“At the Parea Center, you see the good side of people” – Volunteer Svenja on Lesvos
Svenja was a volunteer with the partner organization "LeaveNoOneBehind" on Lesbos and volunteered at the Center Paréa Lesbos.
- Ann-Kathrin Frank
- Greece
At the Paréa Center you can see the good side of people
Doing something meaningful every day at the Paréa Center, something that has a direct impact on people, was a really wonderful experience. It strengthened my sense of self-efficacy. I realized that I can make a difference, that I am not powerless in the face of the world and the bad news.
I thought I couldn’t change anything anyway
This feeling stays with me even after the assignment. I would also like to get more politically involved in Germany. Before my stay on Lesbos, I always thought that nothing would change. That I couldn’t change anything myself. That there is no point in getting involved. I now have a different opinion.
My time on Lesbos showed me that there are people who can’t do that, who don’t have a voice. That’s why I’m all the more convinced that I should use my privileges to stand up for them.
My work at the Paréa Center
My support on site looked very diverse. For example, I washed the laundry of visitors to the Paréa Center or handed out toiletries and clothes to the camp’s residents.
“Extreme situations reinforce the good and bad sides of all people,” war photographer Julia Leeb once said in an interview. I kept thinking about this quote during my time on site. I think that at the Paréa Center you can see the good sides above all: the community, the goodwill of everyone. It’s a place where people get involved, where people help, where positive experiences are created through enjoyable activities such as music, sport and creativity. People from different cultures come together and exchange ideas. They chat, spend pleasant hours together and can leave their brittle everyday lives and all the many problems behind them for a short time.
It was and is a great feeling to have been part of it.
You are also interested in volunteering on Lesbos? You can find more information here.
