A cup of herbal tea for Collective Memory

Storytelling for Human Rights by Oana Maroti

To reach any type of social service, from food to clothing, a shower program, or formation, an immigrant doesn´t function independently. From the start, there is a social integration protocol. The issues that persist and endanger people´s life is the protocol not being activated or pursued, and the inclusion plan not adapted to the individual, or as it happens, the lack of functional guidance. All these aspects and social care characteristics unmet are criminal acts.

People do not freeze to death out of pleasure or intent. Each of these cases is a systemic failure, and as observed in the last years´ dynamics, the systemic racism, and I can add the systemic xenophobia, take lifes. Development is stopped, basic needs unmet, and asking for help in an emergency leads to spending money you do not have, and invitations to break the law, such as having a free meal in another town, therefore to use the train without paying the ticket.

If you are extremely cold and hungry, in the same spot for years, ignored by your social workers, who keep changing, nobody is approaching, but to observe and criticize you, as you do not have a personal space, and any creep can observe you as they please. Some will verbally attack, others physically. Your things are at their spontaneous rage and disposal. In the meantime, you are asked to wait or redirected indefinitely, offended even.

I have shared from my food, reorganizing the low budget I have since last year, and observed the dynamics around how refugees and immigrants, who arrive here usually after being trafficked, are treated. I had hoped that during the many holidays and presents sharing ceremonies, the people without a roof, placed in the city, all over it, would be approached, and at least a basic intent of helping them face the cold of winter outside would be shown, but nothing.

Some, even if they try for months, don´t get help, or on a list of support, at least with food, a sleeping bag, and a tent. For many, too many of these people's survival depends on the few citizens. Yet, how absurd this is…

It´s January 2026. It´s cold, and people are freezing. I´m writing this because it´s a real situation that needs to change. I cannot observe how people are just freezing, so I take them hot tea, warm food, home-made soup, as much as I can, to bring a little comfort.

Being outside, in the cold, without a roof, reduces all possibilities of taking care of yourself, and survival depends on creativity and continuous adaptation.

I sip from the tea with my friends. They compliment the soup, which warms them up, and the Transilvanian pies, which I managed to bake at minimum of budget. I´m amazed by their resistance and tranquility, how they use humor to overcome the slightest difficulty, how they wash the clothes with their hands, and try to maintain hygiene, even in such a situation. To resist, they use auto-regulation techniques like praying, meditation, exercise, reading, or dancing. The amount of effort on an empty stomach is gigantic. Each of them needs constant food to recuperate; they are underweight as a consequence of the imposed poverty, but nobody cares. For each of them, someone is responsible for taking care of them, yet it's just me checking if they are fine for the past 2 months.

The skills most migrants have are impressive. The mental strength is admirable, the culture is absolutely interesting, and yet they are mainly told they do not count, or even called stupid or crazy, as it happened in the last 2 months while searching for help.

What I see happening in Spain, Catalunya, where I have observed the migration phenomenon around international conflicts, is a very dangerous lack of seriousness. This is not any place; it is a place where immigrants all over the world are intersecting. The people arriving here have each a story to make a film or series about; they are survivors, yet have to face systemic racism and xenophobia.

The social support, terribly coordinated and corrupt, results in imposed vulnerability. Each inadequate response to a cry for help is a criminal act.

For years, I have written about what´s happening and how institutional racism is manifesting. Once more, the issue persists, even if the year has changed. This is an open call for action.

As adults, we don´t play with human rights; we apply them!

If the logic of any coordinator is saying that we can play with human rights, then let´s see what the real mental age of that fellow is.