b'Gulwali Passarlay:My Journey as an Afghan RefugeeGulwali Passarlay, the internationally renowned author of The Lightless Sky, openedthe hearts and minds of Ellesmere College Year 8 Geography students and deepened their understanding of the plight and resilience of young refugees with an inspiringtalk during his visit to the College as part of the Survive & Thrive programme.Gulwali Passarlay, an Afghan political refugee, came to the UK inHe concluded his talk by explaining how he hopes to end2007 after undertaking an incredible journey where he travelledthe negative stigma associated with refugees and asylum a total of 7,150 miles through 10 different countries in order toseekers and encouraged students to be kind and never reach safety and escape a war-torn Afghanistan. Travelling by foot,to pass judgement as ultimately, you never know what car, horse, boat, train and as a stowaway on a lorry he completedsomebody has been through.his journey in late November 2007 where he claimed politicalSince settling in the UK, Gulwali has done an enormous asylum and was reunited with his brother in Bolton. amount for his local community in Bolton and was oneThe talk was truly eye-opening for students, and some fantasticof 8,000 torch-bearers (and arguably, the first Afghan) to questions were asked regarding Gulwalis emotions during thecarry the Olympic Torch in 2012.experience and how he was able to remain hopeful.Restless EarthWorkshopAs part of our exploration of the wider world in Geography and the impact we have on the landscape of countries and oceans, our Year 9 students took part in a Restless Earth Workshopa disaster relief-mapping Workshop, looking specifically at the Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasterof 2011.Students worked in teams and focused on cartographic practices and the geographical impact of the two disasters, as well as the humanitarian impact.Ellesmere College Newsletter Michaelmas Term 201915'