MSP Joan McAlpine last week praised the work of a Dumfries based organisation working to help refugees ion the local community and internationally.
The local MSP praised local organisation Massive Outpouring of Love – also known as MOOL for collecting over 40 tonnes of donations to send to refugee camps, and their befriending scheme to help refugees settle in Dumfries and Galloway.
The organisation was established in 2015 in response to the refugee crisis triggered by the Syrian Civil war.
Commenting Ms McAlpine said:
“MOOL has done so much to humanize the refugee crisis and makes a real difference to refugees here in Scotland and farther afield.
“Volunteers have been galvanising people to take action by visiting schools to talk to children and offering training to multi-agency groups. They have also welcomed a number of refugee families to Dumfries and Galloway, where they are assigned befrienders to offer support and to act as a buffer between the families and the bureaucracy that they will inevitably face on their arrival. Refugee women and children from Glasgow have also been welcomed to heal in the countryside.
“Making the transition from a war-torn country to life in rural Scotland cannot be easy, but the goal is to help it to happen as gently as possible. MOOL wants people who have been displaced to be welcomed everywhere and have consistent access to resources and support that they need to feel safe, be healthy and thrive. It is an important force in Dumfries and Galloway and it encourages communities and helps people in need.”
Ms McAlpine also took the opportunity to highlight Dumfries and Galloway’s first refugee and migrant film festival which took place last week to mark the 20th anniversary of refugee week. She said:
“Dumfries and Galloway’s first refugee and migrant film festival, the incomers festival acts as a springboard for conversations about migration, refugees and asylum seekers across the region. It is a fantastic way to celebrate the fact that, as Dumfries welcomes more people from around the globe, it becomes all the more progressive, diverse and exciting.”
