Today was a monumental day to kick off our involvement in Lesvos because we had the opportunity to meet with the mayor of the island, Mr. Spyros Galinos. We would not have been able to complete our mission if it were not for his help, so we wanted to thank him in person. We also wanted to use the time to ask him questions we had about the refugee situation that Lesvos was facing. Through our conversation, we learned the following things:
- The EU is largely responsible for funding any policy change directed towards a refugee camp. As such, the municipality in Lesvos can only make recommendations to the EU, but they are often not implemented.
- The island of Lesvos is at a crossroads. Some locals are filled with xenophobia, racism, and hatred because this is an issue that has troubled the island since the large refugee migration in 2015. On the other hand, many people are also willing to do their part to help the situation. Tasos from ETAL is a prime example.
- Moria, originally designed to accommodate around 1000-1500 people, is now overflowing with approximately 8000 individuals. The overcrowding is so significant that officials from the North Aegean prefect are threatening to close the camp if it cannot meet sanitation standards.
Aside from these points, we also learned that the mayor would like to engage the community of Lesvos during this time. One of his goals in the remainder of his term is to encourage some form of job creation initiative to boost the economy and relieve the stresses felt in the refugee camp, both in management and in the refugees themselves.
Once our meeting with the mayor concluded, we visited an NGO in the area that provides educational, vocational, and recreational programs to refugees. The NGO, Mosaik, is a support center that tries to introduce refugees to some sense of a stable, normal life. They accomplish this by covering for refugees’ bus expenses from Moria to the center, which is approximately a two hour journey by foot. The camp provides language training in English, Greek, and Arabic, among other languages. They also offer yoga, art, and music classes and provide basic schooling for children. They do not interact with the EU, and instead run on an operating cost of 25,000 Euro with the help of private donations. It was inspiring to see such an effective organization doing quality work at this time, especially after coming from the mayor’s office. We plan to return to Mosaik to talk to refugees because it is a stable environment.
Following Mosaik, we took a quick lunch and then traveled to Kara Tepe: the first refugee camp we visited on our journey. Today was an orientation day, and we were greeted by the camp manager, Stravos. He told us his five words that he lives by in running the camp: respect, freedom, democracy, dignity, and hospitality. He mentioned that everyone in the camp is part of a bigger village–a family that is working together to better their lives. Manos, the assistant camp manager, gave us a tour of the premises. It was during this orientation that we learned about the infrastructure, programs, and operations that were native to Kara Tepe. Interestingly, according to Manos, 70-80% of all power generated is through solar panels. The remainder is generated through two major power generators. There are a total of 261 homes that house approximately 1250 people. People are intentionally placed such that they are not separated by nationality, to encourage an inclusive environment. Food distribution occurs three times a day via wheelbarrow: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. People also have the opportunity to cook for themselves at two communal kitchens. There are four main wash facilities, equipped with showers and bathrooms. They take pride in their wooden fences (as opposed to metal fences), and the lack of an army or guards, which indicates that the camp is a relatively peaceful place. There are several programs in place for camp residents. Children have informal schooling, along with other access points to education. They learn English, Greek, Mathematics, and Physics. There is also child care present for when parents leave the Kara Tepe area for medical care or asylum meetings. Most importantly, they have space to play with each other in the activity center, where you will find a soccer field and remnants of a volleyball court.
Following our orientation with Manos, we stepped into the amphitheater, where Stravos was having his weekly meeting with NGO leaders and social workers who play an instrumental role in the camp’s success. We learned the following information in this meeting that was largely focused on major updates in the camp:
- Adolescents also have some form of education available, and they have access to a leadership development program through the Emergency Response Center International (ERCI), an NGO working closely with the refugee camps in Greece.
- This leadership program is geared towards individuals aged 15-25, under the principle “I am because you are,” and encourages them to work on meaningful projects from scratch.
- For families, there are music classes and language classes, along with weekly parties. Women specifically have safe spaces and a “relax yoga” program. Men tend to play board games and drink coffee over their conversations.
- There is a music therapy group which offers lessons in guitar and other instruments. The group actually plays concerts in the very amphitheater we were sitting in.
- There is an extensive psychosocial support system present in Kara Tepe. They are bolstered by cultural mediators, and the focus is on group interaction.
- The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is responsible for maintaining the utilities in the camp, overseeing water and electricity. They recently fixed all the taps in the area, but expressed a need for additional light sources. The IRC also provides transport to the psychiatric center for those in need of such services.
Upon concluding the meeting, we thanked Stravos for his generous introduction and for opening up the camp to us. Overall, today was a very productive day jam-packed with insight that will undoubtedly help us through the remainder of the trip. Tomorrow, the real work begins.