LESVOS
Hope and Healing
IN TIMES OF CRISIS
The current refugee situation is the largest
crisis in Europe since the World Wars. It is a
crisis that has affected millions of
individuals and families seeking a better
life. With a vast majority coming from the
Middle East, the Greek Island of Lesvos is a
focus point for many of these refugees
who come first to Turkey and then to
Europe. Lesvos is one of the closest
geographic points from Turkey—where
many of these asylum seekers temporarily
reside. Over 90,000 people—coming from
Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and even
Africa—have travelled to Lesvos from
Turkey in the past year, which is more than
the entire local population of 86,000.
Journey in
Search of Hope
When the refugees arrive, they are often
freezing and wet and have to be taken care
of immediately. The volunteers who act as
the initial contact for these individuals work
around the clock to ensure that those
refugees who are in the most need are
tended to. These volunteers also act as
spotters. They sit on the mountain side or
walk the beaches all day watching for boats
that are trying to make their way across the
Strait of Mytilini between Turkey and Lesvos.
12 / SPRING 2017 LIVING MAGAZINE
After being pulled from dingies, boats, rafts,
and sometimes the sea itself, refugees who
are not in immediate need of medical
attention are taken to camp Moria. This is
the starting point for refugees who are
seeking asylum in Greece and Europe as a
whole. Of the two refugee camps on
Lesvos, (the other being Kara Tepe), Moria
has a larger capacity. Currently, Moria is able
to accommodate 2,500 people with plans
to expand that to 5,000. Moria is where all
refugees go to be processed, accounted for,
and vetted. It’s crowded and can sometimes
be uncomfortable as people are emotionally
drained and scared. Individuals spend a
minimum of 25 days here while they are
being vetted. If they are vetted successfully,
they are relocated to the more communal,
less restrictive Kara Tepe camp. It is here
where refugees—most with just the clothes
on their backs—begin to rebuild the lives
they were forced to leave behind.
In Kara Tepe, refugee families have been set
up in “pop up” houses. There is a little
school, garden, and playground, which
helps create a sense of community. Here,
these people try to make a home for their
families and do the best they can to support
one another. They share the little food they
have and they help one another cope and
survive in their dire circumstances. Kara
Tepe currently has capacity to house 1,100
people with plans to increase that number
to 1,500 as soon as they are able.
“When you come from a place of
abundance, and then find yourself face-to-
face with those who have little or nothing, it
can truly humble you, if you allow yourself
to be humbled,” says Murray Smith,
Managing Director, dōTERRA Europe.