Collection for Local Former Refugee Children

Christmas in New Zealand has many recognised traditions such as festive decorations and gift giving. For some, new to living in New Zealand, these festive observations are unfamiliar.

A pair of Palestinian brothers, Tammam and Bara Tamim, who recently arrived in Palmerston North as refugees, noticed the tradition of Christmas decoration. With a family background in design, window display and decoration, they offered their services of decorating a window in Palmerston North City Library’s Youth Space as a gift to their new home.

A window facing into Coleman Mall has now been transformed by the brothers, through the clever use of materials, into a cave/manger scene.

Library staff saw that the window provided an excellent opportunity to collect and display donated gifts of toys for local refugee families. With many of these families not celebrating Christmas, the gifts will be distributed to children of refugee families who have moved to Palmerston North during the last 12 months at a Family Day being held on 11 January.

The local Red Cross team which work with and alongside refugee families are hosting the Family Day and will organise the distribution of the gifts.

If anyone would like to donate a gift towards the city’s young refugees (children and teenagers), they can be dropped off at Youth Space in Coleman Mall, which is open from 12 noon – 6pm Mon – Fri and 10am – 4pm on Saturday before 21 December.

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