A PEEBLES family have returned from volunteering in the notorious French refugee camp dubbed 'The Jungle,' and called the experience “heart-wrenching.”

The makeshift camp in Calais is home to thousands of destitute migrants and refugees seeking to come to the UK, having fled their conflict-torn home countries.

Last Monday, a Peebles grandmother and five of her family members made the journey across the channel to offer their help.

Mary Mackay, who will be 80 next year, along with her daughter Karen, and her granddaughter Lucie, 25, her daughter Moy's partner Johnny Morris, and their son's Saul, 16and Eirinn, 19, spent five days in the impoverished tent-town, helping to cook, build huts, and sort and distribute donations in the camp's warehouse.

The Mackays were in the Syrian quarter of The Jungle, and Mary said that it is impossible to believe that the camp is a more desirable place than their home.

“It's an awful thought that this camp with its horrendous conditions – it's a hell hole really – is better than where they have came from. It's shocking. It is absolutely heart-wrenching to see families so desperate.

“Everyone has a horror story and you can just see it on their faces – how sad they are, how much they've been through. There's this dead look in their faces and you know they've been through hell, and are still living it. It really is very sad.

“I wish we could've stayed because there is so much to be done and the whole place is dependent on volunteers. So we are thinking about going out there again but will have a more focussed approach next time.

“Now that we've seen the situation first hand, we can really think about what area of the camp needs the most help, what services need help, and how we can best use our resources.”

Mary and her daughter Karen spent most of their time in the kitchen, which is run by a Malaysian couple who cook meals for 1000 people every day. The mother-daughter team helped prepare vats of salad and vegetables to help make the meals as nutritious as possible.

"The kitchen is very primitive," Mary explained. "They only have four stoves to cook for all these people, but they were using the biggest pots I'd ever seen in my life! We helped make jungle stew and jungle curry, which are packed with as much veg as possible.

 

“The grand-kids were in the warehouse mostly sorting out clothes, blankets, tents, and things that had been donated, and Johnny was helping to build wooden sheds for the refugees to sleep in.

“Most of them are living in these shabby old tents which have to withstand the elements and are so worn and torn. It was four degrees below freezing at one stage and all these families have to sleep in are battered old tents.

“Saul and Eirinn were also helping to build shelters, using electric tools for the first time ever but rose 100% to the challenge. They're so young and I was very proud of them.”

Mary's home was badly flooded during the recent storms that hit Peebles, but she selflessly put her own situation behind her to help the refugees in Calais.

“I'm getting ready to vacate my house which was flooded, but that is just so far down the list of priorities in the world, it really isn't on the scale.

“Going out there has put everything into perspective. My problems really aren't that bad, at least I have somewhere else to go.

“What strikes me most is when I tried to put myself into their shoes. I was sitting watching a sick mother, who has lost her husband, trying to keep her crying child happy and thinking how is she coping?

“They are just like us and have families, jobs, neighbourhoods just as we do, and all of a sudden they have nothing.”

“The refugees are all so nice too, they'll acknowledge you when you walk past, they'll smile and speak to you. And, they all have hope they are going to get the chance to a better life.

“They just want somewhere safe to live and somewhere safe for their children to grow up.”

Border Telegraph:

 

A friend of Mary's, Gillian Sosa, was very touched by the selfless efforts of the Mackay family and wanted to do her own bit to help before they left.

Gillian rallied her two children, 12-year-old Bella and 14-year-old Aramis to set up a donation drive at Cardrona Village Hall two days before the Mackay's were setting off.

Mary and her family wanted to thank them for their kind gesture: “I just wanted to say it's not just us who are helping, there are lots of families around Peebles who are doing their part, and we were overwhelmed with the donations collected at the drive at the village hall before we left, and also the ones drope doff at our house.

“I'd really like to thank all those wonderful people who donated warm clothes, blankets, tents, boots, medical supplies, money, food, and everything else."

“People are so kind and we have a really generous community around Peebles.”

After hearing of their experience, the rest of Mary's family are keen to volunteer at the jungle as well, and are making plans do to so.

Mary added: "You really can't imagine what it's like until you see it. It's horrendous. And we are keen to continue helping because the plight of the refugees would be even more of anightmare without the help of volunteers."