Volunteers for Greece

 Dear Friends and Supporters,

We would like to introduce you to one of our ‘Hub Assistants’- Mohammad from Iraq. From the moment he arrived Mohammad bridged the gap between the volunteers and students by translating and therefor improving our communication and understanding. Here he tells it in his own words…

‘When I first arrived on Leros, I heard a lot people at the camp talking about ECHO100PLUS, the non-profit organization that offered language classes plus indoor and outdoor activities for refugees on the island. From the first moment I went to the hub, I could feel the enthusiasm and the team spirit that everyone had, and the smile on everyone's face that made me feel like home.

After spending months attending C1/C2 English classes, IT classes, of which I have now received certificates for, as well as Greek and basketball, and helping in whichever I could, I started to feel that I was becoming one of them. As a volunteer myself that starting assisting with different things such as translating in classes, to help manage the ‘boutique’ (Echo’s free shop that gives out clothing to the people that need them).

At the hub I try to become the bridge between the two languages and I try to lessen the gap of confusion. I also help translating Arabic and Kurdish in the hub’s welcome classes, which are the first step and the official introduction to our center for new students. For the majority of the beginning of 2019, more than 90% of incoming students hailed from Arabic speaking countries, for which I regularly translated.

Three days a week, I help to manage and translate from Echo's "Boutique", a small shop for distribution clothing donations to both residents of the Leros Hotspot, that are currently over 1500 people, as well as locals. Here I help the other volunteers with our booking system, to ensure everyone gets an appointment to shop in a fair manner, I translate and help explain the point system and I help organize the clothing.

I've always admired how the volunteers dedicate their time and energy to make the students feel at home by sharing moments that are both happy and sad, in this particular step in life. I've always been amazed despite the cultural differences and the language barriers, by the common things between both the volunteers and the residents, which is hope and humanity that made the relationship between the students and the volunteers get stronger with each passing day.

While I'm in Leros I've met a lot of volunteers that I consider them family, a family that I'm always will be grateful for. A family that I can rely on wherever I go. There are no words that can explain enough of how thankful and grateful I am for being part of this incredible place. Thanks Echo 100plus.

Mohammad’

A big thank you to Mohammad for all his support and help, he has really become part of the ECHO100PLUS family.