Update from Best Way Development
We are BEST WAY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, a volunteer organisation that was formed in 2012 by individuals of African descent and Scottish people. We strive to ensure that our community fully integrates into the wider community. Most of our community live in Motherwell in North Lanarkshire and originally arrived as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo via UN refugee camps in Zambia in 2007. In addition, several people from other African countries including: Nigeria, Malawi, Somalia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania have relocated from Glasgow and from other parts of the United Kingdom. BWCD's main priority is to tackle family conflict through conflict resolution and community engagement. We use the Freire-Boal approach to community activities as a tool for education and community action.
Our members are keen to become fully integrated into the wider community and to promote social cohesion and racial harmony through mutual understanding - by building relationships and working together.
BWCD understands that it is a very difficult time for us all, and it is best to help each other, without discrimination. That is the reason we are working hard to give support to BEM groups and the wider community who are struggling to meet their needs at this difficult time. We are here and ready to volunteer so as to help everyone in our community. For more information go to:
Betty Gillick
Betty is the Chairperson of the Fresh Start NL. She was one of the first people to contact counsellors and councils asking “What can we do to help the crisis in Syria?” and when we had our first arrivals of the program, she was involved from the very beginning even before our first family had arrived in North Lanarkshire, she befriended a family and worked very closely with them to help them navigate the new community. Betty is also a member of Justice and Peace and Fair Trade Airdrie, she’s also trying very hard to integrate the Roma community into North Lanarkshire.
Places of Worship
Today we are not going to speak about an individual organization or person, but we are going to speak about places of worship in North Lanarkshire. The amazing welcome and support they have given refugees from providing items that makes a house a home, clothing essentials and the welcoming parties. This work is not forgotten and the incredible help that their members have given to support the families when they arrived, the places of worship have opened there doors to not just the refugees but people from all different groups and backgrounds. It is very heart-warming to see the multifaith and the work that they put to make North Lanarkshire a wonderful place to call home.
Mona Al Dafan
In the memory of Reem.
Reem came with her mum Mona who was on of the first arrivals to come to North Lanarkshire. She came to give her two daughters the best start in life that they deserved, specially after losing their dad in the war. Mona says that she can’t believe the difference that she has seen in her children when they arrived here specially for Reem even if her life was cut short, but Mona says that she had a better quality of life, she even attended school something that would’ve never been possible if they didn’t make the move to North Lanarkshire. Mona and her family have made bonds and connections with a lot of people in their community, specially a neighbour that lives next to them. Mona describes her neighbour as a mum to her and a granny to her daughters.