Inge De Leeuw’s Volunteer Story
Having come to New Zealand originally as a migrant herself, Inge De Leeuw has some understanding of what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land. When she returned to New Zealand after a long period overseas, she decided to use her own experience to support others who might be dealing with challenges being in a new place. “I have no experience as a refugee,” says Inge, “but I can relate to the fish out of water feeling. I know what a difference it makes to have one person be kind to you and help you and show you how the system works.” In April of 2008, she started working with an Iraqi family who had recently arrived to Wellington, and in 2011 she began her second volunteer placement with an older couple from Myanmar.
After meeting her future Kiwi husband in Fiji, Inge came to New Zealand in 2001 and completed a Bachelor degree at Victoria University. In 2003, the couple moved abroad, and when they returned in 2008, Inge was eager to get back in touch with the community. That was when she learned about Refugee Services through the father of a friend. “I had always had an interest in working with migrants and people of different cultures,” she says, “so this sounded like a good way to reconnect with the Wellington community and make a difference. I’ve had a bunch of people show kindness to me in my travels and when I’ve been in new places, and I really believe in paying it forward.”
Inge’s first volunteer placement was with an Iraqi family whose challenges were such that Refugee Services felt they would benefit from support beyond the typical 6 month period. “Refugee Services asked us if we would be interested in continuing our placement for an additional six months and none of us even thought twice about it,” says Inge. “As a team we had bonded very quickly and had a very strong connection with the family, and the Refugee Services team was a huge support. It was emotionally challenging for us, seeing people we cared for so much going through a difficult time, but to this day it’s still the best thing I’ve ever done.”
After finishing her first placement, Inge decided to travel to Africa to work in an IDP camp in Kenya. “When I did my placement it was like a whole new world opened up for me,” she says. “I had already been interested in humanitarian work, but doing the placement, reading up on refugees and doing further study made me want to work in the field for a while. I spent several months in Kenya and it was both one of the hardest and one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.”
When she returned to New Zealand after her work in Africa, Inge decided to undertake a new volunteer placement, and is currently working with an older couple from Myanmar. “The two placements couldn’t be more different,” she says, “not just culturally but the age group as well. My current family is a couple in their early 60s, and their adjustment to Wellington has been very different from my first family. There’s a big language barrier this time, while the other family had lots of English, so I have to find different ways to relate to them. It’s been a really rewarding but really different experience for me.”
For Inge, the challenges of her volunteer placements have paled in comparison to what she has gotten out of them. “It really lit a spark in me and I would recommend it 100%,” she says. “I think some people get scared off by the time commitment, but if someone is interested, they should take the training. Once they’re in the training they’ll become so enthusiastic that there won’t be any way back! As volunteers, we get not only lifelong friendships but an amazing experience and the chance to learn a lot about different cultures and how to relate to people.”
While Inge continues to work with her second family, she has also become a part time volunteer for Refugee Services Wellington’s Pathways to Employment programme, giving one day a week. “The new volunteer role is giving me an extra understanding of what former refugees go through when they get here,” she says. “There are so many different steps in the resettlement journey, and it’s such a long process.”
With her two volunteer placements, her time working at the IDP camp in Kenya and her new volunteer role with Pathways to Employment, Inge is grateful for all the knowledge she has gained about the refugee journey. She doesn’t plan to stop there though. “I want to keep learning, and maybe someday even make a career out of this work,” she says. In the meantime, however, she is excited to continue her work with Refugee Services and support both of the families she has grown close to. “I really admire the strength of every family member that I’ve worked with. I’ve marvelled at their ability to keep going through different challenges and I’ve gained such respect for them. Last year on the second anniversary of my first family’s arrival, we had a gathering with the volunteer team and the family to celebrate. When we asked them how they felt about being here now, they said that this is their home now and didn’t want to go back. It was a huge achievement on their part,” she adds, “They’ve come a long, long way.”