Life story by Sami, Yazidi resident of Serres camp

Sami is 19 and consistently attends English classes. He wrote this story in English! Sami also regularly volunteers for us at the Child-Friendly Space and teaches them English! He is such a kind young man who has experienced so much hardship for someone so young, yet is so resilient.

My Life by Sami

My name is Sami, I’m from Iraq. I was born in 1998 in a village called Khusory. I have two brothers and five sisters.

I was a student in high school and finished in 2015. I had a shop until 2014 because we lived there.

We had to go to the mountain where we lived for 7 days because we had a war. After 7 days we walked the mountain until Syria. 12 hours we walked until we arrived in Syria. After we went to Kurdistan.

After I arrived in Kurdistan I went to a camp. I was there two years. Then I came here.

I’d like it to always be sunny because I dislike the cold. In my future I’d like to complete my studies and have work and always stay in one country.

I’d like to be a football player but I think it’s impossible. 
I’d like to go to the UK to visit and be free in my life. 

The Weather, by Ahmed

Ahmed is a kind, quiet, unassuming guy. He is an excellent English student and shows up everyday for class. He’s married with children and is looking forward to resettlement, hopefully in Germany.

The Weather by Ahmed

In Serres the weather today is quiet.
I see many crows flying in the sky,
The sun is shining very high,
I will be happy in the countryside.
I see different colors in the sky,
I think the sky is very high,
I feel happy all the time. 

Find out more about our program in Greece here! And if you’re feeling generous, we always need $$ donations to keep the program running and support residents like Ahmed and his family.

Volunteer Spotlight: Tara, LHI Refugee Center

1. Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Tara. I’m 27 and from the Netherlands. Before I came to Serres I was studying for a Masters International Public Health, from which I graduated this summer.  During my master I worked in a refugee camp in Greece for the first time for a couple of months. Before that, I always wanted to work on projects that would lead to the empowerment of people and that would enable people to find their own strengths. During my time on Lesvos island (Greece), mI learned that I wanted to work for projects that helped empowering people who had to flee their homes. 

2. What is your position at LHI? 
I’m currently one of the field coordinators for LHI

3. How and why did you get involved with LHI?
The moment I learned about LHI via a website,  I straight away was very motivated to contribute to all activities it offers to the residents of Serres Camp. Especially, since I believe the activities here are extremely important since people are often stuck in camps for years and years without having anything to do. Having activities and a safe place to go to really changes the days and lives of people here.

4. What is a typical day for you at LHI's Refugee Center?
I never know what my day will bring and all my days look different, which I love love love. I spend a lot of time supporting the volunteers here on the ground, which is also my favorite part of the job. I try to make sure that they have all the tools here to run our activities and together we strategize on how we can improve the activities and how we can adapt to the always changing circumstances. I also really enjoy searching for collaboration with other NGOs, since we are stronger when we work together. 

5. What has been your most rewarding experience working at LHI’s refugee center in Greece?
For me the most rewarding moments are really the small ones, like playing football with the kids, seeing the women laugh together over a silly game in the Female-Friendly Space, cooking and dancing together with the residents. Basically, the simple moments of joy, when everyone is having fun. Simple, but so beautiful. 

6. What have you learned since volunteering with LHI in Serres? Has your perspective on anything changed?
In my time here I have learned how incredibly strong and resilient people are, which inspires me each day and keeps me going. Also, I have learnt to focus on the positive in this sometimes seemingly hopeless context. I mean how could I not? How inspiring is it it to work together each day with people from all over the world who travelled to Greece and give their time to work together to improve the lives of our fellow human beings. These individuals step up, when their governments refuse to do so. It amazes me each day. 

Learn more about volunteering in Greece by contacting greecevolunteer@lhi.org!

Volunteer Spotlight: Molly, International Program Co-Director

Molly distributing solar lights in Kurdistan. Photo by David Lohmueller

Molly with her dear friend, Kayla

Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Molly Nixon. I’m from Nebraska and am 30 years old. I studied social work and Spanish in my undergrad at NAU, but more importantly I am trained in trauma-sensitive yoga. My life goal is to support genocide survivors and refugees with their basic life necessities, but also to support their healing journey through yoga and the arts.

How did you get involved with refugee work?
Before coming to Serres, I started as an independent volunteer providing emergency relief (boats arriving from Turkey, when the border closed, etc.). I also helped to set up a women's space in Istanbul for Syrian women. 

What is your position at LHI?
I am the director of the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece and other international projects and also a yoga and fitness teacher in Serres.

How did you get involved with the LHI Refugee Center?
I was inspired to work with Yazidi refugees and when the camp opened we knew we could help to fill the gaps. We started with more basic needs like food, water, and blankets, but quickly expanded the program to support the overall well-being of the camp residents. It has been amazing to work together with the camp residents to build the programs they value.

Molly hiking in the Himalayas during her latest yoga training

What does a typical day look like for you?
Sitting behind the computer, meeting with team members, hosting meetings, leading yoga and fitness classes, meeting partner orgs, making sure all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together!

What has been the most meaningful experience for you?
Sharing yoga with the Yazidis has been the most meaningful experience for me. Opening my eyes during classes to see them in states of deep relaxation brings warmth to my heart, inspiration to be a better me, and all the love I could ever need. 

What have you learned over the last few years? How has your perspective changed?
Working with refugees over the past years has taught me so much about the world. People often ask how I have the strength to be in the field for such an extended period of time, but it is being in the field with refugees that actually gives me strength. The camp residents have survived a genocide, many of them have loved ones being held in ISIS captivity. I can relate with that pain after my dear friend was held by ISIS for years and later killed... Seeing them continue to live such lives of compassion, dignity, resilience inspires me in more ways than words can say. The residents lift me up, fill me with light, and inspire me to be a better me. I have learned to see the beauty in the little things, the light in darkness. As volunteers we receive just as much, if not more than we give. There is truly no where else in the world I would rather be. 

Learn more about the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece here!

Volunteer Spotlight: The Car

Getting my daily fill of distribution items. Photo by Shannon Ashton

Just chilling at ENA Cash & Carry after buying flour and sugar.

Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is The Car, or sometimes The Yellow Car. I’m a 12 year-old Nissan from Athens. My life’s goal is to survive another few years without too many mechanical failures!

What is your position at LHI in Serres, Greece? 
I am the main mode of transportation for a team of 20-30 coordinators, volunteers, and occasional visitors. I perform several runs of diapers, pieces of clothing, cucumbers, cans of tomatoes, people, pairs of shoes, and so many more things throughout the week, all of which is made possibly by your generous donations. My position is 100% critical. I would love for a van to join my ranks.

How and why did you get involved with LHI?
My previous owner Lamprini is a Athens-based journalist who drove Hayley, the founder of LHI, and an American journalist around Athens and other refugee camps during a reporting gig back in June of 2016. Once Lamprini decided to retire, she indefinitely lent me to her team. I miss Lamprini. She’s an amazing human, and she had a good taste in music. The millennials on the LHI team don’t own any CDs, so it gets a little boring.

What is/was a typical day of volunteering at LHI's Refugee Center like for you?
I drive to the warehouse at 9:30 or 10:00, take a load of vegetables, dry food, diapers, or other distributions to the camp. Sometimes I drive an hour to Thessaloniki to pick up aid from the Help Refugees or IHA warehouses. I do a sneak a few trips to a gyro stand for chicken souvlaki every once in a while. Can’t drive on empty, you know?

What has been/was your most rewarding experience working at LHI’s refugee center in Greece?
It gives me a thrill to hear “Where’s the car,” because it means I’m about to do something important and meaningful, like deliver distributions. I’ve gotten used to hearing, “Where are the keys?” Haha. I’ve also learned a lot of French, German, Italian, English, Aussie, Kurmanji, Arabic, and Swedish phrases with all the different drivers over 2.5 years. 

What have you learned while volunteering with LHI in Serres? 
Self-care is critical! That means regular oil changes, tire rotations, and break pads. I’ve also learned how to appreciate the little things, like zip ties, duct tape, and air fresheners that smell like cologne. Like a volunteer can only go so long before taking much needed breaks, my suspension system will suffer after transporting too many heavy loads. 

Want to help fund a badly-needed van? Email us at info@lhi.org.

Volunteer Profile: Bekah L., LHI Refugee Camp in Greece

Tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Rebekah L. and I am 26 years old. Before I arrived in Serres I worked in England as a school English teacher. I had previously volunteered with another NGO in northern Greece in distribution, and also within my local community back in London. 

What is your role at the LHI Refugee Center in Greece?
Here in Serres I run the music and arts programmes where I have an amazing team of three. We offer music, dance, drama and fitness classes. 

Why did you get involved? 
When I finished my teacher training in the summer of 2016 I went on holiday to Turin with a friend. When I arrived at the train station a make shift refugee camp had been set up, as refugees were trying to cross the Swiss border. After that moment, I knew I needed to do what I could to help. I had had a friend who had volunteered with LHI before and had loved it, and that was enough to convince me to leave my job in England and come to Serres. 

What’s a typical day like for you?
My days are always incredibly varied here which I love! I start in the morning teaching harmonica, then English, piano, drama and ukelele. On the weekends I help organise our weekly party as well as teaching girls' dance. In between, I will meet with my team and practice the tambour (a yazidi instrument) when I can. 

What has been your most rewarding experience so far?
Working with the residents. They are the most incredibly warm, kind and driven people I have ever met. Getting to work with them and create music inspires me every day. Choosing one specific moment is difficult, but our most recent talent show is definitely up there! Many of the residents and volunteers performed, and it was the most positive and supportive atmosphere I have ever shared. It was very special. 

How has your perspective changed?
It has changed my perspective immeasurably. From the very worst of humanity has bred the very best; and this has filled me with a huge amount of hope. It is made me far more aware of my own privilege; that my circumstances were determined by luck. Whilst the media may have turned a seemingly blind eye on the refugee crisis, it is more prevalent than ever and when I go back to the UK I will try and raise awareness as much as possible and keep do it what I can to make change.

Volunteer Profile: Holly J, Coordinator

We were lucky enough to have Holly (21, from Scotland) for several months over two different stints, first as a volunteer and then a coordinator. She just graduated from St. Andrews with a degree in International Relations. She plans on working in human rights and atrocity prevention in the near future. Working with LHI in Serres opened her eyes, especially to the Yazidis’ plight. She hopes to visit Kurdistan soon.

---

What is/was your position at LHI?
I had various positions. The latest was as coordinator. My responsibilities included overseeing management for both the Female-Friendly and Child-Friendly Spaces, volunteer intake, and liaising with larger NGOs that serve the Yazidi population, amongst other roles.

How and why did you get involved with LHI?
For a while, I was looking to volunteer on one of the islands. While looking for a position, a group called HelpRefugees sent me an advert about a refugee center that works with Yazidi refugees, and my mind went back immediately to news articles I’d read about a woman who’d been taken by ISIS. I remembered that Yazidis had been especially targeted by ISIS.

What was a typical day of volunteering at LHI's Refugee Center like for you?
I don’t think there’s a typical day in Serres, to be honest! We covered so many things, like emergency aid to picking up medical prescriptions to dealing safeguarding issues to sorting aid in the warehouse. Typically I would spend the morning in meetings, whether that would be check-ins or volunteer orientation, and then I would help intake new volunteers. In the afternoon, I would go to the Center to make sure everything was running okay, or if anyone needed anything I could be on the ground to assist them.

What was your most rewarding experience working at LHI’s refugee center in Greece?
Getting to spend time with the residents. I grew up in Scotland and had never met anyone from Iraq and had never heard of Yazidis. Spending time around people who have endured so much but are so humble, kind, intelligent…they’re just the most incredible people. That has given me the motivation, not only to go home and try to advocate on their behalf, but it also puts our lives into perspective and how much we have to be grateful.

What have you learned since volunteering with LHI in Serres? Has your perspective on anything changed?
Most of us are luckier than we’ll ever know, and that our privilege is mostly based on luck — where we were born, what religion we were born into, and we should always be aware of that. It’s taught me that despite how much evil there is in the world, meeting the Yazidis and meeting the other volunteers has reaffirmed my faith that there are really good people out there. It’s also made me more aware of how people feel about refugees at home. I’ve had a lot of conversations with people since getting home that I would’ve have had otherwise. Volunteering gives you that platform to demystify a lot of the things you see in the media.

THANK YOU, HOLLY! We sure miss you and wish you the best of luck!

Guest Blog Post: Not your everyday teacher training!

This is Ally, LHI Refugee Centre Education Manager

Language teacher training for Yazidi camp residents!

Language teacher training for Yazidi camp residents in Serres, Greece
by Ally Shepherd, LHI Refugee Centre Education Manager

Language classes are a popular and in-demand service here at the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece. Camp residents know how vital language is for integrating into a new country and communicating essential information with others, both in official and social settings.

We’ve had a traditional teaching program for a while, meaning around five volunteer teachers come to Greece to teach for a fixed period of time; however, a recent development has seen Yazidis themselves volunteering to teach basic language classes. Some already spoke German and English before they fled their countries, but some have been stuck in Greece long enough that they’ve learned the language proficiently.

Blurry but goody! We now run up to 25 classes a day in English, German, Greek, Arabic, and Kurmanji (the Yazidi’s native language).

Whilst this is amazing in terms of what it means we can offer incoming resident students, as well as for the sustainability of the project, all but one teacher had no experience teaching and – as any teacher out there will know – teaching is difficult and involves thinking about several different things at once! As a result, we ran a two-day language teacher training ‘crash course’.

Fourteen people came to the course; nine were current volunteer teachers and five other aspiring teachers. The course was interactive and split into one day of theory and one day of practice.

DAY ONE:
Day one involved dynamic activities to discuss the purpose of education; common features of communicative language teaching (getting students talking rather than the teacher talking all the time, as is common in many traditional classroom settings worldwide); and common problems and solutions in the classroom (such as low-resource teaching). We looked at adapting donated Western textbooks for Yazidi learners and adapting textbook activities in general if they are too short or boring, for example. We also looked at how to structure a lesson plan which, although seemingly intuitive, was good to think about in a structured way. The residents were engaged throughout the session; asking questions, translating for those who hadn’t understood, comparing ideas, and participating with enthusiasm in the different activities. It would be fair to say that at the end of the first day they were pretty brain-tired and ready to rest!

DAY TWO:
Day two was teaching time. The participants had been asked to prepare something to teach for 15 minutes the next day to their peers. After teaching (and preferably trying something new they’d learned the day before) we reflected as a group on what had gone well and what could be done differently if we were to teach the lesson again. The atmosphere in this session was so supportive: teachers were cheered on and off their teaching ‘stage’ and comments were kept polite and encouraging and – importantly - useful! It was a great exercise of ‘two heads being better than one’.

After another long but productive day, I asked the teachers to reflect on what had been the most important thing they learned on the course. Answers ranged from the general to the specific and the thoughtful:

“The most important thing I learnt was good ideas about how to teach students because we have [a] teaching plan in the future.”

“The most important thing I learned was eliciting answers because this helps students use their thinking skills and involves them in the lesson more.”

“The most important thing I learned was that education can change society for the better because everybody wins, teacher and student.”

And when asked what they would try in their classes in the future, most said asking more questions to their students, making sure students got enough speaking practice, as well as: “I will use more games because I want to have fun in our classes!” It’s hard to argue with that.  

The next day we concluded with a well-deserved certificate ceremony for completing the short but intensive course. As people received their certificates and hands were shook, the others clapped and cheered and took photos. It was a great end to a great couple of days, marking the beginning of some teaching careers at LHI and something we would love to repeat in the future to provide further support and training to these residents to continue teaching as many others as possible in their camp community.

Thank you, Constance!

We'd like to share a massive, deafening shoutout to Constance for her several months as the Child-Friendly Space manager at the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece! While we’re sad to see her go, we’re excited to see how she will make the world a better place in the humanitarian realm. Her many months of dedicated experience in the field will only make her future in humanitarian sector even brighter.

The role of managing the Child-Friendly Space is a challenging one. Constance ran meetings, planned activities, managed volunteers and facilitators, helped establish a culture of respect and order in the space, etc. But that’s not all she did -- Imagine taking on that role, knowing that the Child Friendly Space project was new, requiring a lot of growth and development. Thanks to her tireless efforts and a small army of facilitators, the space is now very established, with several dozen children coming for daily fun and enriching activities.

On a personal note, we will miss Constance’s infectious laugh, loving heart, brilliant mind, great taste in music, and ability to spot a fellow Frenchman from afar! It’s fair to say that everyone is much better off because of her gentle soul and sweet, considerate nature. Constance, we so appreciate you!

GOOD LUCK, Constance!

Volunteer Thank You: Jesús Ramírez

We want to send a HUGE ¡muchas gracias! to Jesús Ramírez for several months of rockstar-level work at the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece. Like the picture says, Jesús had quite a demanding role to fill as the Summer Child-Friendly Space facilitator (In other words, helping to manage dozens of young, restless children everyday for several weeks in relentless heat!) You would never know it was a more difficult role considering his always-positive attitude. 🙌🏼

Jesús is incredibly diplomatic, funny, kind, hard-working, and loads of fun. He kept both the team and also the kids of Serres camp in a constant state of sincere laughter. 😊

Jesús, we wish you the BEST of luck and success in your next role! Enjoy time with your family in Spain! You’ll need the rest for when you go out to change the world! 🌍

(NOTE: Why no pictures of him with kids if he worked for months with kids? Totally reasonable question!! We don’t post pictures of refugee children in Greece, per our photo policy that protects the identities of minors without written consent of their parents.)

Serres, Greece: Sewing Workshop Heaven!

Written by Iona Turner, LHI Refugee Center Women’s Safe Space Program Manager.
(She’s been with us for almost a year. She’s incredible!)

One of the Yazidi women sewed these two dresses for her baby in one sitting.

BACKGROUND: One of the three main programs at the Serres community centre is the Women’s Safe Space. This is a welcoming space for the women to study, participate in yoga and fitness, and, for three hours a day, attend open facilitation sessions. During this time the volunteers facilitate activities with the aim of providing psychosocial support, re-establishing peer connections, creating a safe supportive network, and alleviating some of the stressors of camp life.

The primary focus of this time is to provide psychosocial support to the women, however with some activities, the workshop goes far beyond that. This was something we experienced at the end of July when we threw out our usual timetable and dedicated a whole week to sewing workshops. This was made possible thanks to the donation of sewing machines, supplies such as elastic and thread, and the tailoring expertise of one volunteer.

Such a lovely way to turn discarded or unwanted material into a dress.

The effects of this week went much deeper than simply receiving fabric. The more experienced sewers got strait to work crafting beautiful dresses for their children, or long skirts for themselves. Those less confident sat in small groups, taking their time and enjoying a more social approach to the activity. Two ladies would sit on either side of the machine, feeding the fabric through, a third would turn the hand crank, and often a fourth would sit by offering instruction and advice. Some family members chose to sew their pieces together in order to create a larger item of clothing, teenage girls collected their material, then left it in a bag with their name on so their mothers could come sew it for them later, some women turned away from clothes completely, instead creating table covers or bed linens.

This dress is MAD SKILLS
(Girl’s face covered to protect identity)

Women who did not know how to sew could be taught by those who did, in turn empowering the teacher. A mother made a beautiful princess dress for her oldest daughter, an item which will in turn be passed down to her two younger sisters. Older ladies sewed long skirts with elasticated waists, something harder to find in the markets and at distributions. For many women we met that week it was their first time attended the LHI community centre, and several have continued to attend. In the month since sewing week we have seen an increase in attendance overall, and a daily demand for the use of the sewing machines.

We are so grateful to those who donated sewing machines and supplies, those who donated fabric, or the funds to purchase it, and the volunteers who facilitated this busy week! This includes Dolls of Hope, Carry the Future, LDS Charities (Tim and Dorothy Carroll, specifically!) and many individuals.

Interested in donating funds for fabric or sewing machines? We’d be delighted! Please contact us at info@lhi.org and we’ll get working together.

Volunteer Profile: Roos

Roos taught music at the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece in February through April of this year. She's released an EP on Spotify, all lyrics and music based on refugee stories she's heard first-hand. 

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I am from the Netherlands. I am 24 as of today and just graduated from the Conservatoire of Amsterdam in music direction and vocals, with an emphasis in pop. My life goal in life is to bring people closer together.

2. What is a day of volunteering at LHI like for you?
I had 5 classes per day, each group determined by different levels or ages. Each class had their own focus based on their interests. For example, with the little ones I would mostly playfully make music with rhythmic instruments. The teenage boys liked to use the time to jam together. The teenage girls were dedicated mastering the guitar so they could play their favorite Justin Bieber songs. Every group and every day was different; always so fun and magical!

3. What inspired you to get involved with LHI?
In the summer of 2016 I went to Nea Kavala Camp in Northern Greece to volunteer there for a couple of weeks with my mum. I started giving guitar and English lessons there. This is how I met a lot of wonderful Yazidis. When I decided to go back to Greece in February 2017 (this time for a couple of months), I wanted to see these wonderful people again; so I did some research and found out that they were in Nea Vrasna - later Serres. I heard that LHI was organising music lessons there, so I immediately contacted them.

4. What was your most rewarding experience volunteering at LHI’s refugee center in Greece?
Oef... That's very difficult to say. Every day was a new experience that taught me something...There were so many special moments! I remember this one moment that I sat in on a language class of about twelve girls ages 7-13 years old, and they decided to sing their traditional Yazidi songs for me, because they knew I was the music teacher. That was absolutely magical.

There were so many raw emotions. Some kids were so happy singing the songs reminding them of home, but there was also one girl that started crying because she missed her home so much. This feeling of community, already at such a young age, was very extraordinary and inspiring to me.

5. How has your experience LHI influenced you the most?
Well, it influenced me completely. Since my experiences in Greece I've been working with refugees in the Netherlands. I am very aware of the amount of refugees and the situation that they're in, so I just want to support them wherever I can. I am also still in contact with a lot of people I met in Serres, and I will actually go to Germany next week to visit a lot of those families. They are still in my mind all the time, and have a big place in my heart.

6. What have you learned since volunteering with LHI in Serres? Has your perspective changed?
Definitely. I always thought I was quite an aware person, but since I've been to Greece I've realized I wasn't. Since then I am also trying to raise awareness around me. I am a musician and decided to turn stories that refugees had told me into songs. This turned out into the EP 'maktub' (which means 'written' in Arabic). I hope this will bring awareness to the situation that is still taking place but seems to have lost the attention of the media (and therefore the people).

We're always looking for skilled and passionate volunteers at the LHI Refugee Center in Serres, Greece. Email greecevolunteer@lhi.org for more information! 

Refugee Voices - Ailas, Yazidi

Ailas and his family survived the Yazidi genocide in August 2014. He has graciously shared his story of survival with us. 

Photo by Shannon Ashton. Ailas, mid 40s, asked that we not show his face.

"Despite being injured in the ISIS attack in August of 2014, my family and I fled to Sinjar mountain with thousands of other Yazidis. Our family spent 8 days total on the mountain, where there is no food or water. After 4 days on the mountain we were horribly dehydrated in 120 degree F heat. We needed to do something about it or we would die.

So, two others and I snuck down to Sinuni, a village on the other side of the mountain, to get something to bake bread for the children. Sure enough, as we were scavenging for food, ISIS soldiers discovered us and started shooting at us. A bullet grazed my back. A bullet hit the shoulder of one of the two men and the hand of the other. I put my hand on their wounds to stop the bleeding. We snuck back up to the mountain empty-handed, with no food or anything for my children. I couldn't even stand up because of the bullet wound. We were stranded, surrounded by ISIS. There wasn't any possibility to get out from the mountains.

The mountains were so dry. There was no water or food. If we’d had even this much bread [indicates one knuckle], we would have been happy, but we didn't. Some people gave us small animals to kill and eat. We ate the animals just like we were the animals, without bread, without salt, barely cooking them over a rough fire and digging for what little meat that is on the bones.     

Afterwards, we learned that many others had it worse on other parts of the mountain. There were people who even ate leaves from trees. Hundreds of children died from hunger or thirst. Old and young people died because of hunger and thirst. Some women killed their newborn babies rather than watch them die from imminent dehydration. There were people who drank their own urine to save themselves.  

And those were the people who escaped. Since the attack was such a surprise, many couldn't escape at all: We were forced to leave old people, injured people, and people with mental issues were left behind in the villages around Sinjar. They couldn’t run with their families. ISIS killed all of them, burned them all together, and threw them in mass graves. A woman here in Serres, Greece, with us, her brother had mental issues and was in a wheelchair. ISIS shot him in the head.

From the mountains of Sinjar we went to Syria, and from Syria back to Kurdistan (an autonomous region of Iraq). On 13th September 2014, just a little over a month after the genocide, we went to Turkey. We had better chances at survival in Turkey. A batch of 4,000 of us entered Turkey together. We went to Siirt, where we stayed in shelters for a year and 6 months, working odd jobs and trying to survive.

In February 2017, we decided to travel to Greece to join the Yazidi diaspora gathering in Germany, but when the borders closed in March 2016 we have been forced to remain here in Greece ever since. It's been difficult to leave everything behind and face an unsure future in Europe. Sometimes I feel bitter and angry because we've lost our homeland and face losing our culture altogether. But what can I do?"

Serres camp is home to 600+ Yazidi refugees, all of whom survived the 2014 genocide. LHI is the only organization based in Serres. Our program is wonderful - we teach English, German, dance, fitness, yoga, and other healing activities. We also do several kinds of distribution, such as vegetables, clothing, shoes, hygiene, and more.

Story collected by Kate Hubrich

 

Voices of Serres - Kordi

Kordi is 33 years old Iraqi Yazidi. She survived the 2014 genocide at the hands of ISIS. She is now living in the Serres refugee camp in Serres, Greece. 

1.
I am mother to five girls and one son. We are from Hadana [region in Kurdistan]. We'd been celebrating the Yazidi summer festival when Da’esh (ISIS) came and caught us off guard, at around 6:00 pm.

They took the men from us into to the streets to kill them there. Three of my cousins, my husband, and my uncle were forced to put their hands on the back of their heads and line up in the street. We were praying, “We know you will kill us right now, and God is seeing it.”

Just then, some neighbors [an Arab non-Yazidis] came into where we women were. We knew it was our neighbors and friends from the past, even though they were all wearing black clothes on were covering their faces. One of them put his hand on another’s gun and said “Put it down. These women are helpless and can't flee; let’s go somewhere else.” When that happened, our men just ran back inside, their skin yellow from fear.
 

2.
Even though we were spared, ISIS went to the other houses, taking all the other men outside and killed them right in front of the building we were hiding in. They piled the bodies on top of each other in a huge pile. Their women were screaming and running through the dead bodies and trying to wake up their husbands and brothers. The soldiers pulled them by their hair and threw them into cars. We fled to our garden and we waited until 6:00 in the morning. ISIS spent that whole night searching through our village for survivors.

That morning, we fled. We tried to shrink ourselves, walking only one step at a time. I held my children’s mouths closed so they wouldn’t scream, and we snuck from village to village side-by-side, huddling and hiding, until 12:00 at night. We hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day, and the heat of the sand had been too much for our children.

3.
We knew that our children would die from dehydration if we didn't find help soon. That's when we saw some cars driving nearby, and we had two choices: either the cars belong to ISIS and they will just kill us right away, or maybe they are people who can help us. So we ran out in front of the cars and asked them to stop. It turns out that they were from our village and had fled by car. They gave us food and water and drove us to Shafardine [one of the main religious areas for the Yazidis]. From there, we fled to Turkey and finally to Greece.

From that day on, my daughter has been mute, still to to this day [three years later]. Even a doctor here in Greece told me, “She is traumatized, and that’s the reason why she isn’t speaking.” We've tried several times to get her to speak. But it’s true that she saw a lot of horrendous things. We saw what the ISIS soldiers did in front of her.

4.
My husband has been in Germany for a year. [Many men went ahead to prepare for their families, but then the borders closed and many families are indefinitely stranded in Greece and Turkey]. He's in a transfer center, and he said, “it isn’t good here, because my family isn’t here with me.” My husband feels so bad because I’m still stranded. He recently told me that he would be much calmer and happier if we were all together, "You and the children, together, with me.”

I don’t know when I’ll get to Germany. We've already spent a lot of money to process our family reunification application. We've had to get our papers together and our marriage certificate translated into German and other documents proving that my children really are my children translated into German. We're already in debt and we haven't even started our new lives yet. I’ve finally got all of the documents together now, so I'm going to Thessaloniki tomorrow to find out what the next step is.

I just want to be with my husband. I just to get his children back to him, too. I don’t have any family members anymore--the war has cut us off from our siblings and our parents. My father just passed 3-4 months ago, and I couldn't make it to his burial. I’m just hoping to at least reach my husband with my children because it’s always quite difficult for us. I would do anything to see my husband, even get in more debt. I've never asked for anything without working for it, even getting to see my husband and be reunited again. 

5.
I didn’t want to come here. It’s like we don’t exist anymore. So many of us died and so many of our Yazidi community are gone and living new lives in other countries. How can I live with that? No matter where you look, no matter which country you look in, we [Yazidis] are dwindling in size. We don't even have a homeland anymore. If it wasn’t for ISIS, we wouldn’t have had to flee over the mountains and seas. And it’s all because of them, all because they did this to us. It’s like I lost everything. I feel like I don't know anything anymore. My mind is blank now because I saw so much death destruction, and I’m still so afraid of the Islamic State. 

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Photos by Shannon Ashton. Stories collected by Kate Hubrich. 

How LHI started

By Hayley Smith, founder/director of LHI. All photos by Shannon Ashton. 

Moria Refugee Registration Camp, Lesvos Island, Greece. Early January 2016.

The lifejacket graveyard. Represents the hundreds of thousands of refugees who crossed to Greece from Turkey.

I managed to say, "Asfa, asfa," (sorry in Arabic) to the women, without bursting into tears, though they were threatening to jump off the ledge and down my face. I will never forget her response, from the far corner of the canvas tent, stripped naked but wrapped in UNHCR-issued wool blankets. "I've seen death. This is nothing, habibti." And then she took a long draw from a cigarette.  

We volunteers had to make that decision out of necessity, for their survival. I mean, it was cold enough for hypothermia to set in. So, "Women go to this tent. Men go to that tent. Take off all your wet clothing and put them in a pile. Wrap a blanket around yourselves to dry off and get warm." What we didn't tell them was, "It will take us hours to find dry clothes for you."

Just hours before, this lady, from the rural Iraqi countryside, along with her husband and small children, climbed aboard an overcrowded rubber dinghy on a rocky beach on the Turkish coast. She wishes she had more time to stretch her legs out -- They'd been hiding for some hours behind shrubs and bushes while a Turkish coast guard boat sailed past, looking for people just like them -- Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan refugees who were crossing from Turkey to European waters. The coast was now clear, and it was time to cross. Some members of their party contested that the Aegean was too choppy to cross. Surely they would capsize. 3,000+ had already drown that year. But dangerous or not, the smugglers had money to make and more people waiting to cross over, so they didn't want to hear it. One smuggler picked out a young adult man and announced that he was in charge of steering the raft. Then a number of men pushed the overcrowded dinghy out to sea.

Photographer Shannon Ashton and LHI founder Hayley Smith at Moria camp in January 2016

Now, with their clothing soaked through with freezing water, they cursed the smugglers for their greediness and lack of regard. Might as well curse their governments, too, while they are at it-- the dictatorships, the state-sponsored terrorism and violence that was tearing their countries into bloody, mangled pieces. They cursed their memories, because all they did was bring pain. They cursed the fact that the only remnant of their former lives were in the form of pictures and videos on their phones. As Kenyan-born Somali poet Warsan Shire puts it, "no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land." Even on the choppy Aegean at the height of a cold winter, the sea was safer than home, "the barrel of a gun."

Some people were starting to get hysterical with fear. The crossing was taking too long. It should only take one hour. They'd been out for three. They'd lost sight of the Greek island long ago when the thick rain started falling. It felt wrong to comfort the children when they themselves were terrified. And in a split second, their worst fears came over them in the form of a monster wave. Everything turned dark and cold. They were in the water. 

We volunteers at Moria registration camp hear that a boat has capsized nearby. Luckily, the Greek coastguard found them. But they were bringing them straight to the registration camp, instead of one of the receiving camps that is equipped with emergency blankets, fires, warm food, and proper medical care. We braced ourselves -- there weren't enough volunteers at the registration camp that day. There were only four of us that could be spared to help clothe the soaking people. Luckly, the clothing distribution tent at the camp had dozens of boxes of clothing donations. The boxes of donations weren't labeled or sorted. We knew we were in for a long day. 

They arrived. Soaking wet people started lining up outside the clothing distribution tent. We started opening the boxes, then began just tearing them open, looking for any kind of clothes to put on the wet people. One box had baby clothes. The next, more baby clothes. The next box, a bunch of shoes, high heels, even lingerie. We started to get hysterical with frustration. It was taking too long to go through the boxes.

It turned out okay in the end. We were finally able to find enough clothing for everyone, despite the resulting mountain of tank tops, high heels, dirty and smelly clothes, and other wildly inappropriate donations. 

The clothing was for the wrong season. Boxes weren't labeled. They weren't sorted. There were too many baby clothes. There weren't any men's clothes. There were too many t-shirts but no underwear and socks. Generous donors didn't realize that without strict guidelines, their donations were actually a hinderance, not a help.

That day is when I decided that something had to be done about this. I came home determined to simply send a shipping container full of clearly marked, organized boxes full of things camps actually need in a hurry. We filled an entire container in two months, which is unheard of. The container went to Lebanon, where there are camps the size of small cities and aid is sparse. And the team that unpacked the container and distributed the aid knew exactly what was in each box. 

A lot has changed since then. LHI has spent thousands of generously donated dollars on emergency aid on the ground in Greece and France. We have sent a second container to Lebanon. We have paid for two additional containers to be sent from collection teams in UK to camps in Greece. We have a team of full-time volunteers working in a refugee camp in Greece. I have met with members of the Greek parliament to discuss how to better serve refugees there. I have met with the State Department in Washington DC to discuss the plight of refugees in Greece. We have an army of volunteers providing support to refugees getting resettled in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

The current refugee crisis is alive and well, and it is called a crisis for a reason: It is driving wedges into politics worldwide. It is closing borders. It is causing a huge shift in foreign policy. It is changing history. It is challenging peoples' beliefs and motivations. It is huger than I can express in words. We haven't seen an exodus of refugees this large since World War II. It's massive. We cannot afford to stand by and watch, because it will effect us sooner or later. Will we be willing and ready, or will we close our eyes and pretend it's not happening? It is as simple as that. 

Click here to learn more about supporting our Refugee Center in Greece.