Why Was I There?

"I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,

 I usually make the right decision."

Maya Angleou

Mytillini Castle

Three weeks ago, as I walked out the door to catch a car to Newark Airport to head back to my beloved Lesvos, my brother called.  “Mom is back in the ER.  I know you’d never forgive me, if I didn’t tell you.  But, Mom, myself, and Dr. D feel you should continue on with your plans.”  Mom fell a month ago.  I spent almost a week with her and she was healing nicely.  Recently Mom urged me to go back as to Lesvos as “the Folks there need you more than I do.”  Oh, dear God.  

I knew there were protests happening on Lesvos, both by native Residents of the island and by non-native Residents (Refugees).  A general strike was called for the day I was scheduled to arrive.  Both of these things have happened in the past, usually to no avail, although it had been a tad less peaceful in recent weeks.  After many phone calls, some soul searching, I defied the gods and got on my plane…

When I went through customs at the Athens airport it struck me again how easy it is, has always been, creating a bit of guilt over my white American privilege.  There was an announcement at the gate for our flight to Mytillini.  Not understanding, I went to the agent, fearing the flight was cancelled due to unrest on Lesvos.  No, the flight was simply overbooked, and they were looking for a volunteer to wait. I couldn’t.  I had folks waiting for me: with my rental car at the airport, then my apartment rental agent was meeting me in the Old Port to guide me to my home for two months.  Looking around the terminal at my fellow passengers, it was all so normal.

 Everything was simple, although driving through Mytillini was eerily dark and quiet…

My Cafe (living room)

For over two years, this being my 5^thvisit, I have been trying to put into words my experiences on, and my love of, this beautiful island in the Northern Aegean Sea.   That will come.  I believe it.  I started writing this in the tiny Café that my dear landlord and his family shared with me.  It became my living room.  I needed to put into non-politicized words, some thoughts and feelings of my too short visit back on Lesvos

A bit of quick background first: I came to Greece for the first time in the summer of 2017.  I gifted myself this trip after a few very tough years personally and because who hasn’t dreamt of Greece?  I combined my explorations with a three-week volunteer stint with a Dutch NGO, born of the 2015 Refugee crisis on this beautiful island. My time with Movement on the Ground forever changed my life, enriching and putting it in perspective in ways no other experience has.  (And, for better or worse, I have had a few experiences.)

Friends and family have often asked, “What do you do on the Camps?”  My answer has always been “Whatever we can to make life a little kinder and gentler for Humans whose worlds were turned upside down by war, political and financial unrest, and are in a very strange limbo.”  I am passionate, blessed, and grateful about being able to go there.

I am not a fan of politics.  Right now, I am truly disappointed and dismayed by the “leaders” in much of our world.  I am a fan of Nike’s logo “Just do it.”  Living by the Greek Goddess’ symbolism of strength, victory, and speed is more poignant than ever.  Well, things on Lesvos, and the other Aegean islands escalated in a negative way once I arrived.  The dear folks who call these islands home have had it.  They feel that the world has deserted them, and I cannot disagree.   I truly cannot put into succinct words the politics involved here.  It exhausts and infuriates me.   

Having had a lot of unexpected free time, I was glued to social media to keep up with things as they happened, and escaped into rom-com novels.  Not gonna lie.  One of the best articles that best sums up that first week was written by Doug Herman, who created another amazing NGO, Refocus Media Lab..  The work they are doing is pretty impressive. https://medium.com/are-you-syrious/ays-special-lesvos-well-beyond-the-brink-this-is-what-we-know-so-far-7c11873e12f8.  

I now fully understand what the mob mentality can do.  A few days of work had to be cancelled due to road closures, and safety issues as some hooligans were directing anger at Humanitarian workers.  Some NGOs decided to cease operations and evacuated to Athens, for now.  We continued as much as we could, and would sometimes be sent home, and asked to stay indoors.  My teammates were safe.  I felt especially so as my landlords watched over me closely.

A child drowned, a man was shot and killed at the Turkish border, and there were films on social media of Coast Guard boats actually trying to hurt more than help Humans in rafts. (It literally took my breath away that most of the Folks on these boats were not wearing any life jackets at all, never mind fake ones).  On the Greek borders, on the Sea and at the Turkish border were “military exercises with live ammunition.”  

I texted my Daughters to assure them I was safe and sound, in case they saw something on social media. (Thankfully Mom doesn’t do social media.)  Katie suggested that perhaps I come home.  I reminded her that six years ago I put her on a plane to Sierre Leone to battle Ebola with full confidence and trust in her abilities.

My wonderful Landlord

My lil Girlfriend,  my Landlord's granddaughter

What a difference a few days made.  The WHO announced that COVID 19, Corona virus, had reached the point of being a world-wide pandemic.  When I left the US, the White House was still belittling it, and there were few cases at home.  Mom was terrified I may get it; not get good treatment; and/or get stuck on a Greek Island.  I assured her I was keeping a close eye on things in that regard and there were no cases on Lesvos.  (As of now there is one case on Lesvos, on the other side of the island from where the Camps are.  If it hits the Camps, especially Moria, my heart breaks just thinking about it.)  I woke up one morning to a text from Kristi asking me to come home as the WH had put a travel ban on European travel to start in 2 days.  As it turns out, it allowed US citizen to come home, but I realized that it was simply not fair to put this stress on my family.  The next 48 hours became quite an odyssey: rearranging flights; saying a sad farewell to my new “Lesvosian family” (my Landlord’s family); 3 flights totaling 20+ hours going through Dubai?! bringing me home to a 2 week self-quarantine in the City that never Sleeps but is pretty much shut down.

This week there was yet another fire in Moria.  A precious six year old girl perished.  Stephan Oberreit (MSF Greece) declared "European and Greek authorities who continue to contain people in such inhumane conditions have a responsibility in the repetition of these dramatic episodes. How many times we have to see the tragic consequences of this inhuman policy of containment before we urgently evacuate people out of the hell of Moria.” (https://www.theguardian.com/…/child-killed-in-lesbos-refuge…)

Twilight on my beach

For now, I believe the reason I was there is to share and ask others to open their eyes and hearts to things happening outside their piece of this earth.  The world is interesting right now, to put it mildly, and all consumed with coronavirus. It should, and has to be.  But, on some beautiful islands in the Aegean Sea, there is so much more: true fear, anger, and strife, along with unnecessary death and injury.   

Please pray for Everyone on Lesvos.  Perhaps we’ll start to see Humanity rise again.  Inshallah, sooner rather than later.

Other reliable sources of information:  

Movement on the Ground: https://movementontheground.com.  

Right now, I understand there is so much financial uncertainty for most of us. But, if there is any way you are able to make a donation to MOTG, I can personally vouch that it is used for its great work on Lesvos and Samos.  Thank you, in advance.

Amnesty International Released this statement: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/greece-inhumane-asylum-measures-will-put-lives-at-risk/

Aegean Boat Report

From The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/02/child-dies-as-boat-carrying-migrants-capsizes-off-lesbos?fbclid=IwAR0YFWFqWuBd_InEuj9yV2ZIc3V12gpzlAwbxmYo_-hV3vhJeK7xbTupdeU.