“My name is Uyen. I am from Vietnam and I came to work in Malta in January 2018. When I arrived in the country I started paying 400 Euro rent per month, for a shared flat in Mosta. This is a reasonable rent when compared to other European countries where I used to live. The problem is that my job is very low paid. I earn 650 Euro per month.

Uyen, a Vietnamese working in Malta with a single work permit

Uyen finished her Masters’ Degree in International Development in the UK in 2016. In Malta she works as a project officer for an NGO running EU funded projects on social inclusion. “There are many foreigners employed at my workplace. I started as an intern.  The first four months of work were unpaid. Then I started to get paid. I was told that after three months I would be given an increment but this never materialised. I didn’t dare ask because I was afraid that they would fire me. According to the law for third country nationals working in Malta, if I stop working for the company I’m employed with, my residence permit will be terminated within ten days. This means that within ten days I would have to leave Malta.”

Uyen explained how the law is different for Europeans and Maltese. “If Maltese and European nationals don’t like the job they can leave and eventually find another job. Third country nationals face a different situation. I have a single work permit. This means that it is tied to the job I am working at. Normally one gets a contract of employment for six months or a year. However, I know of other third country nationals, who were fired before their contract of employment reached the term. So I was very scared. They do find excuses to fire someone and just employ another foreigner.”

Finding Alternative Accommodation to Rent

Uyen told her landlord that 400 Euro was too much for her to pay. “The landlord and his wife were very nice. When I told them about my salary, they let me pay 300 instead of 400 Euro for a few months. However, after a while, they told me that they couldn’t keep it going like this.”

Uyen relates how she started trekking with the wellknown group of Gregory Camenzuli. “I stated trekking to integrate in the Maltese society. and also because I like to spend time with myself, with nature and with others. I enjoyed these walks. About ten of us decided to start trekking on our own to be in a smaller, more sociable group. In this small trekking group I started sharing some of my feelings about my job and my difficulties with accommodation. After a while, Joe, one of the members of this group, offered me lodging in his house. At first I said nothing. I was afraid. He is a man and I had read lots of horror stories,” she said.

Joseph Gauci, a sportsman and landlord

Joe is a widower, but he still wears his wedding ring. He has a large terraced house in Mosta and lives there with his son. “I have a good relationship with my son but we do not meet very often. We both work and my son also has a girlfriend. So we both lead busy lives.”

Joe likes adventure and sports. He is particularly good at skiing and trekking both in open country and also on the mountains. As a youngster he played football with the Mosta Football Club. He was also president and coach with the same club. Joe was an active volunteer and youth leader at the Mosta Oratory. He met Uyen in the small trekking group and sometimes he would give her a lift back to her flat in Mosta.

At first Joe thought that it was risky to offer Uyen to come and live in his house. “I was afraid that she would steal or damage the property. My son told me that I was too kind and that this was risky too. But as I got to know her better in the trekking group, and listened to her story, I decided to offer her the option that she could come and live in my house. I thought that this was a way that I could help. It was a way which I could afford. My house is big and mostly empty. At first, Uyen said nothing.  A few months later, in the feast of the Assumption of St Mary in August, I invited our trekking group to my house to come and see the fireworks. That day I also showed Uyen the house.”

Uyen starts living in Joe’s house

Uyen’s landlords eventually told her that it was time she started to pay the full rent. “They said that they were doing business not charity. So looking at my financial situation I decided to accept Joe’s offer. I realised that I couldn’t do it on my own. The connection with Joe was getting better now that we trekked in the group every weekend. So in October 2018, before I left for a work exchange in Germany, I took all my luggage from the rented place. When I came back to Malta I moved to Joe’s house”, Uyen explained.

“As I moved in I realised how wrong I was to be so afraid!” Uyen exclaimed almost crying. “Joe is a very kind man. He expected nothing back. Joe never asked for money. He used to live on the ground floor, but when I moved in, he moved upstairs with his son and left the ground floor to me so that I could have my own privacy. I rarely meet Joe unintentionally in the house. On the ground floor he had everything close to him; the kitchen, the living room, bathroom, bedroom, his garage. He gave it all to me. Joe also gets a maid to do the detail cleaning. There were a few times when I missed the bus and he would give me a lift.  Sometimes he even gave lifts to my friends. I truly appreciate what he does. This man is kind to everyone he meets”.

“On my part, I give him a small contribution for rent. The amount is less than I paid my previous landlords. I also keep my area clean to share responsibility. Sometimes I cook Vietnamese food and we eat together. Occasionally we do some morning exercises together. I learnt a lot from the healthy lifestyle Joe leads”, Uyen adds.

Uyen’s reflection on the gifts she received in Malta

Her relationship with Joe helped her reflect on her family life… “For me, this has also been an opportunity to appreciate my parents. During this year I went to visit my family once. While I was there I thought of Joe and realised that he was in his house alone. I also became aware that sometimes I am not kind enough to my parents; I just want to be with my friends and at work. Sometimes I’m in my room and I don’t eat with them.

An incident at the Mosta Church… “I attended a mass at the Rotunda in Mosta. During mass, I saw people playing music. I thought it was so cool. So after mass, I went to ask if I could help in any way during the mass. The person I spoke to took my number and said that he would inform the priest in charge and call me later. A while later, a priest called and we met for a chat at a cake shop. He asked me what I enjoyed doing. Then he introduced me to two young women at the music camping Encounter in Ta’ Qali. Through them, I started helping out in a Catholic Website.

The trekking groups… “Trekking has been a great opportunity for me to meet both Maltese persons and people from different countries. Besides trekking, we also have other activities, like sightseeing, camping and swimming. Joe and other Maltese friends take us to many beautiful places. I also learned how to swim thanks to them.

“It was putting the empty space in my house to good use

Joe stated that making space for Uyen in his house was a risk worth taking: “I feel that I have made good use of the empty space I had in my house and I still have my privacy. My son soon made friends with Uyen as well. They are almost the same age. It was a good experience which I don’t regret. This was the first time that we had a foreigner living with us for such a long time.  My son once had a friend over for a short while, but that was all.”

Why is Joe so helpful?

Joe recalled how his wife had got seriously ill when she was only 29 years old. “I had to take her to England for treatment. At that time I had found a lot of help from both my family and my friends. I find that helping Uyen now is a way of paying back the help that I had received at that time”, says Joe. “But I have also received through this experience. Uyen has been good company. Sometimes we talk, we eat and discuss together. She is of a similar age to my son and daughter. So it is like having another daughter.

Uyen’s departure

Uyen has just finished her contract. She is spending her last ten days in Malta before going back to her country, Vietnam. But this is not the end of the story. Uyen has asked Joe if he can now host an Italian friend who is facing the same lodging problems. Sometimes she feels concerned that this might become too much for Joe. “There is also another girl who is having the same problems. So this time they may actually be hosting two persons. But it’s up to him to decide”.

And guess what?  Joe said, “Yes”, for both!

Podcast by Uyen Vu

Read more:

– The Poor Boy Who Became A Successful Entrepreneur And A Happy Husband 
– Comparing Myself To Others – How To Stop

The post “I’m Living & Working in Malta” – The Story of a Generous Landlord and a TCN appeared first on Universe of Faith.

I had completed the course in Teaching English to Foreign Learners. I had found a job teaching English with a renowned school in Malta. I was set to start teaching, very enthusiastic and fully determined to be well-prepared to give the best learning experience I can to my prospective students. Not so simple.

Teaching English to Europeans

I started realising that my good grades in the course, the fame of the school and my drive to be a dedicated teacher just weren’t enough. Most students, who hailed mostly from European and Northern countries, were not very keen on learning and cared very little about the long time I used to spend preparing a creative and fun lesson for them. I must admit that the discrepancy between my expectations and the reality in the classroom was very big, to say the least. But on and on I trodded, pushing my limits, driving myself forwards and untypically waiting for summer to end. I wanted this teaching experience to come to an end. Not all students were difficult to teach, but most of them were.

Teaching English to Refugees

After these three summers, I was qualified enough to use my language skills in another job. But seven years down the line, while I was working full-time in an administrative role, another opportunity for teaching English came up. It was a part-time post and I could juggle it alongside my full time job. But, teaching English again The only difference between the former teaching experience, and this one I was faced with, was mainly the originating country of the students and their status in Malta. The students were going to be refugees taken care of by the Jesuit Refugee Service. Some people warned me that it might be risky to teach students from such a different culture with a possible heavy psychological baggage. But being a person who is quite open to change and risk, I decided to take the plunge.

I’m very grateful that I did take the risk because I confirmed that my former experience in teaching English was far from the whole picture! In this new experience, the students were by and large more open to learn, much more polite, courteous and respectful. Teaching them was not only far from draining, but enriching on so many different levels. Not only didn’t they make it difficult for me to teach them, but they gave me more ideas on what they would like to improve upon; they enjoyed studying the spelling of words and being tested through a dictation during the following lesson. Whereas with the other students I was cautious about being humorous because I would be taken lightly, these students made it easy for me to joke in class because they knew how to have a good laugh then get back to work. Their participation in class, their level of motivation and visible effort, made the preparation of lessons a much more pleasurable process. I could see a marked improvement.

Beyond lessons , getting to know the students 

The class consisted of two mothers and three siblings. Eventually the two mothers found a job which clashed with my lessons, so I ended up teaching just the three siblings: Yasmine, the eldest daughter, is shy and quite reserved, very good at dictations, artistic and very courteous. Shiar, the middle son, is very bright, enthusiastic and sometimes hides his shyness behind a cute smile. Sheren, the youngest daughter is very talkative, kind, altruistic and caring. When she grows up she would like to become a lawyer “because I want to help people, people like us. Because people like us need a lot of help! .

Our bond grew so much that they told me to start having the lessons in the room they lived in since they were the only students in class. Here I got to meet the siblings’ parents who were both very kind and caring. On one particular day I ate with them a delicious meal prepared by the mother. It was such a great experience! Even though they only have one room in which to reside, they were always very generous with me. During the class, the mother would put a glass of water and the father often asked me to stay for coffee with the family after class. I used to go home energised and looking forward to the next class. I started loving these three teenagers and the family as a whole. I gave them books to read and keep. Yes, I taught them a lot, but they gave me much more than I gave them. Their politeness, generosity, genuine love and care touched my heart in unparalleled ways.

Read more:
– Finding God In Literature
– Overcoming Fear – “Do Not Be Afraid”

The post Teaching English as a Foreign Language – a Touching Experience appeared first on Universe of Faith.

A refugee is a person who flees his country for safety or survival. Reasons for fleeing one’s country and becoming a refugee include war, genocide and/or ethnic cleansing, abuse of human rights or opposition to the government, natural disasters like drought or economic crisis and having no homeland. There is a difference between asylum seeker, internally displaced person and economic migrant.

Asylum seeker…is a person who seeks  a safe place: “When we were fleeing the war in Libya, I got separated from my husband. He reached the border with Tunisia but it was too dangerous for me to travel by land and too dangerous to stay. I fled by boat.”  Rachel, 25.

Internally displaced person… moves within the same country. At least 6.6 million people have moved from one part to another within Syria between 2011-2016.

Economic migrant… is a person who moves to another country to work, often coming from a poor background:  “I had been homeless and unemployed in Mexico since I left school. I entered the USA illegally in 2001 and found work as a caretaker in an office block.” Felipe, 22.

Sometimes, people who are not technically refugees, but cannot be sent back to their country are given a lower level of protection called subsidiary protection.

Why are refugees not welcomed?

Refugees are rarely welcomed because immigrants are blamed for taking the jobs of the locals. But how true is this especially in some European countries which have an ageing population? Nigel Harris, Professor of Urban Economics at the University College London, said that “An increase in workers usually expands the economy and so increases the jobs available for native workers… that is why a million Cubans lifted the economy of Miami and a million French colonists returning from Algeria(1962) lifted the south of France.”

If refugees are welcomed, will they come in larger numbers?

The greatest number of refugees are found in the poorest regions of the world. The European Union hosts only 6% of the world’s refugee population. According to the UNHCR, the European Union hosts only 6% of the world’s refugee population.

How To Help Refugees

Have a welcoming attitude

Pope Francis said that “Refugees are people like everyone else” and that some of the conditions where refugees live are intolerable. Having a welcoming attitude helps refugees feel more accepted. Persons are never “burdens” or “statistics”. They are people.

Inform yourself: find out whether the messages you are getting are correct

Most prejudices are based on misinformation. Check reliable sources like the Jesuit Refugee Service or the UNHCR. Most prejudices are based on misinformation.

Make friends with a refugee

Make friends with refugees in your neighbourhood, at school or in your church. Help them in small practical ways like learning your language, listening to their story, supporting them in their material needs or helping them learn your language.

Speak up in favour of truth

When you hear or read racist comments, express your opinion and raise awareness prudently but assertively.

Support refugees by volunteering

If you are available you can volunteer to work with NGOs who help refugees into integrate in society.

Closing the rich-poor divide

The gap between the rich and poor countries has been getting wider since mid 1970’s with transnational companies making it difficult for small producers to survive. On a global scale, if we work towards a more just society, conflicts will decrease leading to less refugees.

Pray for refugees

Pray for the persons who are forced to abandon their homes; for their continued hope and for their safety.

REFUGEES ALONG THE YEARS

2017 – Mynamar. Massive numbers of refugees flee from Mynamar to Bangladesh and join hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who had fled Myanmar in previous years.

2016 – Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia are the top three countries with people leaving as refugees.

2015 – Venezuela closes borders with Columbia after three Venezuelan soldiers are shot and injured on the Venezuela-Columbia border. Thousands of Columbians living in Venezuela leave the country.

2011 – Syria anti-government demonstrations begin, causing millions of Syrians to flee to other countries as refugees.

2000 – Zimbabweans who oppose anti-democratic leader Robert Mugabe, flee from their country.

1994 – Rwanda. Genocide prompts 2 million Rwandans to leave their homeland.

1991 – Yugoslavia collapses. In 1999 a peace plan for Kosovo was agreed. 820,000 Kosovan Albanian refugees return home by the end of the year.

1990s – Kurds living in northern Iraq are considered refugees.  Kurds today have no homeland. They are spread in other countries. In some countries like Turkey, they are not allowed to speak their language or practice their culture.

1990s – Sierra Leone is invaded by neighbouring Liberia causing a million people to be uprooted in the following three years.

1990 – Mynamar. Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders are sent to prison for opposing the government.

1980s – Ethiopia. In 1980 many Ethiopians fled to Somalia to avoid fighting in the war. In 1984 a famine led to a further exodus of people from Ethiopia.

1980s – Conflicts in Africa, Asia, Central America arise. The largest number of refugees escaping from these conflicts being from Afghanistan.

1979 – Afghanistan plagued by war. Today Afghan refugees live mostly in Iran and Pakistan.

1971 – Bangladesh war and conflicts in  Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam create more refugees.

1960s-70s African countries rebel against European rulers. Algeria experienced one of the bloodiest conflicts with many Algerians fleeing to Morocco and Tunisia for safety.

1956 – Hungary. A crushed uprising against the communist government causes 200,000 refugees to flee for safety.

1956 – Sudan gained independence. Since then, civil war and fighting has been going on and off between the richer Muslim Arabs from the North against the black Africans of the poorer South. More than 4 million people have moved to another part of the country and some fled as refugees.

1948 – Israel-Palestine. The conflict between the two countries created thousands of refugees and displaced people which are still displaced today.

1947 – India – Pakistan. In nineteenth century India, the British rulers favoured Hindus over the Muslims. This kind of policy led to conflicts, which later caused waves of refugees.

1940s – World War Two –  About 60 million people where forced to leave their home amid the death and destruction caused by the Second World War.

Article compiled by Suzanne Vella
Sources:
– Why are People Refugees?, Cath Senker, UK, 2007.
– Jesuit Refugee Service Malta 

Published: September 2016
Updated: October 2017

Read more:
– Problems And Challenges Of Migrants and The Response Of The Church
– “I Lived And Worked In Malta.” The Story Of A Generous Landlord And A TCN

Watch:

The post Why Are People Refugees? appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Migration Quote 1 – Sr Anne Francoise

“Please take pity on these thousands of lives, torn apart by war. Please don’t forget us.
We need your prayers and your practical help!
Sr Anne-Francoise, Syria, 2016

Migration Quote 2 – Antoinio Gutteres

“We can’t deter people fleeing for their lives. They will come. The choice we have is how well we manage their arrival, and how humanely.”
Antonio Guterres

Migration Quote 3 – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Migration Quote 4 – George Washington

I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong.
George Washington

Migration Quote 5 – The Bible

“When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the foreigner. The foreigner who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the foreigner as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:33-34

Read more:
– Why Are People Refugees?
– Top Pope Francis’ Solidarity Quotes

The post Short Migration Quotes appeared first on Universe of Faith.

1. Look At The Migrant As A Person With A Story

“We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Mt 7:12)…In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.” (image below)
Pope Francis, Address, 2015

2. Refugees Are People Just Like Us

“Refugees are people like everyone else.”
Pope Francis, Angelus, 19th June 2016

3. Don’t We All Want A Better Life?

“Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away from poverty, hunger, exploitation and the unjust distribution of the planet’s resources which are meant to be equitably shared by all. Don’t we all want a better, more decent and prosperous life to share with our loved ones?”
Pope Francis, Message, 17th January 2016

4. Integrating Migrants Can Become Mutual Enrichment

“The presence of migrants and refugees seriously challenges the various societies which accept them. Those societies are faced with new situations which could create serious hardship unless they are suitably motivated, managed and regulated. How can we ensure that integration will become mutual enrichment, open up positive perspectives to communities, and prevent the danger of discrimination, racism, extreme nationalism or xenophobia?”
Pope Francis, Message, 17th January 2016

5. “Do Not Be Robbed Of Joy”

“Dear brothers and sisters, migrants and refugees! At the heart of the Gospel of mercy the encounter and acceptance by others are intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God himself. Welcoming others means welcoming God in person! Do not let yourselves be robbed of the hope and joy of life born of your experience of God’s mercy, as manifested in the people you meet on your journey!”
Pope Francis, Message, 17th January 2016

Read more:
– Problems And Challenges Of Migrants and The Response Of The Church
– “I Lived And Worked In Malta.” The Story Of A Generous Landlord And A TCN

The post Short Pope Francis’ Quotes About Migration of Humans appeared first on Universe of Faith.

In this poem about being away from home, the poet describes the many places and people who feel home for us and how life can change or separate us from them all except from the Ultimate One.

The first home is the womb,
They cut our connection of umbilical cord,

The second separation is the parental protection,
As life cuts our parents’ protection,

Then separations come from Our first loves,
As reality fights illusion,

Then separation from our home comes,
As the politics go to war,

Then separations from our friends come,
As egos’ go to lost fights,

So where is the connection?

Beyond the umbilical cord cut,
Beyond the parental protection not there,
Beyond the birth home land taken far away,
Beyond the first loves’ illusions,
Beyond the friends’ separated egos,

There is always you,
The life within you,
The Heavenly father,
The Heavenly mother,
The temple of your body,
The vastness of your spirit,

Carrying the soul of all Life,
The life of the umbilical cord,
The life of the parents,
The life of the first loves,
The life of the birth land,
The life of the friends,

Separations are but the surface changes,
For nothing can separate you,
From this universe you are a part of,
The Ultimate Home anyone has known.

Separations are the surfaces,
Like the changing colours of the seasons,
The leaves fall from the tree, But the life of the tree is there,
In continual life.

Separations are but the surface changes,
Nothing can separate you
From this universe you are a part of…
Feel it, see it, live it, enjoy it,
Let separations be just the changes of
The leaves on the trees,
Which let the tree grow to its different forms of life.

Read more from Lida:
http://lida-art.com/poems.html

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