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Sweden received us with total change of the weather - after Crimeas +37 in Stockholm was just about +8. Quite a difference! For some of us, who are not so much fond of heat it was a nice suprise, while some of others needed to warm themselves up.
We were warmly welcommed in Stockholm by local IofC team and have been staying in their families for couple of nights - a real feeling of warmth and family.
As leaving Ukraine our team became smaller (Ilze and Anna could not join us in Sweden) here our AfE family got a new member - Christer Lilliehook joined us to be with us for the rest of our journey in Sweden. And he has been an amazing supporter and a father to all of us! Thank you, Crister!!
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As Sweden has open its doors and heart for a lot of refugees, also our first day in Sweden was pretty much connected with this issue - we have been visiting Spånga Blåband Center for asylum seekers and refugees which is helping them to integrate in Swedish society (Dr. Harry Ferngrens wife - Dr. Kerstin Ferngren is working in this center). It has been an amazing opportunity to understand a bit more about this very important issue in Sweden, especially when an Eritrian man joined in the meeting and shared his feelings and experiences about what it really means to be an imigrant.
Livstycket, is a center for immigrant women working with textiles. This was an amazing place, where some of us really wanted to stay:) The thing is, that here, besides teaching Swedish language they also do arts. All kind of beautiful things you could imagine, very often using patterns of their culture. The atmosphere what is there is just impossible to describe. So much inspiration...
The things that these women make is possible to buy and also quite often they are making exhibitions. A while ago they have started new project - to decorate tents, which are used as shelters for extreme situations in Asia, the tents, which originally are totally white and might be quite depressive they are decorating with doves of peace and just colorful paintings. It looks amazing. Afterwards they send them back to the country and they can continue using them, but just having them more beautiful.
One of the newest things they were making was a textile with pattern of different kind of bags and suitcases. As they told us - the bags are representing their reality - arriving from different countries and having all their life just in one bag. At that moment we felt something common with them, as we are also rigth now on our way with our life just in one bag:)
An evening with local IofC team and their friends was our first big presentation of ourselves and a later turned out as a great discussion between several generations and people, sharing our visions and understanding of our common future and questioning of "what actually IS Europe today".
We have had an opportunity to visit also Swedish parlament and meet with a MP. It was very interesting experience, as it is not so usual when you can have this kind of opportunity.
We also could visit a very famous highschool in Sigtuna -Humanistiska Läroverket and interact with some students there, having as our host Nik Dahlström.
The continuation comming soon! :)
Ulla
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