Lowville resident comes home for a break to talk to her neighbours about the works she does in refugee camps.

By Pepper Parr

May 5, 2016

BURLINGTON, ON

She was born and bred in Lowville – the strongest part of her support network is the five girlfriends she worked with at Emmas – at times she moves from place to place with an armed escort.

Lindsay Hawkin talking to a couple that wanted to know about the gifts of chickens and goats to refugees.

Lindsay Hawkin works for World Vision – she is a project manager – responsible for the delivery of programs to refugees in some of the most dangerous places in the world.
Lindsay, who works and lives among Syrian Refugees was home for as short break and talking to people at the Lowville United Church about her experiences while living in refugee camps as a worker.

Lindsay has been “in the field” for the past seven years, mostly with World Vision but at times with other organizations.

The work that gives her the most satisfaction is when she is working with children and woman. She takes great satisfaction from a clinic that was opened and staffed by women that had a psychological counselling service for women who were victims of sexual abuse – something that is prevalent in the countries she works in.

Lindsay has a degree in political science and a Master’s degree in International Relations. For a period of time she worked for the Canadian government at the embassy in Washington.

She has a strong grasp of both the world wide refugee picture and a solid understanding of what happens day to day in refugee camps with populations of 22,000 plus people.
For much of the time she lives in a shipping container – made of plastic. The containers cost between $2000 and $3000 and are air conditioned.

Members of the Lowville and Nelson United Churches listen to Lindsay Hawkin as tells of her work in Middle Eastern refugee camps.

Lindsay told the small group she was talking to that at the end of December 250,000 people had been killed in Syria, 4.8 million people had to flee the country and 13.5 million people needed some form of humanitarian assistance.
In a country where kidnapping is rampant – three of her staff were taken – and recovered. The hospitals her people work in were bombed

She told the small audience – made up mostly of people from the Lowville and Nelson United churches who were involved with the sponsorship of refugees – that the risk factor may appear high – but if we are careful – we are safe.

Non governmental organizations (NGO’s) strive to create relationships with the people they serve. We are never armed, we do not take sides – our job is to help people who need help. To look for ways to add something to the lives they lives.

“I know why I am here” said Lindsay “to make a difference.”

Zaatari Refugee Camp – Jordan

Working in the Middle East is a personal choice, she said. “I don’t always know why I make the choices I do but I am comfortable with the decisions I make.”  “My work in the Middle East started with a travel bug – I just wanted to see more of the world” – she now works in some of the most dangerous places.

Burn out, depression and PTSD are part of the work that Lindsay does. Some people turn to alcohol or drugs to handle the difficulty they are having. But that is a “rabbit hole” and there is nothing there for you down that hole. “I have been fortunate in that I have strong relationships that support me in the work I do. My five girl friends are a life line – even though I don’t see them very often,

We are called the visibles by the people we serve. That is because we are white and to them we are visible.

The delight Lindsay takes in the work she does comes through in the stories she tells. “We were in Mogadishu on an ocean beach and I wanted to go swimming. One of the woman told me she had never gone swimming so we both waded into the water – her full clothed because women in the Middle East do not expose their bodies. I held her hands and pulled her through the water while she laughed and laughed.

There isn’t much for these people to laugh about added Lindsay

Lindsay met the man she is now married to in Afghanistan. He is a Brit, works as a contract bomb disposal technician. “He is pretty dreamy” she said.

Asked what does she does the moment she is back in Canada. I ask my brother who often picks me up at the airport to buy me a hamburger.