I recently spent some time in both Turkey and Lesvos (also transliterated as Lesbos), Greece asking as many questions as I could to better understand the current situation rippling outward from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan (amongst other areas). This is a situation that impacts all of us. This blog is broken down this into two sections:
1) My observations of life at Moria refugee camp (the
largest camp on Lesvos island)
2) How you can help
3) Click here for my talented friend, Sabine's, photos that tell the story of many
Please feel free to use the comment section for questions
and I will answer them as thoroughly as possible.
Life on Lesvos:
Life on Lesvos:
Hope is a concept I keep revisiting. I wish I could say that
after meeting the selfless volunteers on Lesvos and thousands of strong
refugees, that I believe an end to this suffering and plight is in sight. I
did, however, see glimmers of hope. I found hope in the small moments: a
volunteer purchasing a ferry ticket for someone who did not have the means to
continue onward, the humor in a group of Pakistanis fixing each others clothing
before a photo shoot that they initiated because they wanted to be remembered
at their best, the positivity and welcoming demeanor of a local Greek woman at
the gyro shop toward the thousands of refugees that are taking refuge on her
small island, the drive to succeed in Europe by two Kurdish boys who were
desperate to learn English at 4 AM, the resilience and strength in an older
woman that waited for over three days in the freezing cold in line to get
registered so she and her family could continue on to Germany, the family that
went into a room that smelled like filthy bodies and found a small space on the
concrete near the leaky toilet to sleep as they laid down together and then
looked back at me with their thumbs up and smiled, the articulate Syrian
engineer that helped us translate for hours immediately after he made if off
the rubber boat (while clearly still in shock) because he was so grateful to
have made it so far and for the help of the volunteers at the camp, and the
countless volunteers that spent their vacations volunteering because they
couldn’t turn a blind eye. 
They say that the journey to Lesvos, a Greek island off the
cost of Turkey, is treacherous; every single person making this passage is
risking their life just to have some hope of a life without a need to
constantly question their own safety. The typical person seeking refuge in
Europe or beyond will hire a smuggler (most are in Izmir, Turkey) whom they
will pay anything from $1,000-$3,000+ to get them to Lesvos. I have heard many
stories highlighting the callous manner in which smugglers treat their fellow
human beings. Smugglers usually promise refugees that there will only be a few
people on their boat and the refugees later arrive to find 60+ others that will
share their flimsy boat (a boat designed for 20 passengers) and oftentimes
provided fake life jackets. From what I’ve heard, many smugglers hold them at
gunpoint and force them to load the unsafe boats. It is also common for the
engines to stop working along the way, and the Hellenic Coast Guard (the Greek
coast guard) will ignore them if they are not on Greek waters. Most refugees do
not carry any possessions, and the smaller number that do, may even get robbed
while en route to Lesvos. In fact, 44 refugees died just the other day on their
way from Turkey to Greece (this article
and this article
discuss the death tolls of the voyage). Here is a
powerful Ted Talk about the dangerous waters and as well as an
anecdotal story of courage. This website is interactive and eye opening.
This traumatic and extremely dangerous journey is their only real escape route. Why? It is extremely frustrating that countries (including my own) are trying to slow down or prevent human beings from escaping violence and extremism. These people know, as we all should, that they deserve a future. I see my friends and family in these people; they are doctors, teachers, businessmen, children, engineers, and students desperately wanting to lay down roots in a place where they feel safe. Many refugees stay in Turkey, in refugee camps and cities along the borders that tend to be nationalistic and not exactly welcoming. This video shows some of the confusion and suffering that I also observed. My friends living in Gaziantep (a city that houses several large UN-run refugee camps and a large portion of the 1,838,848 refugees that reside in Turkey) have Syrian friends that believed the best way to leave the limbo-land of Turkey was to fly to Cyprus (an island with a Greek south and Turkish north), cross the border to Greece, get arrested (and pay a $100 fine), and finally get sent back to Turkey, in order to get a valid stamp on their passport that shows they legally entered Turkey. My friends in Gaziantep remarked on the Syrians’ sense of urgency to settle down somewhere. Borders and laws are charging daily and they can’t afford to wait a day longer to start their lives somewhere in Europe or North America. This is easy to understand, especially considering the Syrian war started in 2011.
In order to continue traveling and to be able to buy a
ticket for the ferry, all refugees need to register at Moria camp. One thing
that surprised me was how many non-Syrians there were. I met a large number of
Iraqi, Kurdish, Afghani, Pakistani and Moroccan refugees. For people from
Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Somalia, Oman and Eritrea registration is faster as
people from these countries are officially considered refugees but the
registration was known to change without notice. Everybody else- people from
Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon and Morocco- have to apply for
refugee status. People from those countries, upon arrival, get a ticket with a
number and a date. Refugees need to obtain a ticket, which could take over a
week, just to stand in line to tell their story and hope to be accepted
(otherwise they will be sent back to their country).
Moria camp is a detention center with high walls and about a
5,000 person capacity. It is extremely crowded and I would be lying if I said
the conditions were decent. The main authorities are the police and UNHCR
collaborating with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), whom I worked closely
with. The UNHCR had a reputation for putting their name on everything and not
doing much (kinda like Trump)…but they did provide nice blankets. I held down
the night shift with 2-5 other incredible volunteers in special dormitories for
families, wet, sick, disabled, lonely women and unaccompanied children.
Families and women without men can ask to sleep inside at the shelter I worked
at, but there was a very limited capacity (only about 400 spots on the concrete
floor). During the night, I waited for families to arrive. Some nights many
boats would arrive and we would need to squeeze in over 30 families on the
floor of any room that was not already packed to the max. Luckily, I never had
to turn anyone away, but some families chose to sleep outside after seeing the
rooms. All rooms had a strong odor from the weary travelers and blankets were
always few and far between. There was never enough of anything besides water.
We were always in conservation mode. This meant we had to say “no” to people
every night that believed they needed new clothes or another blanket. There
simply wasn’t enough for everyone that asked. It was difficult to be in a
position where I needed to judge others’ self-proclaimed need for supplies,
especially when they are pleading or demanding something… an unfortunate
reality. Lesvos may have been a vacation destination just a few years ago but
they certainly have a winter. Just two days after I left the island it snowed.
Many people do not have tents or shelter, so burn cardboard, plastic, or
anything they can get their hands on to stay warm. Every morning we woke
everyone up and gave the early risers (approx. the first 200 to leave the
family compound) water, juice or soda and a small breakfast (e.g. chocolate croissant).
Again, there was never enough to go around. Everybody had to leave with hopes
to get in again the following night.
My friend, Emma, said it perfectly in her blog
when she wrote about the good cop vs bad cop. I felt like the bad cop most of
the time having to. Did I say “no, we don’t have enough” more than “yes”? It
sure felt like it. I tried to convince refugees that the room wasn’t that bad
and console them by saying it was only temporary I hoped I was telling them the
truth.
The rest of the camp: the Greek police take pictures and
fingerprints. After registration, refugees are free to purchase a ferry ticket
to Athens. Refugees are possibly detained and/or deported if they do not meet
qualifications for asylum. Thankfully, there is a doctor onsite 24/7, limited
food and water provided, a few showers and electricity in some of the rooms. I
was pleasantly surprised to see a prayer tent and some access to wi-fi (they
are in desperate need to contact their loved ones to let them know they made it
to the island). In most of the rooms, they have to sleep on the floor (the
first lucky few get roll mats); some rooms have beds and mattresses. There are
some large UNHCR cabins and IKEA tents which people were crammed in.
Additionally, many slept in tents inside the camp and others in the olive grove
outside nicknamed Afghan hill. The queue for registering is frequently over a
mile long and many stay in line for days, sleeping outside, so they don’t risk
losing their spot. It is not uncommon for fights to break out, mostly initiated
by someone sneaking in alcohol and getting drunk. I could sense survival
instincts kicking in.
Germany and Scandinavian countries are the most common
destinations for refugees, but, as the stream of refugees keeps pouring in,
many countries are closing their borders or creating obstacles to enter. Greek
islanders have been extremely welcoming and are even nominated for a Nobel Peace
Prize.
Volunteering was not easy (physically or emotionally) but
the hardest part for me was leaving. I left guilt-ridden. Perhaps it’s the
guilt of knowing that I could & can do more to help that keeps eating away
at me. Maybe it’s the fact that the refugees didn’t/don’t have a choice and I
have the privilege to come and go as I please. Either way, looking into their
eyes has made it much harder to ignore my responsibility in helping them and
the millions that are to follow’s lives.
In the end, yes, there is hope. There must be. Clarissa Pinkola
Estes put it beautifully when she wrote, “Ours is not the task of
fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of
the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do
to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will
help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause
the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.” We mustn’t be discouraged by
the numbers; hope is what brings change.
Want to stay more connected? Join the Information
Point for Lesvos Volunteers Facebook Group and gain access to a
diverse array of articles posted by volunteers. You can also click here
to see an interactive map that shows refugee camps and information throughout
Syria, Turkey & Europe.
Speaking of helping, here are some ways in which you can
help:
Donate:
Money: There are dozens of organizations on the ground,
albeit some better than others. Based on personal observations & comments
from long-term volunteers, the following are trusted organizations that are
doing effective work:
Before you donate to organizations, ask yourself if you know
anyone that is volunteering. One thing I was most surprised by was how
expensive it was to volunteer. Just accommodation, transportation and food
easily adds up to 45 Euro/day (and that’s not including airfare/travel fees).
There are few organizations that cover the expenses of the volunteers leaving
most volunteers to pay out of pocket. Volunteers work long hard hours and many
(including myself) get sick. Support their efforts!
Paul Steed’s
YouCaring Fundraising page- I can personally vouch for Paul’s
integrity, dedication & passion for improving the lives of the refugees,
and hard work ethic. I know that he will make any money donated go a long way
and support the local economy by buying food, water and supplies for vulnerable
families at Moria refugee camp. Paul and his family have been in Lesvos for
months and are dedicated to helping in any way possible, frequently sacrificing
to change the lives of many.
Danish Refugee Council
(DRC)- I worked most closely with them
Supplies: Before you spend money on shipping supplies,
consider donating to an organization or person on the ground. One, the money
you save on shipping can maximize what goes to the refugees. Two, it’s no
secret the Greek economy is suffering. Supporting local businesses is an easy
way to thank the local people for being so welcoming and supportive.
Volunteer: To begin, I want to make it clear that if you
care about your fellow human beings and are willing to work hard to help them
then you will be most definitely be useful. I was apprehensive to volunteer
because I had limited time and did not want to be a burden on the other
volunteers to train. Furthermore, I didn't know where to start (including
accommodation and transportation to and from the camp) which served as a
deterrent for spending more time volunteering, so I hope this information will
be helpful. No matter your age, experience level, or time that you have, please
know that you will be valued. I will say it again: you will be valued (If you
need someone to reassure you again, just look at the posts from volunteers on
FB groups). If you feel called to serve on the ground, then go for it!
General Info: If you are serious about volunteering, This Google
Doc will make your life so much easier!
Connecting with other Volunteers/ Staying up-to-date: There
are two really helpful Facebook groups, Information
Point for Lesvos Volunteers Group and, for info on Moria Camp, Better Days
for Moria Group, a group that works on Afghan hill just outside the
walls of Moria Camp.
To get to Lesvos you can either fly directly to Mytilini
(the largest city on Lesvos), fly to Athens and take a ferry to Mytilini,
arrive via the Ayvalik, Turkey ferry (the closest large airport is Izmir,
although flying to Istanbul may be cheaper). I arrived via the Ayvalik ferry
(the ferry is about €30 round trip, the bus to/from Istanbul was about 60 TL
($20) for 8-10 hrs. All busses run several times a day and once you are at the
Ayvalik Otogar (bus station) you can take a mini-bus right in the front of the
station for 2.5TL (less than $1) to the port. In the winter the ferry does not
run every day so it is best to plan ahead (if I had planned it better I could
have stayed five more days). Click HERE
for a reliable site for finding the ferry schedule. I am not sure about
specifics about arriving via the Athens ferry but I'm sure there is information
online.
Accommodation can be expensive and difficult to plan before
you arrive, but I found The Lesvos
Volunteers Accommodation Sharing Facebook Group extremely helpful.
Many hotels give discounts for volunteers and for long-term stay so it never
hurts to ask. I stayed at Mytiliana Village near Moria camp (about a 10 min
drive) and if I wasn't taken in by the good graces of my friend, Peter, (whose
Swedish organization was paying for a 3 room with 3 beds, 2 were unused) I
would have paid €25/night to share with one person (€50). It was more luxurious
than I was used to, had heating (and A/C), amazing complimentary breakfast, and
offered cheap dinner in the hotel restaurant. Andres, the owner, does whatever
he can to help volunteers and their efforts (including arranging for supply
deliveries to the camp) so it was nice to stay in such a supportive environment
(the rest of the staff were very loving as well).
Transportation: If you can afford to rent a car, go for it
(I believe it is about €20/day and most cars are manual, although some are
automatic). If you have some spare room in your car, please carpool with others
and make it known that you have space and save other volunteers the stress of
finding way to get there... nothing is walkable from Moria Camp. From my
experience, non-driving volunteers will make it as easy as possible in drivers
and will show heaps appreciation. The Lesvos
Volunteers Ride Sharing Facebook group is a good place to coordinate with other
volunteers.
Duties/shifts: There are so many things to do. Always. Some
examples are sorting donated items, helping people as they arrive on the
beaches (lifeguards are always desired), making food, cleaning the shelters,
distributing clothes/food, working in the shelters, transporting the newly
arrived refugees to a camp, etc. Some shifts are more desirable than others. I
would recommend doing whatever is needed- that’s why you’re there.
What to pack: Layers, layers, layers. Some depends on what you will be doing, what time of year and what shift you volunteer. I only did the night shift in late December (1AM- about 9:30AM) and it was very very cold. When I was moving or carrying supplies I was plenty warm but there were times when I was the gatekeeper and no families arrived for hours and so we would just sit. If I were to pack again here is what I would bring: a warm jacket, long sleeve shirts, shirt sleeve shirts for the daytime, hat, gloves, warm socks, a headlamp with extra batteries, small flashlight on a lanyard sturdy (waterproof, if possible) hiking boots (with traction... The hills can be steep and slippery), a thermos for hot coffee or tea, a fanny pack, a small daypack, a small notebook (sometime body language isn't enough to communicate), pens & a few sharpies, a wetsuit if you have one and are planning to do boat rescue, a pocket knife, EmergenC (almost every volunteer gets sick), antibacterial liquid, a European outlet adapter, and whatever you need for self care (running shoes, books, etc).
