A reader of my blog following My Refugee Journey contacted me yesterday and mentioned some very valid points… I have been here for a month now and here for another month, lately I’ve been struggling to think what to write as basically all I do each day is hand out tea and always based on the Camp Kara Tepe.
By the time I finish and do some of my own admin there’s no time for anything else. So to experience the whole refugee crisis here on the island I’ve left the NGO I was with at Kara Tepe – It’s been great working at the camp with HSA but I’ve less than a month left and need more chances to experience the crisis, and for you guys I’m sure you would like to read more about what’s going on other than tea making.
So I’m now independent, I’m off to Better Days of Moria today and then tomorrow I’m helping with sandwiches for refugees heading on the 11hrs ferry journey to Athens and I’ve already secured a few interviews of various volunteers to here the stories of the volunteer unsung heroes of the island of Lesvos
Giving a better wider picture of My Refugee Journey.
I’ve enjoyed the time at Kara Tepe, and for anyone wanting to volunteer I’d say get in touch with Humanitarian Support Agency as they really do need volunteers and have an exciting future ahead of them. Other NGOs you might want to contact at Kara Tepe is IRC & Samaritans Purse who are looking for long term volunteers. Making tea may seem like a menial silly job, but when you meet these refugees and see their faces when you hand them a cup of tea they are so very thankful and when they also realise that we are all here as volunteers and spent our own money to get here they are totally shocked and overwhelmed.
There are so many things people can do here to volunteer and it for many can be a life changing experience, Ive done a number of humanitarian trips in the past in Africa for example and lead expeditions for groups that stop off and do humanitarian projects part way through the expedition and I have definitely found it to be life changing and humbling. I would say if you are thinking about it, stop thinking and do it, you won’t regret it.
MB Photography 