Road to Hope (Charity Number 20206143) has been supporting volunteers going to Greece since 2015. The first two trips were organised by Maeve Kelly and originally went to Lesvos. But the second trip in January 2016 resulted in a further trip to the island of Chios, where we met Toula Kitromilidi and the Chios Eastern Shore Response Team (CESRT). Since then a great number of volunteers have gone from the Kinvara-Galway-Ennis area to help with first response--meeting boat loads of refugees with water, food, dry clothes, and a friendly smile.
Several offshoot projects have been developed by originally Road To Hope volunteers, including The Language Centre in Chios, and the Ankaa Project in Athens. Some 15-20 volunteers from this area have gone to Greece because of Road to Hope.
The Language Centre
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Your donation to Road To Hope brings aid, comfort and education to people fleeing war, faction fighting, discrimination, abuse and repression. Thank you for caring. Thank you for donating.
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Road to Hope - Bank Transfer :
IBAN: IE41 AIBK 9371 1810 7150 94
BIC: AIBKIE2D
Please add a reference indicating how you would prefer your donation to be used:
Aegean Emergency Fund
Language Centre on Chios
Offene Arme e.V. /CESRT
You can also donate through Sr. Lena Deevy's GoFundMe Page: Share The Journey
CESRT (Chios Eastern Shore Response Team)
Alan Kurdi was 2 years old when he drowned on the journey from Syria to Europe. This photo shocked the world & put a human face on the refugee crisis, inspiring an international volunteer response that continues today.
On the Greek island of Chios, Toula Kitromilidi, a local hotelier, heard cries of children on a nearby beach. A boatload of refugees had landed outside her home. She gave them shelter, clothes, food, & water. She continues this work today leading the Chios Eastern Shore Response Team (CESRT), a local group of international volunteers, under the umbrella of the NGO, Offene Arme e.V.
Meeting Boat Landings
This first response to boat landings is critical; providing emergency assistance, food, water & dry clothes. In conjunction with the Port Police, Coast Guard, & local authorities in Chios, OA/CESRT have maintained a 24/7 response to every landing on the island since Dec 2015.
Warehouse & Distributions
This is the heart & hub of the team, where activities include:
Receiving & sorting donated supplies for landings, distributions, & CESRT programs (eg regular games sessions for the children of the camp)
Base for planning daily schedules, organising projects, providing training
Emergency supplies for the camp—clothes, non food items & even tents & infrastructure.
Supplies including food, clothing hygiene kits & other basic necessities for Apartments where vulnerable asylum seekers are housed, & for the Women’s Centre.
Hosting a free clothes shop for local Greek people in need.
Language Centre & Garden
Provides a welcoming peaceful learning base for students away from the overcrowded stark camp. It facilitates language acquisition, cultural exchange, a sense of connection & purpose, & sharing talents/interests. Provides legal advice sessions & counseling when possible. The centre has a beautiful garden, providing a space of solace, connection with the earth, & freedom to dig the soil for vegetables or flowers.
Thank You
This last few months, the island of Chios has seen record numbers of asylum seekers landing from countries including Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, & African countries. On the flimsy rubber boats are families with babies, toddlers & teenagers, grandparents, & single young people. They seek a more peaceful life for themselves & their loved ones, & a chance to finish their education, or to share their talents & skills. They are detained on Chios Island for up to a year or more, in very harsh camp conditions. Some 5700 asylum seekers are currently resident in a camp designed for 1100 people. OA/CESRT is there to Share their Journey with your help. Thank you.
