«I was born just a few years before the Second World War»
Mieke (82) from The Netherlands visited Samos in November for the second time this year. The last time has been extra special, because she brought more than 750 handmade scarves, shawls, hats and blankets with her.
‘I was born just a few years before the Second World War. Food was scarce and me and my parents had to stand in lines for food for hours. Refugees who live in the camp on Samos have to stand in long lines as well. I’ve seen people without shoes, wearing just a t-shirt and pants, waiting for hours in the pouring rain to get some food. Those lines remind me of the War.
After I came back from Samos the first time, my daughter put my story on her Facebook page. A friend of hers, who is a journalist and an online clothing shop owner, saw this post and interviewed me. Through her shop and the creative people she knew, eventually around 100 people collaborated to crochet for refugees, under the slogan: A colourful embrace for Samos. Christian Relief for Refugees, the organisation I’m here with, has helped pack and ship all the items to Samos and they were distributed at the We Are One Center by Glocal Roots. It was an amazing experience.
Many years ago I worked as a nurse. That’s why I’m still always observing people, also at the We Are One center. Often I look women in the eyes and they look back, but after a few seconds they look down and bend their shoulders. Sometimes I sit next to them and we talk a little. Personal contact is so important. You always need someone to share and reflect with. To people who are considering volunteering at the We Are One center I must say that they shouldn’t expect to be going to save lives. It’s about the smaller things: a smile, a hug, a nice conversation. You can be the one drop.’
Eline Van Ousterhout
Eline Van Ousterhout is a project coordinator at the We Are One Center on Samos.
