Cape Town’s Refugees And Migrants Launch Their New Book “In My Shoes”

A group of Cape Town’s migrants and refugees have launched their heartwarming collection of tales in a new book, ‘In My Shoes’.

The book is a joint project of Melanie Govinda, Kate Body and the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town. Through forty short biographies, the book presents the incredible life stories of Scalabrini English School Students. The tales are of those who have travelled from countries such as Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi to make a home in the Mother City. In My Shoes is a reflection on their dreams, desperation and lessons learnt from migration.

This book comes at an important time: misperception around migrants and refugees can lead to resentment and even violence. In a country where xenophobia flares up on a regular basis, listening to ‘the other’ has never been so important for preserving our future peace. Planned changes to the refugee system also indicate an increasingly restrictive space for South Africa’s refugees.

At this watershed moment for migrants and refugees in South Africa, In My Shoes reminds us of our common humanity, and the unique tales behind migration.

To buy the book Click Here

Click Here to see pictures from the launch