Creative resilience: How Eritrean migrants used art to cope with despair
Topics
Insight
Under the most trying of circumstances, Eritrean refugees found ways to harness creativity and foster channels for their voices to be heard.
Amidst the pandemic during winter lockdown in the UK, I met Yordanos and her friend on Friday, November 13. We saw each other from across the street, as I was on my way to the supermarket. We made eye contact and I decided to walk over as I could immediately tell they were fellow Eritrean women.
We continued locking eyes until I stopped right in front of them, about 2 metres away, and they asked me if I was Eritrean to which I said yes (with tremendous enthusiasm, subconsciously hoping I can relieve a smidgen of their pain; the unimaginable trauma of having to be involuntarily uprooted, to migrate and smuggle your way into what you hope is a better life).