Books and Toys: Meet Rachel Trowsdale

 

smiles and hugs

       Name: Rachel Trowsdale

       Country of Origin: England

       Languages spoken: English

       Job back home: First aid trainer

Well, where do i start? I  guess at the beginning, back home in Brighton, UK. The media coverage of refugees (especially the children who where being robbed of a childhood) really upset me and I knew I wanted to help in some way. I thought of giving money but how would I know it was going to the right place and being used effectively? Then I thought "how about I go out there myself to make a difference and give the money to the places I know will help?" I started a crowd funding page and an Amazon wish list for a few children's books in Arabic, Farsi and Kurdish to take with me. Within an hour of sharing it on Facebook my friends had bought all the books on the list so I had to increase it and add more books, musical instruments and toys. 

This really spurred me on and although this was totally out of my comfort zone, I knew I had to do this! I organised my flights (and some hypnotherapy sessions as I'm terrified of flying, lol!) Once I arrived for my weeks' stay I was introduced to the Elea project. I was welcomed into the family of volunteers and everyone was so friendly. I guess I was a spectator in the first week, watching and taking it all in. I really liked it here and knew a week would not be enough so I changed my flight for a months' time and later added another 2 weeks as well! 

I quickly settled in, using my childcare background to help in the little squirrels preschool session each day. The children touched my heart and I will never forget them. It's the small achievements that stick with me the most, like getting a group of 2-4 year olds to sit in a circle and enjoy story time, when they run at you with open arms for a cuddle, the look of achievement on their faces when they have completed a puzzle or finished a painting. They may speak other languages but with eye contact, visual and facial expressions, we get along fine. Also some of the older children have great English and help with translating to the little ones. It's been so satisfying watching their behaviour change for the better and I've honestly enjoyed every minute. 

There are also some other great activities Elea arrange that are run by volunteers or residents at the camp such as yoga classes, henna night, bike and sewing workshops, dinner and clothing distribution where I worked with a single mum of 5 kids to find clothing to fit them all--with no translator! but after an exhausting hour of running in and out of the container (and a lot of descriptive hand gestures for trousers, big/small etc) she left with warm clothes for her family and gave me a thankful smile and pinch on the cheek which I know is a form of affection in her culture. Whenever I see her around the camp we wave and smile to each other in our different languages. 

I'm now close to the end of this amazing experience and I don't want to leave. These friendly families will forever be in my heart, I can only wish them the best and hope they find a better life for themselves. They have touched me and I have learnt so much from them. They are warm ,welcoming,humble people like you and I who want the best for their family.  I'm so glad I did this and recommend it to all. Everyone has a skill to bring even if you don't know it! It could be organisation skills, bike maintenance, level headedness, nail painting, DIY or clothes folding! Every skill is welcomed and used to its full potential. I have met so many other volunteers from all over the world, many nationalities and languages, but the one thing we have in common is we all share big hearts and want to make a difference.

My time here is coming to an end, I wish I could stay longer; going back to my old life will never be the same. I will get on with my 9-5 job, food shopping, watching TV, but a little bit of me will never be the same. Part of my heart is with Project Elea and all those children that deserve a childhood. I know without a doubt I will return, as so many of the volunteers do, and can't wait to see how the little squirrels are getting on.

Catching Bubbles in the Air: Meet Rowena Ludford

Name: Rowena Ludford
Country of origin: England/Wales

bubbles in the air

Professional background: Marketing
Research and marketing - Painter and decorator

 I had wanted to go and "help" in the refugee crisis for a long while and for health reasons was delayed in my mission, I felt a huge humanitarian tug upon my heart strings as I watched the news, plans had to be made, wheels set in motion. I had no reason to sit and watch this happen from afar "be someone who stands up and does what they can" I thought. The mission started in Calais, in the "jungle"and then on to Greece, Driving to Greece as one of my maiden voyages after passing my driving test and having spinal surgery did seem,at times, very very ambitious if not completely crazy. However, I made it albeit with some unforeseen events that made me question the whole plan.

 I found the situation in Greece to be welcoming but completely chaotic. This, I realised was going to be one of the many challenges of my mission, fine if you are relaxing on holiday but I started to get completely frustrated with the "too" relaxed vibes. "We are dealing with a crisis" I thought, "no I will not wait for everyone to have yet another coffee and 30 cigarettes". After 6 weeks of volunteering in refugee squats I was finding it harder and harder to do as much as I felt I wanted to. This is when I met a couple of people involved in the Elea project including the founder.

With promise of a schedule and some level of organisation I decided to offer myself for 2 days per week. This soon became 3,4,5 then 6 days per week. Project Elea had a schedule including games, yoga, cross fit, arts and crafts along with food and clothes distribution and educational time for children.

 I felt very welcome by the staff, volunteers and residents alike and felt at last that I could spend as much of the day "working" as I wanted, feeling productive, given the space and encouragement to add to the schedule or make improvements to the general running of things I felt like I had found the place for me.

There are so many beautiful moments that I shared with many people here, from a simple smile, a hug, a wordless conversation through eyes and gestures, through to seeing and hearing the response to a donation of drums that I made.

Many a day I concealed tears of both sadness and joy however, upon my last day I could no longer keep them inside.

For two reasons I cried on this day, firstly was as I sat watching residents playing football on their newly opened football pitch, children running around with crowns they had made in the arts and crafts session, catching bubbles in the air-  Project Elea is giving something so beautifully extra to the residents of the Eleonas camp that tears dampened my cheeks thinking of those whom do not have this benefit. I was feeling very proud and honoured to have been invited to join in. Secondly, saying goodbye and knowing that I was returning to a country that I no longer feel at ease with being a part of.

I shall return to Project Elea, my only challenge is to figure out when this will be, a few weeks or months.
I could ramble on for hours about my experiences, moments of joy, moments of disappointment but all I will say now is, I find it very hard to believe that anyone could regret working with project Elea; it has been one of the most fulfilling, rewarding and connecting months out of the 4 which I have spent volunteering with refugees.

... No matter what you are doing in the camp, it matters to the residents, sorting clothes may feel like a thankless task inside a (sometimes stuffy) container, when you try to make someone happy with the (sometimes) awful selection of clothes... It can feel frustrating and sometimes stressful, it can seem to not matter how clean, tidy and organised we are as volunteers but try to take as much pride in every single thing you do there because it does matter, everything matters, you may never encounter the situation where it matters but it does, have faith in that!

Remain beautiful, shiny, inspiring people. So much love. 💜💙💚💛❤️🙏🏻

Spontaneous Dance Sessions: Meet Sinead Bolger

Name: Sinead Bolger                                        

 random dance moment

Country of Origin: Ireland

Spoken Languages: English

Profession/Background: Theatremaker

Jack of all trades and master of none

                                        

Less than a week in. I am standing in the open window of a very small porta-cabin serving two lines of people; one men, the other women and children. They organise themselves and though it takes me a while to understand the system, thanks to the unhappy grumblings of one man ‘one woman, one man, one woman, one man’, I finally get it and begin to serve in a somewhat fair fashion. They bring me their ID papers, their house keys, their limited to fluent English, their smiles and their tired faces, their boxes and buckets and shrugs - I check the letter of their house in a Greek alphabet they understand so much better than me, like everything here and we begin to pack their dinner, their families’ dinner, their neighbours’, the dinner they are fetching for the elderly or disabled. I step away from the hatch to ask the supervisor a question and suddenly feel very ill.

Another volunteer steps up the plate, I collect my bag and begin the ten minute walk to the metro station. I begin vomiting and change my mind. I just need to get to the main road and hail a taxi to get me home. It’s getting worse. Maybe the taxi can take me to a doctor somewhere. I am half-way down a shortcut, an alley, deserted at this time of the evening. Eventually I cannot walk anymore and lie in the dust, still getting sick and looking from one side to the other. I can see the light from the main road and the road that leads back to the camp - both are too far to reach. I can only feel the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet now - all else is numb. The lights won’t focus anymore. And just like that help arrives.

A man and a teenage boy, seeing me at the last minute on their walk in the direction of the camp, try to understand what is happening. I cannot tell them. After attempting to walk and then carry me in the right direction the man sends the boy for the police at the camp to help. The boy runs and he props me against a wall. He finds my bottle of water and feeds me sips of it slowly. He puts my soft jumper behind my head. He pours water over my spare t-shirt and uses it to clean my face and cool me down. I feel him pull up the sleeve of my t-shirt which has slipped down my arm over my shoulder, protecting my modesty. He reassures me constantly that the police are coming and he begins asking me questions in a cheerful voice; what’s my name, were am I from, what’s it like in Ireland? I want to tell him that I know what he’s doing - I studied first aid too - but he makes it much more conversational than I ever could.

The police arrive and begin questioning me - “Drugs?” No. “Alcohol?” No. “Definitely alcohol.” NO. I realise this is of course what I look like - a drunk/druggie collapsed down an alley. But this had no effect whatsoever on Raid from Syria and his young friend. Twelve hours later after kindly police, volunteer coordinators, doctors and nurses, it is over. I feel right as rain. Two weeks later I have yet to find Raid and his friend. I don’t know if I will at this point.

One of the questions put to us for this bio is “How is it to be a volunteer at Eleonas Camp?”. I have yet to feel as though I’m volunteering. I am receiving far too much in return to feel that way - the kindness of strangers, the constant offers of tea, the hugs and cuddles from children of all ages, the spontaneous dance sessions which no excuse will get you out of, the smiles and greetings wherever you go in camp, the emphatic “Yes” I received from one woman with little English when I smiled at her in passing, the stories people have shared, the chess I’ve been taught to play, the patience with and commitment to my attempts at speaking Farsi - it is all too much.

I try to work harder, do more hours, take on more shifts, something to even up the score, to feel as though I am contributing, “helping” with something but it seems as though the score will not be evened in this regard. To volunteer with Camp Eleonas is, in my experience, to receive far more than I can possibly give. 

Feeding You with Smiles: Meet Corentin Ozenne

sharing smiles

Name: Corentin Ozenne

Country of origin: France

Spoken languages: French, English, Spanish

Profession: Student

Why have you come to Greece to work with the refugees?

I used to watch news on TV. I wanted to get an idea of what's happening on my own and the best way to do it is   by meeting and helping refugees. As I had seen most of the refugees were in Greece and Italy so I decided between these two countries. 

How is it to be a volunteer at Eleonas camp? 

I got close with many people there, and I learnt so much from any person at the camp. A little cup of tea, teaching children how to garden, story time, basketball with adults, hearing people's lives; there all these little moments made my experience unforgettable. 

Do you have any suggestions for people considering volunteering with Project Elea?

Most of the volunteer swill tell you that it's like being part of a big family. In the Elea project every person has specific skills and is eager to learn from others by participating in different kinds of activities. Of course at the end of the day we're quite tired, but it's definitely worth it, believe me. Just enjoy as much as you can every moment at the camp, try different activities, try to lead, try to get in touch with families. Even if we fail sometimes, we learn from it, so just try.

What has been the most memorable part of your experience here?

If I had to pick a moment I'd choose the day we'd been to the beach with the children. They felt so excited about it and when we got there every volunteer took care of a child. We could play with them and teach how to swim to some others. Making them enter into the water was a victory for some of them and seeing them that proud made me feel good. It's a moment away from the camp; it's like an adventure for them and they definitely loved it. We shared an ice cream at the end and they were really happy. The child I was looking after even told me she didn't want to go to Germany anymore but to France to be with me. (I think i fell in love in that moment ^^). It was amazing and for sure I'll remember it.

What messages would you like the world to know?

Feed you with smiles from people who will become your second family.