Review: Lesbos before the fire: “These people have to keep fighting.”

Volunteer Caspar Nostitz (25) reports on his first assignment for STELP in Greece

I have been interested in the topic of social work for quite some time, because I am firmly convinced that a certain degree of willingness to help is deeply anchored in all of us human beings. That’s why I spent the last semester break – I’m studying economics in Cologne – looking for a humanitarian aid organization where I could gain experience and, above all, lend a hand. That’s where STELP came in!

The Stuttgart-based aid organization gave me the opportunity to volunteer during a stay in Greece at the end of August. Together with members of the board, I visited various refugee camps on Lesbos, Chios and in Athens. The main reason for our trip was to visit partner organizations – existing and new – on the ground and, where possible, to provide emergency aid. For STELP, it was the first visit in a long time following the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. For me personally, it was the first assignment of this kind ever.

“No human being can live like that.”

I think we all know the pictures of Greek refugee camps from the news. Miserable conditions prevail there. Insufficient food supply, unacceptable hygiene conditions, broken tents. Unfortunately, this kind of thing did not only happen in Europe’s largest refugee camp in Moria, but it is everyday life in all the places we visited.

In Moria – just a few weeks before the terrible fire – two main thoughts flashed through my mind: Horror and shame. The living conditions are miserable, no human being can live like that. When we tried to make some of the children laugh, you couldn’t read any emotion in their faces. Their facial expressions were petrified. These children are highly traumatized.

And I was ashamed. Ashamed, that I am a citizen of the EU. Normally, I am a big fan of this institution, of the values it represents. But these are literally trampled underfoot here. It is a joke that solidarity is praised in the political center, but it obviously does not apply in a refugee camp.

“Their road to freedom is far from over.”

Seeing all this with my own eyes moved me deeply and left me partly stunned. However, I found the personal conversations with the refugees even more formative, where I didn’t have to ask many questions. People have shared their stories with me on their own. They spoke about the harrowing motivations behind their flight, the perilous journey to their current location and, most importantly, the fact that they are far from reaching their destination. Because even if these people are lucky enough to get asylum after years of waiting, their road to freedom is far from over – especially in Greece.

These people have to keep fighting. For a work permit, for housing, for a social security number. These are the next, indispensable steps that refugees face, but which they can hardly manage on their own without the help of committed individuals or NGOs. This is exactly why organizations like STELP are so incredibly important.

Since the fire on September 8 almost completely destroyed Moria, the challenges have become even greater. Since there is obviously no political interest in finding a long-term solution, the issue will be with us for a very long time.

I hope that my work on the ground in Greece could contribute a little to improving the situation there. But you can’t leave it at that. Organizations like STELP are permanently dependent on volunteers – and on donations. If you are interested in the topic and the work of STELP, please get in touch. We are grateful for everyone who supports us, in any way.