Last November I was feeling a nagging in my heart, inspired by my dear, dear friend Hayley who decided to take her skills and passion to help and spend Christmas and New Year's helping refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos. I decided to join her for a few days. My purpose was manyfold. I felt I had the time and resources to offer real help. I decided I wasn't just going to go and offer manual labor, which I wasn't sure was even needed, but that I was also going to raise needed supplies to bring with me to distribute. I also felt I had the ability to share the real story of these refugees through word and images. I was growing weary of the negative talk I had been hearing both generally and even from people I know about helping refugees and why we shouldn't, so I wanted to go and do my part and bring back their stories in hopes that people may see things in a new light, and one from a first-hand source. So I went. I decided to help raise funds to contribute to the aid relief fund Hayley had begun by selling my art. I also collected supplies to bring with me. I am so grateful for the many that supported my efforts, both through donations and also through supportive, encouraging words. This is my Lesvos story.
80kgs (175lbs) of supplies, mostly waterproofs (ponchos, jackets, etc.), I collected to take to Lesvos
My first day on Lesvos was not at all what I expected. And the first thing I've learned about refugee life is there is no plan and things never go as anticipated (snow in Athens en route from London should have been my first clue!). Due to rough waters the past few days, there have been hardly any boats the last couple of days, which translates to very few incoming refugees and empty camps today. So today was an unplanned volunteer day off here. There are so many volunteers here, a whole community of them from all over. Many here on their own, and also lots of organisations represented. The efforts here have evolved greatly over the last many weeks and months. So with a day without much work to do, we drove around the north end of the island to see if there was anything we could do. It turned out to be a sort of orientation day for me.
First we encountered a newly arrived raft (maybe the only one for the day?), which was an interesting experience. The refugees on board had already made it ashore and were progressing through the system of camps here (there are several stages of camps they go through before leaving for Athens and onward). But the landing was fresh and we spent a few moments understanding the nature of their journey feeling what the raft is like from inside it. Inside the raft sits a pool of water and a few stray drowned gloves. Probably 40 people crammed in the raft. Such a terrifying journey.
Hayley trying to understand their journey stepping into the raft
Hayley and Anna, and Melena
Melena, Hayley, Anna and RJ
Next we visited one of the shoreside camps, where the refugees are first taken to get warm, change into dry clothes and collect themselves (sometimes overnight) before making their way to the next camp. This camp was very special and I could feel a lot of love, even a play area for the kids.
In the afternoon we visited the life jacket graveyard, aka the dump, where thousands of life jackets are dumped. It certainly put a visual on the scale of the numbers. About 450,000 refugees have come through Lesvos alone. This is the life vest graveyard where most of the used life vests are deposited. There are many more strewn all over the island, and there is an initiative to make use of them (i.e. for mattresses at the camps). If you look at the photo closely you can see a tiny figure on the path towards the back, to give you a size reference. It's really a life vest mountain . . .
With calmer waters today, we expect many more boats tomorrow . . .
The beautiful harbour town of Molyvos, where we stayed during our time on Lesvos. It was an hour commute to and from the camps we worked in, but that was just the way it worked out. Such a beautiful place, you'd never know people were fighting for their lives on the shores below.
The gyro cafe, Friends, that we ate at every single day for dinner. It was a comfort having our daily dose of pita and souvlaki with fries and lemon fanta after a hard day's work.
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