Letters from Samos — Day 10

Dr Manos is a Greek volunteer who has been here since the refugees started arriving en masse and is handsome, cheerful, smart and completely dedicated to helping them. Not only does he give medical assistance but he helps coordinate volunteers and resources to make sure there is medical cover around the clock. I heard Dr Manos say something the other night which I have been thinking about ever since. When he first arrived the police, coast guards and medical volunteers that were here were wearing gloves and face masks when dealing with refugees. After taking stock of what was going on he set about getting everyone to stop wearing them — firstly to make the refugees feel more welcome and accepted and secondly and more importantly to set the tone of the Samos people’s response. It was to show that these people are the same as us and will be treated that way rather than something to be scared of. His practise was swiftly adopted and I can only think that it’s a major factor in the island’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to the refugees.

I have spoken about the incredible Elena before but today I learnt about another of her wonderful achievements here. She was at the port one day a few months ago when a van load of Swiss anarchist volunteers were waiting to continue their journey aboard another boat to the well publicised refugee landing zone of Lesbos. There they were going to cook from the back of their van for the people who needed it. Elena wanted that food cooked right here in Samos for the refugees and so set about kidnapping them! She managed to convince them not to go to Lesbos because there was enough food there and that their time would be better spent on Samos. Six weeks later they have prepared and distributed thousands of meals at the detention centre and port and Elena has now got them two rooms in the municipal building so they look like they are here to stay. They cook a beautiful veggie soup for up to 500 people a day and deliver it with humility, smiles and Michael Jackson.

A young British volunteer from up north told a funny story of how she had made nice friends with a charming group of guys from Pakistan and they had been hanging out sharing jokes. A couple of them seemed to fancy her and then all of a sudden they just disappeared as if she had annoyed them. She went looking for them, searching all over the place, concerned that she might have accidentally upset them. She couldn’t find them anywhere until one of their friends revealed they had decided not to be friends anymore once they discovered her name was India!

This piece is part of a series of letters one impossible user sent daily to his wife while he was volunteering on Samos, Greece. He has shared them with us as an insight into what is happening there and how much help is needed.
We’ll be posting one last letter tomorrow. Follow us.