Near Annecy, four refugees regain self-confidence by learning to paraglide
Through Samilei Hoarau
Published on
We spoke to you last September about Sikou, Qambar and Jomah-Khan, who were the first refugees to climb Mont Blanc, accompanied by theYambi Haut-Savoyard association. Since this feat rich in emotions, thesporting and human adventure Keep going.
At the end of October 2021, a group of four other refugees realized another dream: fly over Haute-Savoie in a paraglider. It was the very first paragliding course organized by Yambi, since its creation in 2020.
A two-day course at the Col de la Forclaz
For two days, the young men were voluntarily accompanied by monitors at the Col de la Forclaz, near Annecy. “The young people learned to take off, and were able to do two tandem flights each, with an instructor ”, explains the founder of the Yambi association, Clélia Compas, to News Haute-Savoie.
“We live to the rhythm of the mountains in Haute-Savoie, we are very athletic, so integration through sport makes particular sense for us.”
An experience that could be filmed by a videographer who came straight from Alsace for the occasion, Loïc Ottman. The two minute video was published on the association’s social networks on November 29. “This allows refugees to have good news to send and show their families back in their country of origin,” says Clélia Compas.
Among the young participants, who can be seen (in red jacket) in the video, is notably Rahimullah. It was the very first time he had familiarized himself with the clouds. “Before flying I was stressed, scared and excited. But then, in the sky, it was magic. I was flying like a bird“.
The 26-year-old Afghan, who arrived in France in November 2020, fell in love with sport in Haute-Savoie. “Sport is very important to me, it’s good for my health, but above all for my morale,” confides the business and management student. This is why he participates as much as possible in the activities offered by Yambi, and runs regularly around Lake Annecy.
Here I am alone, I have no one. A paragliding course like this helps me stay positive: don’t think about loneliness, all the bad news that comes from my country. And it’s also good to integrate myself into French society. “
“We leave survival to enter life”
The dimension of human support is indeed the most important aspect of these projects initiated by the Yambi association. Refugee groups are reduced, in order to support more individually.
“When they arrive in a foreign country, they have to start from scratch, get lost in interminable steps and end up thinking that they are incapable of anything. them, to realize that they are still capable of accomplishing extraordinary things. “
UN complementary work to that of other refugee aid associations, which work more in the urgency, according to Clélia Compas. “They often have little means to help as many people as possible, so they rarely have this type of activity. They in difficult times, we are there for the next step, we essentially share moments of joy through sport. We leave survival to enter life. “
And the adventure will not end there. Rahimullah and the three other participants will benefit from a new paragliding course in spring 2022, in order to continue their training and learn to fly in total autonomy.
A step of cross-country skiing and biathlon is also planned, as well as a friendly ski competition at the end of winter. Other refugees must also climb the Mont Blanc in July or September 2022. And those who dream of swimming in the turquoise waters of Lake Annecy benefit from swimming lessons.
Sport, do you want some, here is it, which should allow those who have fled the worst to reconnect with the best.
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