Description
The Hub is ECHO100Plus's response to the need for a united approach to educative and social activities for adult refugees on the Greek island of Leros.
The Hub
ECHO100Plus had a vision for a humanitarian hub that would offer creative, practical and social learning spaces to the adult refugees of Leros. A place for learning news skills, reconnecting with old skills and a place to offer a sense of purpose and normality. The Hub provides the resources for learning languages, for skills-based activities, social activities and a boutique to offer a dignified distribution of clothing.
Since March 2016, the 600+ refugees on Leros have waited in a legal limbo, without knowing whether they will be successful in their application for asylum or whether they will be returned to Turkey or to their home country. The wait for them seems interminable, which results in frustration and depression. The time since they were last leading a productive and active life increases daily and, inevitably, the emotional trauma of losing their home, family, culture and identity is a struggle. The reality of past trauma can hit hard.
The aim of The Hub is to help alleviate boredom while the refugees wait to hear the result of their asylum application, to help the refugees regain their self-worth and to help them learn some new skills for the future. Out of the crises in the Middle East have come highly skilled people, so The Hub will offer a place where they can regain their identity. They need to be recognised as mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, professional and, academics - as opposed to the collective term “refugee” as they are now defined.
Leros
Leros is a small, Dodecanese island, with a population of 8,000. Since 2015, Leros has received a large amount of refugees disproportionate to its size. This, at a time when Greece is suffering from a financial crisis, high levels of unemployment and low levels of tourism. Engaging the local Leros community is all-important to ECHO100Plus’s aim for connecting and facilitating an understanding between the refugees and the local population. Accordingly, The Hub’s programmes and boutique will be open to the unemployed and disadvantaged members of the Leros community.
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comCiao Amici! That’s "hello friend!" Our fabulous team of Italians, Karen, Claudia, Marco and Francesco shared pasta, tiramisù and highlights of their fascinating culture. After the food everyone kissed their fingers and said “delizioso!!” Grazie Mille, team!
John Muir said "Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy…" You can see this is true by the peaceful faces on this week’s hike. It’s so good to breathe in the air and be together.
Hubdate! Let’s make beautiful music together! Lisa, a volunteer from France joined the guitar class of 8 people women and men, Farsi and Arabic speakers. Together they learned singing techniques and began learning together the song “Blowing in the Wind.” Theatre class welcomed local Leros theatre company to join in dramatic and comedic exercises. It was great to see people from India, Greece, Syria, America, Italy, Spain, expressing themselves in creative ways. Basketball and volleyball pitted teachers against students in fun-spirited competition. Women unite! We have seen an increase in our women’s English and swimming classes. On women’s night 34 ladies shared food, put on facial masks and spoke the international language-laughter! We also had huge turnouts to Chess and hike. Clearly, it was HUBTASTIC week!
What are you making in your life? In pottery class, students turn clay into owls, baskets and birds that fly..
Huge turnout at German class this week! Was it for the delicious Kaiserschmarrn traditional dessert? Or to celebrate Stella's last class? Whatever the reason, we all say Danke Stella! ️🇩🇪️
#TeamTuesday Hey! Hola! Ciao! Bonjour! Guten tag! Namaste! Our team of volunteers welcome you in any language. This week we had volunteers from the USA, India, Scotland, England, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. Thanks for your great work team!
Habla Espanol? In Spanish week, we learned to count to 10, the colours and some food. The week ended with traditional Spanish food, “Tortilla de Patata” and a birthday cake for Isabelle. ️Gracias Spanish team!🇪🇦️
Hubdate! Whew what a week! Ricard and Karen are the new fitness leaders and kept everyone in tip top shape with football, basketball and circuit training. No one was afraid of Stella the German teacher when she showed up at basketball in a dress, but soon she was constantly stealing the ball from the other team! Two theater professionals from New York, Juliette and Farah led an exciting theater workshop where a great group bonded together and created expressive tableaus using their bodies and faces. The women had some special bonding time this week at women’s night where there were facial scrubs, fingernail painting, sharing of food, lots of laughter and some spontaneous dancing. It was so much fun that 11 women joined us for women’s swimming up from 2 the week before. Linette, a poet joined us from San Francisco and started a poetry workshop. The very next day, Aziz, a wonderful writer in Arabic, showed her the first poem he had written in English. It was all about the family he had made at the Hub. All this on top of Greek, German, English, Spanish and Arts and Crafts classes.
Aristotle said: “In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.” If you need proof - look at these “marvelous” pictures of last week’s hike. Join us this Saturday. Pick up at the Hotspot is at 5.30 pm.
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