Cannoedd o dedis yn gofyn ‘A oes croeso?’ – Clymblaid Ffoaduriaid Cymru yn yr Eisteddfod // Hundreds of teddies looking for a home – Welsh Refugee Coalition at the Eisteddfod

At this year’s National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay the Welsh Refugee Coalition will offer each child that visits their stall a soft toy; a soft toy that needs a home and a lot of love. Each toy on the stall is a refugee, just like Paddington Bear was, and like many families who come to Wales who have been forced to flee; they are all in need of a safe home and a warm welcome.

This is part of the Coalition’s week of activities at their first ever Eisteddfod. The coalition – which is made up of 42 organisations, big and small, from all over Wales – are also inviting people to head over to their stall to chat to refugees and asylum seekers volunteering there, and to write a message of welcome on a Nation of Sanctuary Mural.

The Coalition will also host an array of events throughout the week, each one staring at 11.00am, including:

* The actor Phylip Hughes, best known as Mr Lloyd on the popular S4C series Rownd a Rownd, speaks about his experience in the refugee ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais

* Musician Gareth Bonnello speaks about giving guitar lessons to refugees and asylum seekers at the Oasis centre in Cardiff, and performs with one of his long-standing pupils, Ahmed Andullah Adam

* Matt Spry speaks about his ongoing projects to teach refugees and asylum seekers to speak Welsh, in the company of some of his pupils who can now siarad Cymraeg

* Members of Croeso Teifi tell all about how they went about raising Community Sponsorship in order to welcome and house Syrian refugees in their neighbourhood, and give us an update on how the families have settled in (one Dad is now the local football team’s goal-keeper)

Rocio Cinfuentes, Chair of the Welsh Refugee Coalition says:

“Wales has a proud tradition of welcoming those in need, and in recent years has taken big strides towards becoming a Nation of Sanctuary. But with 44,400 people a day being forced to flee their home because of conflict and persecution, and the rise of the UK Government’s hostile environment, this is no time to be complacent. We know that there is so much more we can and should do to make people welcome here in Wales.

“So head over to our stall to learn more about how you can take action to welcome and support refugees and asylum seekers in your area. Come and sign our Mural of Welcome, and come and have a chat with some of the refugees and asylum seekers volunteering on the stall to see that those people we hear about so much in the media are not statistics, but are people like you and me, each with their own story.”

Cannoedd o dedis yn gofyn ‘A oes croeso?’

Ar Faes yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol eleni bydd Clymblaid Ffoaduriaid Cymru yn rhoi tegan meddal am ddim i bob plentyn sy’n ymweld â’r stondin, gan ofyn os oes modd iddynt roi cartref a chroeso cynnes iddo.

Mae’r holl degannau meddal sydd ar gael ar y stondin yn ffoaduriaid, ac felly maent angen cartref a chroeso, yn union fel Paddington yr Arth, ac fel nifer o deuluoedd ac unigolion sy’n cyrraedd Cymru bob blwyddyn ar ôl gorfod ffoi o’u cartrefi.

Mae hyn yn rhan o weithgarwch y glymblaid ar faes yr Eisteddfod eleni; y tro cyntaf erioed iddynt gael presenoldeb yno. Mae’r glymblaid – sydd yn cynnwys 42 o sefydliadau bach a mawr o bob cwr o Gymru – hefyd yn estyn croeso cynnes i bawb alw draw i stondin 105 yn ardal Crefft yn y Bae i ddod am sgwrs gyda rhai o’r ffoaduriaid a’r ceiswyr lloches fydd yn gwirfoddoli yno, ac i arwyddo eu murlun arbennig – Murlun Cenedl Noddfa.

Bydd digwyddiadau hefyd yn cael eu cynnal ar y stondin bob bore am 11.00 rhwng dydd Sul a dydd Sadwrn, gan gynnwys:

* Yr actor Phylip Hughes, sy’n adnabyddus fel Mr Lloyd ar y gyfres ddrama Rownd a Rownd yn trafod ei brofiad ef o ymweld â gwersyll ffoaduriaid enfawr y ‘Jwngl’ yn Calais

* Y cerddor Gareth Bonnello yn sgwrsio am ei brofiad o roi gwersi gitar yng nghanolfan Oasis Caerdydd sy’n cefnogi ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches, ac yn perfformio gydag un o’i ddisgyblion, Ahmed Abdullah Adam

* Matt Spry yn trafod ei waith o roi gwersi Cymraeg i ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yng nghwmni rhai o’i ddisgyblion

* Crio o Croeso Teifi yn esbonio sut yr aethon nhw ati i godi nawdd bro i groesawu ffoaduriaid o Syria i’w hardal, ac yn rhoi ychydig o hanes y teuluoedd erbyn hyn (y tad o un teulu yw gôl geidwad y tîm pêl-droed lleol erbyn hyn)

* Gweithdy ymarferol gydag elusen HOPE not hate ar sut i droi sgyrsiau heriol ar hiliaeth a chasineb yn sgyrsiau adeiladol a chadarnhaol

Meddai Rocio Cifuentes, Cadeirydd Clymblaid Ffoaduriaid Cymru:

“Mae gan Gymru draddodiad balch o groesawu rhai sydd mewn angen, ac yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf mae ein gwlad wedi cymryd sawl cam ymlaen tuag at fod yn Genedl Noddfa. Ond gyda 44,400 o bobl y dydd yn cael eu gorfodi i ffoi oherwydd gwrthdaro ac erledigaeth, ac yn ngwyneb amgylchedd gelyniaethus Llywodraeth y DU, does dim amser i laesu dwylo. Mae llawer mwy y gallem ac y dyliem ei wneud i croesawu pobl yma yng Nghymru.

“Felly dewch draw i’n stondin i ddysgu mwy am sut y gallwch chi groesawu a chefnogi ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yn eich ardal chi.

Dewch i arwyddo ein Murlun Cenedl Noddfa, a dewch am sgwrs gyda rhai o’r ffoaduriaid a’r ceiswyr lloches sy’n gwirfoddoli ar ein stondin i weld mai pobl fel chi a fi yw’r bobl y clywn amdanynt yn y wasg, pob un â’i stori ei hun.”