The work continues on the islands of Lesbos and Samos in Greece where – since ten days and for the entire month of August - the Sant’Egidio volunteers will spend their holidays with refugees. We deeply thank them for sharing inspiring stories and images of their work and a reality about whom too little is said.
"One of the first things we noticed when visiting the Moria camp was the string desire of both children and adults to study". Everyone had to leave their country because of war and violence, but also their loved ones, their daily lives and face a dangerous journey, risking their lives. They are Afghans, Syrians, Congolese, Cameroonians, most of them minors. We immediately decided to start a School for Peace for Children and an English language School for Adults.
The School of Peace is held twice a week in a facility near the Moria camp (made available by Come Team Humanity - created by the Iraqi-Danish Salam Aldeen) and welcomes a hundred children each time. Study, parties and friendship to restore some sort of normality for the many children who have had their childhood taken away. Children are so eager to learn.
The English Language School is attended by 40 adults takes place twice a week at the Hope Project place, the same facility hosting the Friendship Restaurant. This proposal was immediately successful, such is the desire to communicate with everyone. Therefore, we started a similar project in Lesbos too: learning language can build strong bridges between cultures, where everyone is understood.
Both schools are laboratories of civilization and coexistence: peaceful environment laying the foundations for future integration. In this sense, they are also a sign of hope.
