I spent a month in Greece, and three of the four weeks were spent on the island of Lesvos. I originally joined the program because of the opportunity it gave me to interact with refugee aid NGOs and learn about the refugee crisis that occurred on the island in 2015 from people who experienced it. Despite my academic knowledge of the events, nothing could have prepared me for what I actually learned on the program.

I was able to work with two different groups. When We Band Together was a women’s and children’s center. I was able to help take care of the kids, coloring, playing soccer, and drawing in chalk with them. This was done so that the moms had time to relax, interact with each other, and learn valuable skills, such as German, English, and computer skills. My group and I also worked with the ladies to make handicraft items, knot bracelets and painted stones, that they could then sell to start a small business to support themselves. This was an amazing experience as I was able to spend time with various women from Afghanistan, Somalia, and Syria. Hearing about their lives and experiences and seeing their resilience and joy was absolutely inspiring. The center was dedicated to creating a place of peace and hope, and it truly was a place of refuge from the camps for these ladies.

The second group I worked with was Iliahtida. This was a group that was originally organized to serve the mentally handicapped population in the island, as Greece does not have very many resources for them. Then in the wake of the refugee crisis, they created integration classes for the unaccompanied minors that arrived. The minors were placed in homes around the island with caretakers, translators, and counselors who worked to help get the boys and girls into schools and other aid. The group offered classes about Greek, and European culture so that the refugees would be better equipped to live in their new environment. This gave me the chance to interact with teenagers and kids my age and learn from them. We worked with them in the classes but then also had extra time with them as we did yard work at their homes. Together we painted gates, planted flowers, and made the area nicer and more theirs.

This program gave me the chance to meet people with wildly different life experiences from my own and learn not only from them but also that we are not nearly as different as some may think, even if we live across the world from one another.

Name: Rachel Peters
Status: Junior
Major: International Relations
Hometown: New Boston, Michigan
Program: Contemporary Culture, Politics and Society in Greece