Here you can read testimonies of young people and refugees that were written by the participants during this project. About their experiences and thoughts during the project, during volunteering at Doliana refugee camp and bout the refugees' trip to Europe, current situation and future dreams.
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I had never been in a youth exchange and I expected it to be kind of serious thing where we have to study and know a lot of things. I was a bit surprised when I finally got here, because it was much more fun than I thought it would be and the people were really down to earth and very kind and helpful.
On the first day, we got to know each other. We played a lot of fun games and connected really fast.
On the second day, we talked about refugees in our countries and about general information, behaviors and approaches we can use at the camp when we will go there. We also got free time to explore the village where we were staying and we got to know that there live only 7 people. Also we found a church and there was a bell that you can ring. We made promotional videos about « our » village and we rang the bell in every video and when we went back to our big house and showed our videos, we got to know that the bell was only for emergency. You can only ring the bell when someone died, something is on tire or something like that.
On the third day, we went to the refugee camp. In our country, there are very few refugees, so I had never seen them and didn’t really know what to expect. I thought that everybody is very stressful and it’s hard to connect with them, but I was kind of wrong. Children were all so cheerful and even though they didn’t speak much English, we got friends with them very quickly. We did handcraft with them and also played football, basketball and ran around. They didn’t have good conditions there, but at least they had something and they were very thankful for that.
The second day in refugee camp was kind of the same as the first time, but this time the parents were more active and tried to connect with us and some parents even invited some of us into their rooms to drink tea and talk about their life in there.
On the third day in refugee camp we started painting their activity hall, because it looked really sad. At our house we made some sketches mostly and we started painting the backgrounds on the wall, so when we go there the next day, we can paint on the dry wall. Half of our people played with children so they won’t interrupt us too much and other half was painting the walls.
On the fourth day in the refugee camp we painted a minion, a world map, a bird and a lot of animals and other stuff. Even grown-ups wanted to come and help us to paint. After painting we saw that kids really loved their new walls and we played last games with them. I had a very nice experience from there and I saw that you can still be happy even when you don’t have a home and money. I really liked to help them and to make their day more beautiful. Now I think much better about them because I have met them and I know that what media talks about them is not true at all.
Almost every night one country made a presentation about their homeland and their culture and also took some food for us to taste. I really loved these nights because I got to know more about other countries and we had a lot of fun.
Also we visited world’s deepest gorge. I had never been there and never even seen real mountains, so that was one of my favorite activity we had. I really loved being in a youth exchang and I
didn’t want to go home and not to see these people I met in these 10 days anymore. I would definitely want to do this again.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration
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First day in the camp was like a discovery for me, most of the people here were welcoming. Most of the kids were 5 to 10 years old, I think I only met 2 teenagers. In the beginning we tried to make a lot of different games. All kind of people participated in the activities. We brought a lot of balls and all kinds of objects for kids so they can have fun with us. But we understood that some of the objects were not so useful and we realized that most of the children like games involving balls like volleyball, football and basketball. In the beginning, we played with them just outside the camp and after the kids showed us a football and volleyball field. Most of the older kids join us to play football and volley-ball. At some point I was having so much fun with them that I forgot that I was in a refugee camp. There was no problem with communication because with these kinds of sports we don’t really need to talk but just to play.
We exchanged our names as we were playing and most of them knew some English basics. Most of them asked us questions about where we come from and how long we are going to stay. I didn’t ask them the same questions.
On the second day, when the kids saw us they directly took us to the football field to play, even some adults came to play with us. One of the adult came to see me and told me that he’s Kurdish and come from Syria, he told me that we had some common origins.
The third and the fourth days it was raining so we had to stay inside the camp and I met a small kid. He was four years old. I don’t know really why but he started to stay with me all the day. I think one of the reasons could be my origins, because I wear a necklace with the symbol of my origin. When he saw it he started to stay with me and when I took him in my arms he always touch it. He knew two phrases in English: “Good” and “not very good”. On this day many other participants would be doing the painting of sports hall, so I went around with that little boy and made him judge the paintings on the walls, playing football and going around the camp with him. I know that he’s from Syria because he asked me if I come from here too. I don’t know what happened in his life but every time I saw him he always looked happy and smiling.
I also met a boy who told me he has some family in France, he showed me some recording in “whats’app” where they are speaking a bit French.
As far as I feel, the people from this camp are not cold or distant with us, they welcomed us and accepted the fact that we are playing with their kids. And
for the kids, well, I can’t deny that saying goodbye to the small kid at the end was hard for me.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, France.
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I spent some days in refugee camp, at first it was a strange feeling because I didn’t know how adults and kids feel about our coming. But it was ok, next day I spoke with refugees, heard their stories. Some are really sad – because some families are separated and they don’t know when they will meet all together again. Most of adults didn’t speak English so it was hard to understand them, but they were really thankful for our activities, kids were happy. Last day it was so hard to leave the camp because of the kids. They used to see us and it was really sad to know that we will not come to visit them again, I was crying from inside.
Few things surprised me a lot in the camp. All kids I asked how many siblings they have, they said to me 5, 6 or even more, and many mothers looked very young. It is not usual in my country.
Adults and kids shared their food with us. I hope they learn language of the country where they will go and have a nice life in Europe.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Lithuania.
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Ali is a young Kurdish man from Syria. He left Syria in 2012. Ali and his wife with 2 babies live in the Doliana’s refugees camp for 10 months. « Organizations do a lot for us in the camp » says Ali. His brother already is in Germany so he hopes to join him in the near future.
-What it is like to live in the war zone, I asked him.
- You never know when to expect an explosion. For example, you sit peacefully at home and suddenly a bomb drops out of nowhere. A lot of my friends and relatives died this way. One we were at the wedding of my family member. The wedding was hit by the terrorist attacks, 25 people died.
There are no jobs in Syria now so lots of people who doesn’t have savings are starving. Also, you can see all kinds of crimes there because there is no government or law.
Refugees are coming to Europe because they want to protect their children. They don’t want to change European traditions or lifestyle. My kids after some years will adapt to the local culture. For example, if we will live in Germany, they will live as Germans.
Participant of Youth for RefuGeneration, Estonia.
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This is a story of a guy who was looking for his wild and wise freedom, for his own way into the life ocean. He was wondering for so long how to be really himself at full and once he left his house, family and friends to find a place to stay and find a solution. After 4 long months of experiences he ended up into a refugees' camp where life is slow and perspectives hard.
Military controls the access and distribute food at lunch time, feeding families from Syria, Kurdistan and Afghanistan who live here waiting to be officially allowed to move somewhere else. Elderly people seem to be the most confused, as they lost their own traditional environment and its more difficult for them to keep their important role into the community. Fathers walk around or stand at the entrance using smartphones to contact relatives and friends who remained back or went to other locations. Mothers wash clothes, cook, talk to each other. Oldest boys lay around with nothing much to do. Boys and girls go to learn English at a temporary class run by volunteers. Smallest kids run all around the building playing games and when young volunteers go to play with them magic things happens and the lonely and lost guy realized how much he is learning from those young human beings who are always happy and cheerful, even if they have a scaring past of escaping bombs. After a while he turned happy and well, thanks to kids who reminded him how to reach joy and happiness in life.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Greece
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Leaving the camp on the first day, I felt exhausted, rather emotionally, than physically. Seeing the kids and the way they acted, made my mind imagine what they had previously experienced before arriving to the camp into safety. How the same eyes, that on the surface, looked worriless, had possibly seen their homes destroyed, dear people killed and other horrors of war that we can hardly imagine, in the « bubble » of safety that we live in. Imagining their losses and past, most of what we call problems, become next to nothing. For me, there is a sense of guilt, that comes with it. Yet we tend to think in our society, that it’s not our problem. That this will not happen to us. But it already had in the past and most likely will happen again. The refugees seem to be very misunderstood (at least in my country) and the main sufferers seem to be the kids.
During my time there, I was mostly playing ball games with children and painting the walls of their play-hall. I felt connected to them on a deeper level, which I believe many other participants did and I was able to speak with an Afghanis’ family in their private room with few other participants of the project.
The Afghan girl was around 10 years old and told us how her mother was kidnapped by the Taliban. She and her father then had to gather money, so the Taliban would not kill her. Eventually, they got her back and they left the country, eventually reaching Doliana refugee camp.
Most of the refugees did not speak English, therefore it was difficult to conversate with them. Though, an older Syrian woman tried to communicate with me, explaining with non-verbal language that she escaped war in her country and that she got here on a boat. On the last day, me and few participants were invited into a family’s private room for some tea and crackers. We found the family very hospitable, kind and communicative. It seemed they also wanted to show gratitude for spending time with their children. Unfortunately, our time there was limited, as their time of lunch was approaching. The most powerful moment for me was, when clowns entered the kid’s playing hall, inviting them outside and their screams pierced my ears. Their emotions were extremely powerful as they had been waiting it for years. When they went outside for the show, they already knew all the words of the performers by heart. Then their parents gathered around to watch from, although many had worried expressions, it could be seen they were thankful the performers come to them to bring more sunshine in their days.
In general, before arriving first time to the camp, I believed the cultural and behavioral differences would be a lot bigger. Meeting both the kids and the adults, I found them very similar to us. I found the adults very polite, as they were always welcoming us and saying goodbye with a smile. It is not something that in my country strangers would often do. Though in media and social media they are visualized to us similar to savages. I found that completely false. The project I participated in has been a fulfilling and horizon-widening experience that I am truly glad I experienced. Our organizers have done more than enough to make us feel welcomed and keep the project moving smooth, even though there were unexpected difficult situations. For this experience, I am truly thankful to them. The project has given me new perspectives on the refugee situation. Since there is still a lot of ignorance on this topic, even among my friends, I will try to share more objective information and my personal experience with them and also in situations of intolerance.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration
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Before being a volunteer in a refugee camp people tried to convince me to be afraid of them. It was abnormal for me. Why should I be afraid of people?
Days in a camp were mentally really hard for me. I understood even more how unfair and cruel our world is. People trust media and public opinion too much. They trust it without taking time to make an effort in order to get true information about the topic. For example – media shows us pictures of refugees with smartphones so people could say that they are rich and actually have a really good life, even better than ours. But they do not know that those people sold everything to buy boat tickets and one cellphone to keep a contact with their family. On that most of the refugees are young men who want to take over the Europe. But did they know that 51% of refugees are innocent children ?
I still cannot imagine how much those sweet little kids have seen and what they have come through. Those 2-3 years old children have seen worse things than most of us will ever see. But still they were open hearted. Even when we spoke different languages and we often didn’t understand each other, it was possible to get a contact with them.
Somehow it became that our volunteers had «their own children». I had Diana. At first, she was really shy, so it took about one hour of putting on stickers to make an eye contact with her. After that she was opening more and more. At the end of the day she was laughing and joking. On the last day, she was kissing me and screaming a new word she learned «sun». I got really close to her and with her family. I hope that one day my little Diana will find a peaceful place to live in.
People who have less are always giving most. Families were inviting us to our place to drink tea and eat cookies. They were offering us water and apples and more cookies and more apples. They gave us even shampoos and tissues because that’s what they got from supporting organizations so they wanted to share it with us!
And of course, I won’t forget all the smiles I received.
In conclusion, we are all humans. We shouldn’t classify or separate each other. No one has any reason to think that he or she is better than somebody else. It doesn’t matter how much money do you have or where you are from. The thing what matters is humanity. I wish everyone would take this one hour of putting stickers in order to understand.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Estonia.
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,,Refugees camp‘‘- this name always sounded very painful, sad, negative way for me. It is associates with war, pain and iniquity. Our society and press is talking very much about refugees’ issue in the Europe. Many people have negative position about refugees, most of society thinks that refugees are doing only harm to European countries. In November 2016, I had especially brilliant and priceless opportunity to see refugees’ life: to communicate, to see reality in the camp. I saw a lot of various aged children in the dismal, dark hall. Obviously, from the first sight most of them were a little bit shy and closed. But after one hour spending with them I saw these kids are like active, curious, kind human beings. The parents of children were very warm too, they were sharing their food and drinks with us. Children seemed very happy when we were communicating, singing, dancing, playing with them. While spending more and more time with kids I felt very useful for them. Every time when we were arriving it was the biggest joy and pleasure to see happiness in their eyes. The last days we painted those dark hall walls, the area became colorful and positive. I believe that these colorful walls will remind hope and give positive energy for children. It was pleasure to have opportunity to value refugees’ situation by myself. We are all human beings and I hope that Europeans will change their opinion and will greet new refugees with positive minds and warm.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Lithuania
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For me, it wasn’t the first time in this refugee camp. I have been there for three or four times before as a volunteer. My first time there was unique because all the kids were coming to meet me and they were suggesting to me to play together. In that time, I was also invited to a refugee home in which they offered to me a cup of tea and they were really good people. After this, I visited the camp some more times for activities with the children. We had only few activities like drawing or playing football / volleyball but in these activities, I felt very satisfied because the kids were very happy. I was also surprised because some of the kids remembered my name.
During the project we, as a team, visited the camp four days. So, the first day that I went there I was really happy because I haven’t been there for a sometime before the project. We played with the kids as a team and after some clowns visited the camp and it was the first time that I saw something like this, I didn’t know that clowns are going to camp for the kids. The second day was a usual day there, we had some sports activities with the kids again and some of us colored the walls. Some people and I were invited to a family room in which they offered us many things for the whole group such as paper and healthy stuff. The last day was completely different from the other times because we colored the walls by making special paintings (mickey mouse, animals etc.). This day I had a strange feeling because I experienced something different. I understood how one person can be deeply connected with someone else. The members of the team said to the children that is the last day in the camp and most of the children were sad. When we were leaving one little girl hugged me and didn’t let me go to the bus even if I told to here that I will come back in some days.
In conclusion, from the project experience in the camp I realized that each day can be different and more interesting than the others. The “work” is becoming better when more people are there to help and the children feel happier.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Greece
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I volunteer in Doliana refugee camp for several months, almost since the time the refugees arrived there. Before the first time I went there, I was kind of confused about what to expect because the media and social media has covered the refugee crisis topic a lot from various aspects. Nevertheless, already on my first day there I realized that most of the people at the camp are very welcoming to me and my colleagues and obviously, they appreciate the activities we do there and are helpful to us.
At the camp, Im doing activities for children, youngsters and some of their parents. Our activities are recreational, mostly sports or art related activities, sometimes leisure time activities in general. An important aim for me being at the camp is to improve the relationship between children coming from different ethnic minorities and to follow their emotional condition in order to report to social workers any sudden negative changes in their emotional condition if there is any.
During my time there, I experienced positive and negative emotions while being in contact with the refugees. I got attached to most of the children and youth of the camp and to several families which has been a life changing for me to be emotionally attached to that many people who are in such highly disadvantaged situation of their lives. The people there were so positive to me, helpful, appreciative and welcoming every time I went there, I received friendship and trust. Over a tea or meal offered by them, often they would tell me stories of life in their countries, the horrible reasons they had to fled their country and the way they got here. It’s pretty hard to deal with the information I hear from them, about the ways they traveled to safety, about their family situation, about the way they live at the camp, about their unclear future and so on.
I was one of the persons who worked to create the YOUth for RefuGeneration project because I wanted the stories of refugees to be heard and to bring the society of EU and refugees closer. It was sad to hear that in some other countries the opinions of the society are even more negative towards the refugees but at the same time I was pleased to see there are many like-minded people with me.
For some days, all of the participants of the project would go to the refugee camp to do voluntarism activities with refugees. We organized crafting and arts activities, sports and other games with children and some of their parents, also we organized a painting of walls at a sports hall of the camp. We and other volunteers/workers of the camp usually have activities at the sports hall due to limited space for activities but the hall was in a quite bad condition. I think that at the first day participants of the project got in touch with the children and their parents through the activities and during the next days they could spend more quality time together, in many cases to exchange some life stories. It was amazing for me to see how happy and cheered up were the children and how appreciative were their parents and that the refugees who have almost nothing and their food and other items are very limited, would share their items, tea and some meals etc. with all of us. There were the high points of seeing Europeans and refugees spending time together, having fun and being solidaire to each other as equals, but then there were the low points of realizing the huge inequality between the participants of the project and refugees, made by the wars and bureaucrats. I wish there were no wars and no bureaucracy BUT as far as we look back to the human history, there were always wars and some kinds of bureaucracy and no one couldn’t change that. I, as an individual, can only try to deal with the situation of refugee crisis at the moment and I would surely encourage anyone to take positive actions for dealing with the refugee situation we all are in. It’s about putting yourself in other’s shoes and having empathy.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Greece
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Firstly, I would like to say, that I am really glad for the opportunity to participate in this project, meet refugees, explore Greece and to have an unforgettable time.
From the beginning of the project, I was surprised and impressed by the mountains, our small village we were living in and by the kindness of the local people. Every morning was different and it was breathtaking to see the landscape of the mountains, colored in contrasting autumn colors.
Before coming to refugees' camp, I was a little bit scared, because of the lack of previous experience, however, I realized that experience and fluent language skills were not necessary in communication with these people. Surprisingly, the refugees were so honest and friendly, that even without speaking the same language, I could feel their kindness and even get attached to them. They were giving us their new toothbrushes, soaps, creams and some other things (they were given by supporting organisations), because they were so grateful that we visited them. Kids were so cute - always smiling, playing and running around us or asking to carry on our backs. I felt in love with them.
One day the circus came to our camp. It was so lovely to see the genuine smiles and laughs of the children. We were singing, playing different games in the circle and just being together. Then I realized that the job, which these volunteers were doing, was very important for them and for the children. It was an example for people who are searching for the meaning in their lives. And this meaning is very simple - to do something good for others, to help somebody without expecting any money, because by doing good jobs, you get so much more back. Volunteering brings you joy, understanding, love and fulfillment. Undoubtedly, these folks were an example for me and I decided to be more open-minded, less judgmental and more understanding.
Another big thing for me, which happened in a refugees camp, was painting on the walls. We started to do this job alone, luckily, refugees joined us and helped us. I felt a strange, but very cozy connection and just realized that we all are the same, humans, searching for peace and love. We all were born equal and we have to support each other, no matter what.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Lithuania
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I am really happy that I took part in this project. Before I really did not know what to think about refugees and if I had opportunity to stay away from the conversations about them, then I did it, because I did not want to judge them, but also I did not know how to protect them. Now I know.
During the last days I have had the possibility to see life in the refugee camp, get to know adults and children in the camp and also to build my own opinion about refugees. I am really happy about that experience, because I saw that those people are nice and not such a bad people as so many people like to think.
I feel really sorry for them, because I can not imagine, how it would be to live, if you do not have your own home anymore, do not know how long you will stay at the camp and in to which country they will send you. They do not even know, which language should they learn, because it might be that after learning Greek, they might be sent to Germany or elsewhere. So they just have to wait and hope for the best.
People often say that refugees come here because they want something from us. Of course there might be some people like that, but I think most of them are here because they just want to protect themselves and their children and it is the only way how to do that. I met a really nice family, who invited me at their place. They were so friendly with me, offered tea and food and tried to communicate as much as they could. I saw how happy they were about our visit, even if we actually could not do much for them. We just tried to bring a little bit more happiness and something new into their everyday life and it looked that it was already big thing for them, because children had possibility to color and do things that they are usually not able to do.
I really hope that I am able to change some of the people’s minds about refugees. It is not right to build your opinion about them with the information that you get from the media. Its not always right and its not nice to judge people without actually knowing them. We should really try to put ourselves more in their position and try to understand with what they have to face.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Estonia
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All I knew about refugees and their camps was only information given by social media. Usually for articles they pick the most extreme and sad stories that could shock and attract attention of society.
Nowadays the topic of refugees is very wide in all the Europe. Personally, I have never faced it before. When I saw Erasmus+ project “Youth for RefuGeneration” about refugees which going to be held in Greece I noticed that it’s my opportunity to see face this situation and have my own point of view.
When I arrived to Greece for a project I didn’t really know what to expect from the refugee camp. I just knew that we will go to the camp and have activities with kids who stay there. I was so excited about that idea but at the same time I was a bit worry. I didn’t know how refugees are going to welcome us and I was worry to fail. Maybe another reason why I was worry could be influence of the same social media who is against Islamic people and draw the equal line between them and ISIS…
After my volunteering experience in my country with kids from families with social problems, where alcoholism is the most common problem and kids face really hard childhood, I was prepared to see something similar to that but I was so much wrong.
What did I really saw?
When we arrived to the camp of refugees, kids started to join us one after another. They were so kind, lovely and a bit shy in the beginning. Kids with smiling faces and shinning eyes who were thirsty of kindness and LOVE. That shows that we came for a purpose!
Just imagine old music school with many families with common toilets where wife doing laundry, dirty and cold environment, bad smell and many other little things… Is that what every family wish for their kids? I don’t think so!
During art activities, one girl who speaks English very well after just 3 month of studying it, was telling how she feels there. That it’s so hard to find friends there because most of kids are very young or older ones are only boys. When she started telling that one of the reason she emigrates from Afghanistan was her mom’s kidnap and ISIS was asking for money if they want to get her back otherwise she will be killed. Luckily all her family is safe. In fact, her mom was together with us making some handcrafts. Honestly, it was one of the most tough and touching moment from all those days we spent there. There are much more untold stories about what those families faced in the war zone and these consequences you can see till now.
One of my favorite moment was painting and drawing in the hall of sport area where we had all the activities during visits in the camp. Colored walls and drawings as world map near the entrance to the hall which me and my friend painted and also a bird, a minion, an angel rising a heart, lovely animals in the nature and Mickey mouse made all that area more playful and joyful not only for kids but for all the community of the camp. All we can help to them is care and share our friendship and LOVE.
Participant of YOUth for RefuGeneration, Lithuania