A Traveller’s Tithe; Helping the Refugees

A Traveller’s Tithe; Helping Refugees

Little did Ken and I know that our travels in Greece would involve a return to the island of Samos to help with the refugee program there. But the ongoing severity of the issue, the invitation by an organization there and our availability meant that we could make it happen. And the experience leaves us feeling what a wonderful way for travellers to honour their freedom; by paying ‘a tithe’ (in the form of time and labour) to those who are fighting for theirs. A synchronous arrangement, don’t you think?

The Current Situation for Refugees

We went back to Samos (we had included Samos earlier on our hiking circuit through the Greek islands), to be ready for work with Samos Volunteers on June 1. A ‘meet and greet’ at a birthday celebration for one of the volunteers filled us in on the evolving

refugee situation in Greece, and

specifically on Samos. Samos, like the islands of Lesbos, Chios and Kos, lies within five kilometres from Turkey and hence has been a main point of entry into Europe for refugees fleeing turmoil in Syria, Afganistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Algeria, Eritea, Liberia,

Sudan and other African nations. From July 2015-March 2016, more than one million refugees transited through Greece – the largest migration of displaced persons since World War II. With the closing of the northern borders of Greece (due to political pressure within the EU), the refugees layover in Samos has become a lot longer. And their status has shifted from political refugee to political detainee, forced to await their fate now in detention camps. You know – the ones with 2-storey high wire fencing and

barbed wire, metal boxes for housing, concrete flooring, barrack-style dorms, sketchy electricity and plumbing, dodgy food. No land of milk and honey here, particularly as the detention centres are massively overcrowded, heightening the frustration and tension felt in the camps.  Recent fights and fires have led fathers in the camps to seek alternative accommodation for their daughters; we talked with Zaina and her friend (pictured at beginning of post) about their lives since the start of the civil war, their escape to Turkey and Greece, and their ‘rescue’ by a young Greek woman who is currently hosting them in her home.

Kindness, So Quietly and Carefully Dispensed

While there are some international NGOs and local catering companies working with the refugees on Samos (while others, like Medicins Sans Frontieres, refuse – on moral and political grounds – to enter the detention camp), it is the Samos Volunteers, a grassroots humanitarian organization, that have taken on the job of supplying the refugees with basic survival needs – bedding, tents, clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, and psychological support. The latter is of vital importance, giving the refugees a chance to voice their fears, concerns and increasing sense of desperation about their living conditions and what lies ahead.

As Ken and I were classified as short-term volunteers (less than 3 weeks), we were assigned to the more

cheerful tasks, one being the unpacking and sorting of the mountains of donations shipped to the island and stored in the volunteer warehouse. A real eye-opener to be at the receiving end of the thousands of families and church groups and charities throughout Europe that have collected boxes of clothing, shoes,

baby needs, toys and warm bedding for people in need. The proceeds are staggering – the warehouse is piled

with at least 1000 boxes of kids jumpers, toddler trousers, women’s sleepwear,

teen’s rainjackets, etc. and there are another 100 ready to unpack and sort. And items shipped aren’t the hand-me-downs for the fourth child, either – brand new cordoroys, blouses with sales prices still attached, ‘onesies’ that had been worn once, if at all. Kindness, so carefully and quietly dispensed…..

Each morning we were called into action to prepare clothes and kits for the camp – 50 teen tops, 30 men’s summer trousers, 6 newborn baby kits (complete with burping blankets and breast pads!), six size 25 shoes for girls, eight size 35 for teen boys, etc. And the better we had done our job, the faster the orders could be filled.

Music for the Children

Another task I was awarded was the conducting of music/art activities for children of ‘pregnant families’ housed in the hotel we were staying in. A project of Medicins Sans Frontieres (they were involved in medical intervention cases such as these), at a designated time and place the kids and I met to sing and play for an hour. Within moments of greeting them, all of them ages 2-13 were holding hands in a circle, clapping, stamping, marching, looby looing, london bridging, bamba-ing and laughing for the sheer

joy of it. No matter how non-existent my Farsi and how little their English – melody and rhythm easily carried the day. A sheet mural of Paradise Garden, with their handprints and mine amidst a collage of birds and flowers and butterflies and bees wrapped up our final day together. Posing with the kids’ peace symbols by our Paradise Garden put the multi-sided political angles of the ‘refugee problem’ in its place. Remember the children.

A Call for Help

If you are interested in volunteering with Samos Volunteers (on your next trip to Greece!), visit Samos Volunteers or Samos Volunteers Discussion facebook page. If you would like to donate money, I suggest you go through Jane Mather who is volunteering there until the end of June and knows what the refugees and camps currently need. You can find her YouCaring site through her facebook page. If you would like more information about the experience of volunteering with refugees in Greece, I would be happy to share that with you. Ken and I were the first Canadians on the Samos Volunteers roster – let’s continue that trend!