Face to Face Time in a Digital World: A Jangala visit to Calais and Dunkirk
Written by: Anne Manos, Global Projects Manager, with insights from Leo Hernandez, Delivery Lead.
This month, we hopped on the Eurostar and SNCF trains from London to Calais and Dunkirk to visit two of Jangala’s partners: Channel Info Project (CHIP) and Roots. Both organisations work on the front lines, supporting asylum seekers and displaced communities with essential services like information, charging stations, and connectivity.
Calais: Meeting CHIP
We visited CHIP’s headquarters on the eastern outskirts of Calais, a bustling warehouse shared by eight organisations. Cars and vans constantly moved in and out, creating a hive of activity. Mathilde, CHIP’s Information Coordinator and our main point of contact, later described it as a place that "never has a dull moment."
When we arrived at CHIP’s warehouse, we were welcomed by a dedicated team providing safety information and signposting, electricity recharging sessions and WiFi connections close to where people live. CHIP was founded after the closure of Info Bus, stepping in to fill a crucial gap in services. As the summer approaches and the weather becomes warmer, CHIP were expressing concerns about the risks involved with increased Channel crossings.
Our visit took us to one of the living sites - a 2000 square meter hangar housing hundreds of refugees. Community groups from a variety of backgrounds and countries live there in difficult conditions, with no sanitation, limited electricity, and the threat of police eviction. We had planned to install a Big Box here to provide open Wi-Fi access, enabling connectivity for as many people as possible.
A Change in Plans
With CHIP’s help, we tested our equipment, secured power extension cables and a ladder, and printed laminated Wi-Fi posters. We identified a good location for Big Box, and started setting up the first access point to extend the range of the network, assisted by community members who kindly offered to help.
As we began setting up, more people gathered around, and a concern surfaced—some community members worried that shared Wi-Fi might cause tensions. Since the Big Box could only cover part of the hangar, some feared unequal access could lead to conflicts. Although we had planned for access points to cover as much ground as possible, Big Box would ultimately still be placed in one corner of the hanger, and could not offer the same connectivity experience to all (in this case, only one half of the site would have received complete coverage).
After discussing with CHIP and listening to the community, we decided not to install Big Box inside the hangar at that time.
Key Lesson: Connectivity is More than Tech
This was an important lesson for us: introducing Wi-Fi is not just about setting up hardware. When we introduce Wi-Fi to a location, we’re introducing a scarce resource which has to be shared amongst the people there. As with any other scarce resource, this can cause tension - particularly if we can’t offer the same experience to all.
Even though CHIP had spoken to community leaders beforehand, the situation on the ground is always changing. This can make it difficult to have a complete understanding of the environment we’re deploying too.
While we work towards improving access to the digital world, this experience also reminded us of the value of being on the ground in person. Being there in person allowed us to observe, adapt, and make a decision that truly considered the community’s needs based on complex dynamics, something which we might not have been able to do remotely.
New decisions
Since our trip in early March, CHIP returned to the hangar to communicate with community members at more length. Taking the time to speak to numerous people over the course of a whole afternoon, CHIP had the opportunity to discuss the Wi-Fi service in more detail. Consensus was reached that Wi-Fi was needed, and that CHIP would provisionally proceed with installation,closely monitoring the situation; and with Jangala’s support, adapt the Wi-Fi deployment as needed. Thanks to Big Box’s plug-and-play design, it is easy to set up or take down as needed.
A key takeaway from this is the importance of clear communication in humanitarian work. In such a busy and under-resourced sector, it’s easy to focus on simply delivering a service—but taking the time to properly explain what we’re offering is just as crucial, to foster a greater sense of control and trust in the service. In this case, raising awareness helped ensure that connectivity is introduced in a way that supports, rather than disrupts, the community dynamic.
Afternoon at the Charging Station
As I parted ways with Leo, one of the most inspiring moments of my visit was joining CHIP at their regular charging station in a parking lot near the town hall. Powered by a generator, CHIP offers dozens of charging ports, Jangala’s Get Box Wi-Fi, hot drinks, and a safe space where people can socialise, play games, and listen to music. CHIP also uses this time to share safety information and signposting with the people they support.
As I played (and lost) a tournament of Connect 4 with regular attendees, I noticed community members sending messages online and checking their TikTok account. It was a powerful reminder that connectivity isn’t only a means for survival (by providing access to essential services); it’s also about retaining a sense of normalcy, like watching football highlights or scrolling on social media.
Dunkirk: Visiting Roots and Their Mobile Services
The next day, I traveled to Dunkirk to visit Roots, an organisation that has fully integrated connectivity into their humanitarian work.
At their warehouse in Steene, I watched as their branded truck was loaded for distribution. Alongside essential supplies, a Big Box was packed, ready to bring Wi-Fi to people at the distribution point.
We drove 20 minutes down to Loon-plage, a key distribution point where Roots operates five days a week. Roots’ team had already set up 4 large gazebos, where they provide dozens of charging stations and Big Box Wi-Fi. Other team members were busy distributing non-food items and safety information from their truck, hundreds of hot meals on behalf of Refugee Community Kitchen, and managing Roots’ renewed Shower project.
Roots has taken connectivity a step further. Last year, they brought a smart TV to the site, connecting it to Big Box so people can watch movies and TV shows together. Though this increased their data costs, the team firmly believes "it’s an extra cost that is absolutely worth it." I watched as people gathered around the TV to watch Prison Break’s first season that afternoon.
Over the last 5 years, Roots’ Big Box network was accessed more than 75,000 times, a testament to how essential connectivity is for communities at the distribution centre.
Reflections and Looking Ahead
Our time with CHIP and Roots reminded us of the distinctly unique environments and communities that our partners work with. Working alongside our partners in-person gives us deeper insight into how to deploy our technology in a way that makes sense for the communities we want to support.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to 1) refining our technology, shaped by feedback from the field, including updates to the next version of Big Box 2) improving our program delivery - ensuring our work supports communities in a way that makes sense for them and 3) strengthening our partnerships to enable connectivity wholistically
We’re grateful for the invaluable work CHIP and Roots are doing on the ground, and we look forward to growing alongside them.
