Is there room for them in our inn?

Thu 24 Dec 2015, 08:55

Maria Tran paid homage last night to a local Lesvos hero, at the same reporting that Rayyan Haries' kitchen at Platanos appears to have been given a reprieve:

I have great news about the Platanos camp. The police did not show up today to dismantle the camp as they threatened to do. When the Mayor's office was contacted, they claimed that they didn't know about the order. Hopefully, all the publicity that we've raised and the support that everyone has shown on the ground and in social media did the trick to put pressure on them to not touch the camp.

Thinking about the camp reminds me to do something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, which is to properly thank Apostolis for everything he's done for the camp and for the help he's provided to hundreds of thousands of refugees that arrive through the north shore of Lesvos.

This is not the first time I've profiled Apostolis, nor will it be the last. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Homeric songs should be sung about this wonderful man. I met Apostolis while volunteering at Skala food station when I was there in October. Most volunteers are a bit afraid of Apostolis because he fiercely guards the milk and other scarce snacks, reserving them for the babies. On any given night, you can hear him yell out, "milk for beh beh", meaning the milk is just for babies, at the new volunteers whose soft hearts compel them to pour milk for men who ask for it.

Apostolis taught me everything I know about how to deal with children experiencing trauma. He has an amazing instinct to identify the emotional state of the children, knowing which ones he needs to give an extra piece of candy to or which ones need a stuffed animal to bring them out of shock.

I learned during this trip that Apostolis is the unofficial father of the Skala camp. Starting February, he and an Austrian (or Australian) named Patrick started patrolling the north coast of Lesvos because they noticed boats coming in. Back then, it was just the two of them out there. He recalls fondly that they'd drive their little beater van up and down the coast, giving people whatever they had--4-5 pairs of shoes donated by friends, a ride to the road. It was in during the summer when the volume of people arriving started to soar that he put a call out to Athens and got a group of anarchists to come and help him set up camp. People like Alex Aristopoulos, Sofia Vouvaki, Peydar Efrini (Abdul), Dimitris Mamakos and Feral Fauno showed up to help and our little Skala Platanos camp started to form. Then we had others like Rayyan Haries showed up to cook and Michael-John Von Hörsten showed up to provide medical services and we all became a family--each unit providing a vital, complementary service.

Apostolis tells me that he used to be at the shore helping boats come in. But he stopped doing that shortly before I met him because a boat crashed on the rocks while he was out there and he wasn't able to save a 2 month old baby. That incident still scars him. He chokes up telling me this story. Since that time, he only works at the camp, giving food to children. Like his friend Celina Kyriakou, there are some things that haunt you too much and makes you have to change course.

It was very important to me and other donors who have heard me talk about Apostolis that he doesn't have to worry about limited supply of milk, stuffed animals or candy for the children. Since my time here in October, the camp is getting donations for milk from another organization, but Sea of Solidarity funds stuffed animals and other things for children, like shoes.

Apostolis speaks limited English and on a good day, I know about 10 words of Greek. But that hasn't stopped us from forming a deep bond. I love this man and consider him my Greek father and he's told me that he loves me like a daughter. When we said good-bye this time, he gave me his Palestinian scarf (shown in the photo) that he's had for 13 years. I am so touched by this act. I think of it as my battle scarf and hope to make him proud every time I wear it. Just like others whom I've met volunteering here, I gave this man a piece of my heart in return.

[Here is the photo Maria mentions: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9htswve3iekwk31/Apostolic.jpeg?dl=0 ]

Jeannie Etherton got home (Stroud) from Calais late last night: increasingly, wooden shelters are being built to replace tents, but it's a slow business and takes materials and organisation:

Fresh back from Calais Jungle..was a family trip this time as Hector Ellie and Nico came with us.. (as well as Kay and Joe and Toni) .. so much mud..it was rainy and windy and tents blew flat in front of us... desperate people angry and fed up....loads more shelters have been built..

Hector Ellie and Joe spent a day building and helped get 10 shelters up and see the people move into them immediately. .. we celebrated Yalda (solstice) with friends old and new...it's good to see people that I've connected with and to build our relationship more..we become friends..I'm selfishly glad they are still there..they are not.

Rowan's caravan got delivered to the Caravans for Calais yard with the promise that it would be on site in next couple of days...the xmas food hampers were delivered to the family field. .there was enough for the families we knew but many people went without .. handed over €500 towards firewood for the camp..delivered an art therapy pack to the school...Helped with distributions. .helped in the warehouse. .helped with a new kitchen being set up. .and recorded some stories (vocal not visual and with full permission) .. it is at the point of our equality in our humanity that I fall apart and cannot understand what is happening in this world..so much pain..so much horror.. one beautiful Afghan woman said to me that at the moment there is a big dark cloud over her world...she is waiting for God to shine the sun in her world again....

I hope all refugees and people suffering in today's global humanitarian crisis get to feel the warmth and light of the sun in their world again soon.... #noborders