This is an open letter from Give Something Back to Berlin.

Dear community

Imagine spending Christmas in an airport.

Imagine being there without a passport or anywhere else to go, since the last flights departed almost ten years ago and any other transfers are constantly being delayed or cancelled as soon as you even get close to getting a ticket.

Imagine not being able to leave that airport. For months. A year. Maybe longer.

Imagine that you need to go through a security procedure, having your body scanned every time you want to enter your “home”.

Imagine that “home” is a cardboard box without a roof or any real possibility to close it and have some privacy.

Imagine not being able to cook or eat familiar food from your country The taste of your grandma’s cooking, of your city, of summer holidays from your childhood.

Imagine this being your only “home” – that place where most people are able to withdraw to feel safe when the world outside feels stressful and chaotic.

Imagine that stress and chaos for you has meant the destruction of your real home, like the bombed out Aleppo in Syria, or Mosul in Iraq where IS have been making your life a living hell, or Afghanistan, a country plagued with terrorism and instability after centuries of war.

Imagine you have no idea where you will be next year. The same airport? Another country? Sent back to the chaos where your hard journey began?

Imagine knowing that your being in this place should make you feel “blessed” since you’re out of a warzone, but you live in fear for your loved ones left behind.

Imagine trying to stay sane in this situation, trying to see a way forward, any meaning in all this. Trying to protect your children without losing yourself.

This is what 1700 people are doing every day inside the walls of Tempelhof Airport right now.

This Christmas (and far beyond) you can help to bring some love, light and strength and empowerment to the women and children living there through GSBTB’s Open Art Shelter for Women and Children.

Donate here

You can donate on Betterplace, where there’s some more info about the GSBTB Open Art Shelter for Women and Children, and what your donations will go towards.

Thank you, as always, for your support.

Intimate fundraising dinner

Another way to support this campaign is to attend our intimate fundraising and storytelling dinner on December 13.

The dinner will take place at the gorgeous gallery space SomoS where female friends of ours from Tempelhof will cook a delicious Afghani dinner.

We’ve invited speakers from Iran, Poland and Syria to share their stories and insights from life within the notorious airport and some other prominent guests from the arts, business and political sphere. This will open up an insightful dinner conversation about what it’s like to live as a refugee and what we can DO to help.

The price for the dinner is 120 euros. This money will go directly to the Tempelhof project, as well as the lovely cooks on the night!

The spots are limited to 20 so get in quick if you’d like to to grab one of the last few spots! Please email lucy.thomas@gsbtb.org to reserve your place.
Until next time!

The GSBTB team

Give Something Back to Berlin. Berlin Loves You.
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