Why I was in Greece
It just occurred to me that I never followed up on why we were in Greece in the first place last summer. Feeling at a loss as to what to do about the refugee crisis, I researched and asked around. I was put in contact with a woman who runs a small NGO and was helping at a camp in central Greece. She was enthusiastic and supportive of our visit, and put the right wheels in motion to get us there. I can't really describe the camp to you, for many reasons, or even if it met my expectations. I learned a lot that I didn't learn in grad school about long term emergency planning, logistics, and some hard truths about NGO's and their level of helpfulness.
It is hard to know the right thing to say, because the experience meant so much to me. While on camp we did a great many things- organizing clothes, making first aid kits, distributing food items, shopping for camp. The best times were when we got to hang out with the residents either through clothes distributions, teaching first aid, renting out the bikes, or just playing with the kids on camp.
I think the most important thing that I learned is that these refugees are people. They could be me, or you, or anyone. Refugees aren't perfect people just because they need help, they are just people.
I stupidly asked our leader if they wanted to become Greek citizens. "They want to be Syrian." she said. I had not even been thinking about this properly. Refugees don't want to be anything but what they have been their whole lives. But they can't. They have to learn new cultures, new languages, new governments, all while clinging to hope that one day theirs can exist again.
As I left Greece, I felt sad. Not only to leave my friend, the beautiful countryside, or wonderful cuisine. But to know that all of those lost people were still there. First stripped of their possessions, their careers, their home. Then stripped of their independence, their humanity, their dignity. With no end in sight.
It is hard to know the right thing to say, because the experience meant so much to me. While on camp we did a great many things- organizing clothes, making first aid kits, distributing food items, shopping for camp. The best times were when we got to hang out with the residents either through clothes distributions, teaching first aid, renting out the bikes, or just playing with the kids on camp.
I think the most important thing that I learned is that these refugees are people. They could be me, or you, or anyone. Refugees aren't perfect people just because they need help, they are just people.
I stupidly asked our leader if they wanted to become Greek citizens. "They want to be Syrian." she said. I had not even been thinking about this properly. Refugees don't want to be anything but what they have been their whole lives. But they can't. They have to learn new cultures, new languages, new governments, all while clinging to hope that one day theirs can exist again.
As I left Greece, I felt sad. Not only to leave my friend, the beautiful countryside, or wonderful cuisine. But to know that all of those lost people were still there. First stripped of their possessions, their careers, their home. Then stripped of their independence, their humanity, their dignity. With no end in sight.
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