What is lockdown like without a home? That is the question a new book, Homeless Stories, asks children aged five to 13 living in emergency accommodation or Direct Provision during the Covid-19 crisis.
The book was produced by Irish publishing company Emu Ink and all proceeds from sales will go to Depaul’s Families and Young People's Support Services.
Depaul provides vital accommodation and community supports for vulnerable families who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness.
One such recipient of that support is ten-year-old Kasey, who illustrated the book's front and back cover.
She wrote about her experience of living with her mother Jodie and little sister, Belle, in emergency accommodation during the Covid-19 lockdown.
What is lockdown like without a home? That's the question a new book Homeless Stories asks children aged five to 13 living in emergency accommodation or direct provision during the Covid-19 crisis. | Read more: https://t.co/B5t6AsxQQh pic.twitter.com/uqg3IqJFVe
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 9, 2020
Kasey's story details what life was like for her family in Ballymun, Dublin, during Covid-19 restrictions in the first half of the year.
She attends school in Cabra and while not travelling over and back to school every day, she said boredom and loneliness quickly set in.
"A day in lockdown felt like a week," she recalled. Many of the children she had made friends with in the hotel moved out in April and she passed the days playing with her sister in their room.
Every day, her mother took them to Kasey's grandmother's house to sit in the front garden to make sure they were not stuck in one room all day.
Speaking about why she wanted to share her story, Kasey said: "We moved into the hotel when I was seven and we didn’t know how long we would be here.
"I’ve had three birthdays and two Christmases living in the hotel now, but this Christmas could be our first in a new home.
"I wanted to tell my story because if there's another family who move into our hotel room when we finally get to move out, I wanted them to know they are not alone.
"Even if it feels scary or sad to begin with, it won’t be forever. My family's story in this book has a happy ending and I hope everyone who shared their story and who share our story, will find a happy ending and a home too."
Kasey read her story to her class when the book was launched at the end of November and most of her classmates had no idea that Kasey was homeless.
"I was afraid some of them would call me weird when they heard I was homeless, but they were all very kind and shocked that they didn’t know for all this time," she said.
Founder and CEO of Emu Ink, Emer Cleary, first read Kasey's story when she responded to the publishing company’s call to children to get writing during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Emer said: "It felt important to give children like Kasey a voice this year because families like hers have had a very different experience to the rest of us.
"I am sure many of us are growing tired of staying at home but for these children, a home to stay in is all they want - a front door, a back garden to play in, a kitchen to bake in like their friends.
"The children in this book are waiting for so much that the rest of us probably take for granted.
"We’re delighted to give them this opportunity and to be able to donate all the proceeds from the sale of the book to Depaul’s Families and Young People’s Support Services."
Homeless Stories will feature on @news2dayRTE at 4.20pm today! Here's Kasey reading her story to camera 👏
— Emu Ink Schools (@EmuInkSchools) December 9, 2020
Buy this special book, written by Children across Ireland living in Emergency Accommodation & Direct Provision, from https://t.co/MA9e7i6qZ2
ALL PROCEEDS to @DepaulIreland pic.twitter.com/Pq4MEFm2HB
Kasey's mother Jodie said life in the hotel room during the pandemic has been a nightmare as her other child, Belle, has autism and the absence of a routine has a huge effect on her behaviour and well-being.
The family received good news in September that a permanent home had been found for them.
However, the property is not ready yet and while the family wished they could have their own front door for Christmas, they are excited for a new chapter in 2021.
Kasey said she cannot wait to eat her breakfast at a dining table and play in her back garden. She hopes Santa will bring her and her sister a trampoline.
In the final week in October of this year, 8,737 people accessed emergency accommodation, including 1,117 families. In March 2020, there were 1,488 families in emergency accommodation across the country.
Homeless Stories is now on sale on the Emu Ink website for €12.
