Ciao beautiful people,
How was the last month for you? Here we celebrated volunteers week and refugee week both in the same month. So, busy, busy, busy … . During Volunteers Week we highlighted all 100 volunteers we worked over the 12 months - yup 100 volunteers. They all gained valuable work experience and learnt new skills with us.
A couple of quotes from the students we worked with -
“My internship at BizGees was incredibly rewarding because it allowed me to directly contribute to initiatives that empower marginalised communities and drive positive social change, all through the quill of journalism.”
"My internship at BizGees was an invaluable journey, blending academia with creativity and journalistic integrity. … Overall, this experience enriched my professional toolkit and ignited a passion for responsible, ethical and verified writing."
During Refugee Week we highlighted our innovative approach using micro gaming to engage more GenZs with the arty refugee experience. Here is a blog post they shared about our work - read here.
Before we go further a quick word about this month’s sponsor -
This clinic offers a complimentary personalized triage service, connecting clients with the most suitable mental health professional from their trusted UK network. This service is led by Dr. Patapia Tzotzoli. She won the award for running the Best Online Psychology Clinic in 2023. You can drop her a note here - triage@mypsychologyclinic.com .
So if you are having a tough time and feel like talking to someone who can help - just look her up. It’s always good to talk 🙂
Don’t forget to mention Arts4Refugees for some special love ❣️
Articles and podcasts we shared over the last month
Unveiling the Refugee Experience: Abdulrazak Gurnah's Nobel-Winning Exploration of Identity and Displacement
Exploring Boundaries: The Artistic Revolution of Walid Siti - A Gen Z Interpretation
From North Korea to New Malden: Surl Lee's Epic Journey & Art
Transforming Lives: The Journey of Ex-Guerrilla Fighters to Peace builders in Colombia
Inside Ecuador's Crisis: From Border Wars to Drug Cartels
Beyond Broken: Victims or Perpetrators? The Complexities of Reintegration of Child Soldiers
From Refugee to Award-Winning Author: Dina Nayeri's Story of Resilience
They are free to access for the first 3 weeks after posting 😉 Look forward to seeing which one you liked the most.
Gaming Corner 🎮
Our gaming dev team are working away on the micro games. This week you can enjoy the updated version of the Bob Marley game. Don't forget to share the fun with your friends as well 🙂
Click start to access the game 👇
Volunteers Corner
Nimrit from UC San Diego joined us early this month. She is supporting us with -
Content generation
Brand awareness
Accessing DAF's in the US.
In the last 10 days she has already taken over our Social Media channels, created a new look for us and is sharing posts both for the UK readership and locally in California. She is with with us for 8 weeks. So, you will see more of her work with us next month as well.
Gifting Corner 🛍️
What a great way to celebrate Pink Wednesdays with a great discount You can choose your favorite animal spirit each week. Don’t forget you can get a 30% discount if you become a paid subscriber. You get to support your local community along with refugees at the same time - why choose one over the other!
Wearable Art Ts by Lucia Colella Art
Preparing for the Spring.. You can pick your spirit and take it hunting - oops meant shopping - with you. All this collection is 100% organic cotton. So your carbon foot print will be as low as possible. What a great way to enjoy art as well - take it with you wherever you go. Have a look here.
Did you know Lucia draws her art while she listens to music? She lets her heart take the lead and naturally the image emerges. You can learn more about Lucia here. She gives 50% of earnings with us supporting refugees.
For a 30% discount on these arty gifts you have to become a paid member. Membership costs less than a coffee a week. This is how we pay our bills while funding the impact we create.
Till next month folks,
Zufi, Michael, Gerry, Taya and the team of committed professionals.