Journey to my new home

Objectives

Participants are given the opportunity to share a significant part of their life story with residents of their new country. This can have an empowering effect, increasing understanding and insight into their situation, life, and identity. It can strengthen interaction and connection between participants and the residents of their new country, which helps with integration.

This activities supports in:

• Practicing Self-Presentation
• Sharing an important part of your life story with residents of your new country (at an exhibition or other exchange; see variation)
• Developing an understanding of your life experience
• Building self-confidence by realizing your accomplishments
• Sharing can be beneficial; exchanging experiences with other participants can be helpful
• Through actively working with a world map, participants enhance their spatial awareness and topographical knowledge

Material

Copies of world map, world map in large size, pushpins, thread in different colours, mobile phones to record stories, paper and pencils

Instructions

Participants delve into the journey from their country of origin to their new home. What route did they take? They physically illustrate this route on a world map using push pins and colored threads, each participant using a different color. They share their journey, which is then documented—either written down or recorded.

The map, showcasing the recorded stories, could potentially be exhibited in a community centre or a public library, or another public building.

By sharing their migration stories, an important aspect of participants’ lives becomes visible. This can boost self-confidence, help participants connect through shared experiences, and potentially evoke emotions. Creating a safe and supportive atmosphere within the group is of utmost importance. Participants need to know that they are not obligated to participate in the activity.

The storytelling can be done in small groups, each assisted by a facilitator who can document the stories and assist in visualizing the migration journey on a world map. If the language skills are adequate they can document each other’s stories without assistance.

During the small group sessions, participants start with smaller versions of a world map. Eventually, the migration stories are visualized on a larger world map that can be displayed on a wall. It will be a group process to make this final world map.

Then you can organise a festive presentation. The whole group can take a look at the world map, each participant gets the oppurtunity to explain more about the journey. They can listen to or read each other’s documented stories.

Variant

Participants can also be given the option to share their migration story with a neighbour, if they choose to. They will be paired up by the facilitator for this purpose.

If it’s too much to start this activity immediately, you can work towards it in stages. For instance, start by placing a pin on the new country and undertake a project on that (where have you lived in the new country), then place a pin on the country of origin and do a project on that (where have you lived), and finally, do a project on the journey.