Refugee Crisis on Lesvos

The REFUGEE CRISIS - unforgetable and unbelievable.

From last summer when the first refugees came to the shores of Lesvos on a inflatable rubber dinghi, Lesvos has been in the news and unfortunately with bad reviews.
This worldwide crisis, created but us all and the governments that run the countried we live in has had an incredibly huge impact on the island.
The islander's have been overwhelmed but the arrival of hundreds and thousands of refugees from Syria and other neighbouring countries affected from the dangers and threats of war and violence in those countries.
Trying to help in every way they can, with the overwhelming presence of humanitarian volunteers from overseas at their sides the numbers were too many. With the actual shock of the scale of arrivals on a daily basis during the summer season of 2015, the local authorities and central government didnt do enough to prevent the damage done to the island's image as a tourism destination. With the ourists and visitors themselves also contributing to that by taking photos and circulating them on the main social media networks.  This was the most damaging thing ever for the locals and the island.
The arrival of refugees during the months of 2015 was slowly being dealt with by organising factors helping them with better conditions and services for a more comfortable time on the island.  This could have been a lot better and a lot quicker but the shock of such a huge influx of people was unbelievable. 
During the winter months the flow of refugee boats turned around and where they where coming in in the north, the island saw the arrivals and more so in the south - on the beaches of the airport area.
There is where I got involved and volunteered on an every other night basis (as I had to also try to continue with my daily life as much as possible). I joined a groups of NGOs as an independent local volunteer to help the boat arrivals over night (in the dark) to land safely on the beaches of the south, and see to the needs of the refugees and comfort them as best as possible.
An undescribable experience to this day, it was, as it is now, like a lie - unbelievable, its not happening in front of you. But is was and helping and comforting those in front of you was just an automatic reaction and there was not thought of anything else.
 Men, women and children of all ages and backgrounds were expressing their thanks for being there and helping them.
Helping them with what exactly ?! I didnt do anything. Helping someone less fortunate and to be more comfortable and safe, just like you is second nature to those who really care. I felt I wasnt doing enough but these people were overwhemled with so little help.
My experiences over the winter months sat on the beach in the dark with other volunteer groups and independents from all over the world was the second reward to helping the refugees. Meeting and talking to such amazing people, who travelled all over the world to get to Lesvos, yes Lesvos, to help the island and the refugees was an amazing thing in itself.
I feel very honoured to have met these special people full of solidaritiy who are huge humanitarians.

 On 20/6/2016 World Refugee Day, the Solidarity (Wish) Tree was introduced to the Castle area of Mytilini.
 An initiative thought of by myself and assisted by the "CAMP FIRE" response teams - ERCI, PROEM-Aid, SWISS CROSS, HUMANITY CREW and some independent volunteers. This tree is to remain on Lesvos to honour the memory of those who
passed through the island travelling onwards to a better and safer future.
On the day, volunteers from the camps, with some refugee families came and also wrote their message on the tree of wishes.