Recruit Mint: proud to support PARCA
We were thrilled last week to visit the Peterborough organisation PARCA – that’s Promoting African Refugee Community Association.
The group is a lifeline for those seeking stability and sanctuary in the city from the conflicts that, sadly, still plague parts of Africa. Escaping a place with a high risk of prejudice, destitution or premature death is a profound relief, but the issues that replace them – of not fitting in, of language difficulties and of knowing no-one – can cause a whole new set of anxieties. PARCA recognise this, and are there to extend a friendly and helping hand to not only ease refugees’ worries and answer their questions, but also to make sure that they are able to begin making the most of their community and become part of a work and social scene.
The last thing any refugee wants is to be is a burden in his or her new home, to be seen as someone expecting something for nothing. Finding jobs to financially support themselves and any family they may have brought with them, and to show a willingness to bond with their new compatriots, is essential to morale and to personal dignity. PARCA pride themselves on, in their own words: ‘improving the conditions and lives of all refugees and asylum seekers, from any region of the African continent’ which, you’ve got to admit, is not a million miles from our own motto: improving people’s lives. We knew we would fit right in at the job fair PARCA organised specially to help ease refugees into the world of work.
So, many thanks to PARCA, and a big welcome to our new fellow citizens. We hope we can be of service again very soon.
To find out more about PARCA, visit www.parcaltd.org
