Earlier this week, Gair Rhydd had the opportunity to talk to Astrid Victoria, an elected president of STAR.
Here’s what we learned about Cardiff’s student-led group and their aims – and what you need to know if you want to join them.
STAR stands for ‘Student Action for Refugees’, and it is a much larger organisation across the UK. Branches exist in 30 locations, within which there are currently 38 active groups.
Since its opening, the one in Cardiff has seen significant growth and student engagement.
STAR participates in helping refugees through two main activities: fundraising and conversation classes.
The latter is the most frequent of its activities.
Conversation classes entail STAR’s fantastic volunteers coming together to provide refugees with a safe and easygoing space for building community and practicing their spoken English skills.
Bakes, soft drinks, teas and coffees are all readily available, and all individuals attending are encouraged to partake in enjoyable conversations with one another. These classes take place weekly, and are a welcoming environment for everyone.
STAR works alongside another organisation by the name of Space4U, which focuses on helping refugees with written English skills.
Space4U also helps STAR with providing routine clothing drives, supporting refugees with toiletries and weather appropriate clothing.
Fundraising, on the other hand, takes place through an array of events. During our conversation, Astrid described the glowing success of STAR’s live music fundraiser, ‘Refugee Rhythms’, which invites Cardiff’s One World Choir to perform.
The choir is made up of refugees and asylum seekers based in Cardiff, and they play a variety of music, both in English and in their native languages.
The live music night is a fantastic opportunity to build on the connections formed during the year, and the money raised goes towards humanitarian causes.
For instance, two years ago the profits went towards Palestine, and last year’s money was raised for Yemen.
STAR also worked with the Sudanese Society last winter during their Winter Quiz, raising money for Sudan through the Emergency World Food Programme.
Astrid explained how STAR aims “to advocate for all refugees”, and criticised the way in which society tends to ignore the atrocities happening in places such as Sudan and Yemen.
They also want to bring light to a lot of misinformation about what it means to be an asylum seeker. An individual only becomes a recognised refugee once their case has been evaluated.
Until that point, they can be stuck in the asylum system for years, during which they are not allowed to work or claim benefits, and are forced to live off of under £10 per week.
If you are interested in joining STAR as a volunteer, you will undergo some basic training to ensure the safety of both you and the refugees.
For starters, STAR requires its volunteers to be mindful and sensitive in the subject matters they approach during their classes.
Probing questions about family and war can force individuals to relive moments they might not feel ready to face.
While some people may bring up their families, as a volunteer it is important to let refugees lead that conversation themselves if they so wish to.
To close off our conversation, Astrid’s message to potential new volunteers was to be open and always challenge people on their rhetoric.
She also iterates that people fleeing bombs do not destroy the United Kingdom.
Quoting Somali-British poet Warsan Shire, she finished with the thought that “no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land”.