventhough these strikes would not influence the results, residents showing their disagreeing. Hope, that young people in Kyrgyzstan will also take an active part in elections coming in October.
Every thursday English cafe for adults takes place. It is a meeting platform for migrant teenagers and international student. Usually different activities are organized. Today some people played table tennis, billyard, prepared Australian cookies and just had warm talks with each other.

A journey to Sweden: English cafe with little children

A journey to Sweden: English cafe with little children: "Hey, yesterday I had participated in the English cafe for children of Tamam, which is some activity for children promoting English language...."

English cafe with little children

Hey, yesterday I had participated in the English cafe for children of Tamam, which is some activity for children promoting English language. Though no English had been spoken there, and that was not very important, since we could see refugee - immigrant children smiling and happy.

There were lots of international students like turkish, swedish, chinese, german, and of course kyrgyz young people.

First we started dancing chaotically, and it seemed that even adults forgot about their age. Then a Turkish guy, started initiating funny games for all. At last when a boy named Muhammed said he wanted somethin relaxing :), we thought of an object or an animal beginning from the first letter of your name.

Then we had to set a theater play with those things... I had so much fun...hope, so did children..

Welcome to Sweden or my first day in Lund...
Hello to everyone. Today is my first day in Lund, one of the beatiful southern cities of Sweden. Finally I arrived. The trip was a bit long, because of the 1 day delay of our flight from Bishkek-Turkey and to Copenhagen. After long hours waiting in the airport, we started our trip to a place where I am supposed to volunteer for a year. Oh yes, it is a long period.
Gustaf, a president of the organization called Tamam, met me at the train station. We exchanged hugs, and he took me to the house of my future residence. It is already cold in Sweden.
You never believe! The house number in Lund turned out to be 45, the same as in my hometown Osh.
My house lord, a beautiful and kind woman, Ceit, but pronounced as Kate, met me warmly. She showed me my room, which used to be her daughters one.  It is so cosy, with many lamps for reading, and table to study and of course soft bed. By the way, we live 3 members in the house. Ceit, me and Hilda. Hilda is 8 years old dog. She is very friendly and very devoted to Kate.
The apartment is located in a central part of the town, and not very far from the Tamam's house.  I wrote house, because it is more like a house than an office, with all the facilities inside the two storied villa.
I like the starting point so far. I feel I am not going to miss my house any more.... just joking.

Tamam is having 75 volunteers in one day...

Hej, jo khetter Zarina (my name is Zarina). Today Tamam had an introduction training for nearly 75 volunteers. This was their first activity on such a global scale. We had so much fun this day. Early in the morning I and Petter, one of the very active and energiser volunteer, came the first to a meeting place. After all gathered we fitted to two mini vans of Tamam and started to a camp place that is 20 min ride from the town. Everybody had highly raised disposition. When we stopped at the bus stop to greet the participants, they stared at us,because of the spanish music in the car and volunteers dancing and singing very loudly in it.
The day consisted both of the entertainment and practical sessions. At the beginning Tamam leaders gave an introductory information about the organization, it's beneficiaries and a film based on real situation. From the film one can see how difficult is the life of a refugee family in Sweden.
One of the most important things that the training had is the lunch. Every person had to bring something with themselves to eat. You can imagine the table, with plenty of delicious and not so food.
At the middle of the day, several guests from migration office, preparotory school and municipality spoke on the refugees issues. i could notice that students/ volunteers were indeed very interested in that information asking their own questions. That's how I also can explain why people were so anxious about the election results, where one racist party called Swedish Democrats got nearly 6 % of the seats in the parliament. They think it is not good at all, because Democrats speak about pure Swedish nation, without any immigrants coming into the country.
Here I learned a very good word "Fika", that is very close to our coffea breaks. At last we had fika and participants left their feed back...

my name is Zarina Toroeva. and I have been selected as an EVS (European Volunteer Service) from Kyrgyzstan to a Swedish youth organization Tamam. In my home town I work in Youth of Osh, that is one of the most strong and developing young NGOs in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan.
What is Tamam?
Tamam means from turkish language "ok", "good" or "enough". This organization works with refugee children, helping them to integrate into swedish society easier through different activities like homework support, English and Swedish language cafes, and activity groups.

Welcome everyone to my blog!

Hey, it's nice you visited my blog. Here, I will share my impressions and most interesting and exciting events happened in Sweden.