Hello Dear Friends,
With exhaustion, I write to you in my fourth week here in Greece. Besides my old laptop giving up on me and needing repair, I have been very consumed. I spend three days a week at the refugee center, offering English lessons, but also doing basic tasks such as helping to serve meals, providing coffee, holding babies and entertaining children, and mostly providing my attention and compassion to others. In addition to offering language support, and purchasing and distributing essential supplies, I also help individuals and families navigate the asylum process. And, of course, I help many independently based on their needs with food, money, asylum application fees, medical supplies, etc.
The Mediterranean Sea, a serene and gorgeous body of water, has become a perilous route for thousands fleeing war, persecution, and poverty. Working with refugees (mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea), I continue to witness the extraordinary resilience of individuals who have left behind everything in search of safety and dignity. Sadly, they often encounter being found and beaten by the Greek Coast Guard who put them in motorless rubber dinghies towed back to the waters off the shores of Turkey. Despite the risks and pushbacks, families try again and again to reach the shores of Europe, determined to find a safer better life. When they finally do arrive and get processed, they face horrific living conditions in the camps, lacking adequate shelter, food, water, and electricity.
Gada, a widowed mother of three from Sudan, told me about her harrowing escape under gunfire. Her unwavering hope for her children’s future is both heartbreaking and inspiring.
And Kamel, a retired professor from Gaza, a beautiful intelligent man who tells me often about his wife who recently was martyred in Palestine (shown on his phone). There are no words, but I give him my heart.
Last weekend I learned of a ship that had sank off the coast of the Peloponnese. Those who survived (about half of the 60+ people onboard) were taken to a distant camp. Several of us went by train and brought supplies. I brought bags of socks and underwear as well as toiletries (toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.). It was heartbreaking to see the trauma in the eyes of the survivors.
Volunteering with refugees has deepened my understanding of human resilience. It reminds me often of the privileges we take for granted and the importance of standing in solidarity with those in crisis. To extend compassion and aid to those fleeing unimaginable circumstances has deepened my sense of humanity as a global citizen. I thank you all for being part of this journey.
Lexine