During the summer of 2017, I travelled to Athens to share tie with the Syrian and Afghani people living in the refugee camps there. It was an incredible experience that taught me so much about the current conditions in that area and provided me an opportunity to use my tools to bring some ease to the people struggling there. What I learned was that refugees are not victims. They are a resilient group of people who are surviving in the most difficult conditions imaginable. I also got to experience the beauty of exchanging grace and humanity, sharing laughter and love with strangers from very different backgrounds than my own.
At the Syrian camp, I got to run specialized women’s health care groups, treat multi-generational families and provide health care to the volunteers who had been serving long term at the camps. I also had the chance to share many meals, celebrations and even a soccer game wit h the families living there. In the Afghani camps, I mostly treated children. They were hilarious and their enlivened spirits really showed the amazing ability we have to adapt and endure.
The violence of the region and the lack of resources to the people is disturbing and the current economic situation Greece is serious. We can all work in our own circle of influence to improve and prevent these global issues from worsening.
