Day 3. Our team split in two today. With me going to the camp with Kemal Nun Gevgelija and Edi Edii, and the rest going to Skopje in search of much needed shoes. At the camp, Kemal insists that volunteers work many different jobs to get a feel for everything that happens at the camp. First i was on sandwich duty at NuN’s table in the receiving tent. Refugees walk about 1.5km from Greece boarder to the camp. They form lines behind a big bob-wired fence and are allowed in one by one once they’ve shown the police papers they received in Greece. Then they are shuttled thru to the receiving tent, where they are given a sandwich and a small bag of mixed prepackaged food (and i must say, NOT particularly healthy, since fast food rarely is.) In this camp, like most of the camps, there is a big difference between the NGOs and the volunteers. The NGOs for the most part are paid workers, and frankly lack the human compassion of the volunteers. Without mentioning any personal names (UNHCR, Red Cross and UNICEF are here) i can say while handing out sandwiches i was in a long, but friendly debate with NGOs handing out bags of food. One said this, “they (the refugees) don’t have it so bad. They get to travel to lots of countries and are given things in every country they go.” (??!!!?) That particular person said, “you know in Macedonia we have no jobs, and no one comes to help us.”
So there is quite a bit of resentment, and a big lack of compassion on the part of many of the “professionals.” I have thought many times since my arrival, hmm, you need to take a break from this work. Frankly, everyone loses it a bit here, myself included, because the refugees tend to surround and press in, tapping you with their fingers, exhibiting their need–and when that occurs in mass, it can be overwhelming. One social worker named Merima, from Helsinki Commitee for Human Rights is the most wonderful, compassionate woman i’ve met here, but when she walks thru a big crowd she constantly says sternly, “don’t touch, don’t touch.” Because you will be touched for sure. By many needy hands.
I so admire Kemel, EdiEdi and Merima because while they can be strict and stern and shout at the refugees to get them to line up and get orderly, they never deny someone in true need. At the sandwich table, my debate partners scolded me and said, “no more food for these people. Wait for the next batch. ” And then EdiEdi or Kemal would come to the table, look the asker in the eye, and decide in that moment if their need was real, or just a need to collect more. They never turn down someone in real need, and they are expert at determining need from desire. Kemal says you look into their eyes and you just know.
Happily, i left my debate partners and went to work the tents with Merima. She roves thru the waiting areas looking at how people are dressed, whats on their feet, and then comes to NuN or the other volunteer
containers and gets the things needed. She also watches how the children are being treated. There is a big fear about child trafficking — stolen children being sold somewhere along the route. Last night she was very concerned about one little boy, about 4 years old. He was standing all alone, and then a man came over and kicked him and yelled at him. Merima intervened quickly and told the man to stop. He claimed the child was his son, and she told him, if he treats his child like that in Germany, he will lose his son. Later that night, i stayed with her as the refugees went thru the line to get onto the trains. When the family came to the head of the line she asked the police to look more carefully over their papers to see that the child was really theirs.
The train situation here is a HUGE problem. I paid for 30 people to get on the train last night because they had no money. The Macedonian government raised the price on these rickety, unheated, slow old trains from €5 to €25 in the fall when the refugees started using them. Macedonians use modern trains, not these, and pay only €5. While Macedonia is are otherwise doing an excellent job with refugees, (considering the fact that the average monthly pay for Macedonians is €200 a month!), this is hideous. I said i would pay while i’m here, but peeps, if anyone can make a donation to this particular issue, please do so. Just ask in the comments below or PM me, and i will tell you how.
And then there were shoes. . .Kemal and EdiEdi got word that a van FULL of shoes, 560 pairs (you rock, Shoe buying team!), was on way to our container, so we rushed over to clear the decks so to speak. Pretty much everyone in camp came to watch the spectacle of us unloading shoes. So many pairs we could barely fit them in the container. One or two refugees jumped in to help us unload, and were rewarded with first selection of shoes. (Thanks, we needed your help!) and then began a long crazy night of handing out shoes. The shoe line snaked around the camp, and when the line no longer was a line, but rather a mass of humanity pressing in on us, Kemal would shout, turn of the light, and slam the door, No more shoes! He’d wait a few minutes and then open the door to leave, and miracle of miracle, the line of people was orderly again, with the beginning of the line all kneeling quietly. We went thru this process many times during the night. Edi Edi and Kemal gave out the shoes, bc they are experts at determining who really needs, and who is collecting. And they are fast! They gave out as fast as i could unpack and organize into sizes. We worked nonstop at top speed giving out shoes for several hours. Until 60% or more had been given out. It rained in Geveljia yestersay and the temps were at zero. Then dipped below when it stopped raining. So many had ruined, wet, frozen feet. But the priority is to give only to those in real need (inappropriate shoes, or shoes that have holes in them.) A few, including children, only had bags tied to their feet! Once we shut up the container, Kemal roved the crowd, like Merima, seeking those in true need, and going back to get those people shoes. We hide them in our coats when we do this, because otherwise, we will be surrounded again by people asking for shoes. SHOES are needed everywhere, in every camp. Please consider donating to shoes.
At the end of the night i went to the train with the 30 we were helping board. One, a family of 10, had a young girl with a beautiful hat. I told her how lovely she and the hat were, and she took it off her head to give to me! She said yes,please, take my hat. I love you. I will remember you for help my family. I hugged her and said keep your hat, please, you and the hat are beautiful together.