We need your help to spread the word
and share the students voices.
and share the students voices.
We have collected forty stories written by refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers living in Cape Town, South Africa. Our vision is to give these voices a platform through a published book which will raise awareness about their lived realities, and can be distributed internationally.
All proceeds from book sales will be donated to the English School at the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. |
Our book was successfully launched with
over 100 guests at The Book Lounge in Cape Town
over 100 guests at The Book Lounge in Cape Town
Watch our SABC Morning Show live Interview
In My Shoes
40 Original Stories from Refugees,
Asylum Seekers and Migrant Workers
International headlines are filled with abstract statistics about human migration. Many know that the refugee crisis is a defining issue of our time. But how can we possibly understand what it means to walk in the shoes of a refugee? How does it feel to see the current world through their eyes?
Step into the vivid autobiographies of refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants living in Cape Town, South Africa. Meet Mohamed, who escaped Somalia because he refused to be recruited by Al-Shabab. Read about Aleph, who struggles to secure a future due to an unjust immigration bureaucracy and little access to education. Get to know Janssen, who fled for his life from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now dreams of becoming a medical entrepreneur. Meet Mbala, who works 12 hour shifts to pay his school fees and living expenses while pursuing a university degree. The fears and wishes of these writers are both plainly universal and devastatingly specific. The common thread that runs through these powerful stories is that of brave people from African countries united in a desire to find a safe place to live, and finding solace in the shadows of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. |
Read our interview with the Cape Times
Buy Now
One book sells for R250
You will not only support the current project but also help us with future educational projects at the Scalabrini Center of Cape Town and a second edition of ´In my shoes´. Please include as your reference: IMS2018firstnamelastname. Example: “IMS2018robertjohnson” or “IMS2018sarahgail” |
We are the Scalabrini English School
The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town is a registered NGO and offers development and welfare programmes to the migrant and local communities of Cape Town. Our objective is to foster the cultural, social and economic integration of migrants, refugees and South Africans into local society. The Scalabrini Centre sees around 2000 clients each month accessing our various services which include legal advocacy, employment access, welfare, and a women's platform.
Refugees and migrants who lack English language skills face greater barriers in adjusting to life in South Africa, accessing social services, and securing employment. To address this need, the Scalabrini English School provides specialised English language programmes to promote empowerment, integration, and student success. Our multinational clientele incorporates more than eight African countries, creating a diverse learning environment for over 1300 students a year.
Refugees and migrants who lack English language skills face greater barriers in adjusting to life in South Africa, accessing social services, and securing employment. To address this need, the Scalabrini English School provides specialised English language programmes to promote empowerment, integration, and student success. Our multinational clientele incorporates more than eight African countries, creating a diverse learning environment for over 1300 students a year.
People Involved in the Project
Melanie Govinda is a language and ethics teacher, who has devoted her time and energy towards making a social difference in South Africa. Through teaching refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers from all over the Sub-Saharan continent of Africa, Melanie has developed a deep understanding towards human displacement and migration and has now been able to give a personal voice to those living far away from their homes. If you were to ask Melanie what would be her one wish for her students, she would certainly answer: a fair opportunity to be in control of their own pursuit of success and happiness!
The Scalabrini Centre English School Team consists of Kate Body, Diana Akokpari, and Violet Trachtenberg, who are very passionate about this project and proud of the accomplishments of the English School students.
The Scalabrini Centre English School Team consists of Kate Body, Diana Akokpari, and Violet Trachtenberg, who are very passionate about this project and proud of the accomplishments of the English School students.
Contact
More information on the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town:
http://scalabrini.org.za/
https://www.facebook.com/ScalabriniCT/
More information on the Scalabrini English School:
http://scalabrini.org.za/programmes/english-school/
https://www.facebook.com/scalabrinienglishschool/
Questions and inquiries:
Please email Kate Body at [email protected] or
Melanie Govinda at [email protected]
http://scalabrini.org.za/
https://www.facebook.com/ScalabriniCT/
More information on the Scalabrini English School:
http://scalabrini.org.za/programmes/english-school/
https://www.facebook.com/scalabrinienglishschool/
Questions and inquiries:
Please email Kate Body at [email protected] or
Melanie Govinda at [email protected]