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Week 3 of 4 volunteering in Greece. Objective : Finding similarities between travelers and refugees through their stories of search and hope.
The sea around here has a peculiar attraction. We fear it and at the same time admire it. As it is a bearer of good premonitions, and sometimes, such as yesterday, of bad ones…Yesterday morning a boat sank between turkey and greece, and our shores have washed up so far 16 bodies...but rescued 2 people one of whom was pregnant. Yesterday was a sad day for all, but today we are out there again.
In the last three weeks we have spent more hours than ever staring at the Aegan sea. Observing it. Reaching out to it. Bringing people from it, who have made the decision to leave behind them danger in exchange for safety abroad, or at least, the idea if not the illusion of it...On our night visions they appear like little spots of red or white on a monochrome landscape that is the sea at night as the heat exposes their presence. But no amount of red or white spots can show what inner anxiety they must feel as they cross over the sea for possibly the most stressful 2 hours of their lives...
No one should have to go through crossing the sea in such conditions. No matter the political opinions we may have, we have all at some point in our lives wanted to find a better life, move abroad to find a better home and leave behind us a life that gave us no new opportunities. These people who floke the sea and cross are in search of the same things as me and you. To move, to travel, to live, to smile.
The team of lighthouse relief is one of the biggest teams of volunteers here in Lesbos. But every minute counts. Out there in the sea we are blind, So we need all the pair of eyes we can.
Our minds will not rest and neither will our eyes, Lighthouse relief is trying to complete their 24/7 watch. So please come volunteer if you can - they are accepting and training people all year round. Even if you have 10 days to spare they will be useful. The work is hard but compensated by a great team. Email at [email protected] / www.lighthouserelief.com
Below a pic from the lighthouse we use as night spotting some time between 6am. And perhaps quiet ironically a nice reminder that all that we have left is hope...
(right photo credit : Alison Krimsky)
The sea around here has a peculiar attraction. We fear it and at the same time admire it. As it is a bearer of good premonitions, and sometimes, such as yesterday, of bad ones…Yesterday morning a boat sank between turkey and greece, and our shores have washed up so far 16 bodies...but rescued 2 people one of whom was pregnant. Yesterday was a sad day for all, but today we are out there again.
In the last three weeks we have spent more hours than ever staring at the Aegan sea. Observing it. Reaching out to it. Bringing people from it, who have made the decision to leave behind them danger in exchange for safety abroad, or at least, the idea if not the illusion of it...On our night visions they appear like little spots of red or white on a monochrome landscape that is the sea at night as the heat exposes their presence. But no amount of red or white spots can show what inner anxiety they must feel as they cross over the sea for possibly the most stressful 2 hours of their lives...
No one should have to go through crossing the sea in such conditions. No matter the political opinions we may have, we have all at some point in our lives wanted to find a better life, move abroad to find a better home and leave behind us a life that gave us no new opportunities. These people who floke the sea and cross are in search of the same things as me and you. To move, to travel, to live, to smile.
The team of lighthouse relief is one of the biggest teams of volunteers here in Lesbos. But every minute counts. Out there in the sea we are blind, So we need all the pair of eyes we can.
Our minds will not rest and neither will our eyes, Lighthouse relief is trying to complete their 24/7 watch. So please come volunteer if you can - they are accepting and training people all year round. Even if you have 10 days to spare they will be useful. The work is hard but compensated by a great team. Email at [email protected] / www.lighthouserelief.com
Below a pic from the lighthouse we use as night spotting some time between 6am. And perhaps quiet ironically a nice reminder that all that we have left is hope...
(right photo credit : Alison Krimsky)
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