“The volunteering made me realize how privileged I am simply because of my German passport” – Volunteer Marissa on Lesbos
Marissa was a volunteer with the partner organization "LeaveNoOneBehind" on Lesbos and volunteered at the Center Paréa Lesbos.
- Ann-Kathrin Frank
- Greece
Stay
In October 2023, I spent a month on the Greek island of Lesbos and supported the Parea Community Center in cooperation with the partner organization LeaveNoOneBehind. In addition to LNOB, there are 11 other organizations on site at the Parea Community Center, which provide services such as legal advice, psychological help, food distribution, etc. for refugees.
My motivation
Since September 2021, I have been volunteering in Stuttgart at the non-profit Café Natan, whose profits go towards STELP’s humanitarian projects. After graduating, I decided to do an assignment abroad with STELP to get an idea of the situation on the ground and to see how the donations are used.
Work on site
Together with other volunteers and full-time staff, I supported the local people from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. I also worked with community volunteers – people who are refugees themselves. My work stations were the container with washing machines and dryers, the Freeshop, the clothes distribution and the storage container. I was assigned to a new station every few days. At the first station, I helped to wash, dry and fold the refugees’ laundry. Depending on how much laundry we took in, we were able to return the laundry to the refugees on the same day or 1-3 days later. In the Freeshop we gave out donations in kind such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shower gel and socks. I helped with sorting and handing out the clothes at the clothes counter. In the storage container, we sorted and counted donations in kind and packed them into boxes.
Conclusion
In the 4 weeks I spent on Lesbos, I was able to learn more about the situation at Europe’s external borders and meet many new people. The mission made me realize how privileged I am simply because of my German passport and how many doors are open to me that remain closed to others. The assignment abroad showed me that everyday things that I take for granted, such as putting on a fresh pair of socks every day, are not at all a matter of course for many people and that we should value these things more. I am very grateful that I was able to go abroad with STELP and gain so many impressions that I will not soon forget. After attending the STELP information event on assignments abroad, the briefings with the STELP volunteer coordinator and the interview with the LNOB volunteer coordinator, I felt very well prepared for my assignment and had a really positive experience. So if you have the opportunity to spend at least one month on Lesvos, I recommend that you get in touch with STELP and attend the next information event on volunteering abroad.
You are also interested in volunteering on Lesbos? You can find more information here.
