January, New Beginning
January is the first month of the year, it can be conceived as a new beginning for many people in order to take new actions on their lives, or as a mere continuity without any change for others – what do you expect about this new year? are you going to take actions on that? -. I feel this beginning of 2020 as a middle point on the graphic of my stance in Greece, because there are only three months left to finish the EVS program.
Here in Thessaloniki everything goes so fast, everyday day is a completely new reality. Whether to aspects of the volunteering program itself as for the social and cultural environment built throughout these months. Regarding to the volunteering program, now I have a better understanding about the refuges situation. You just have to sink a bit through their life experiences in order to realize why they are now acting and feeling as they do. During this month I have noticed many differences among the boys in the Shelter, some of them undertake more violent behaviours, perhaps they were taught with these problem solving, while others shows good manners and kindness. On the 11th of January we went to Mount Chortiatis for a hike with the boys, the highest mountain in the city (1244 meters). We definitely gathered 18 of them. Along the path they were playing music and shouting, which is not the best thing for hiking. But worth it, because by these we taught them to respect others and enjoy your own presence and to listen the nature. I could mention hundreds of examples that make me reflect about the current situation of the boys, but a clear one was when we were taking a picture in the nature. Some of them were posing as shooting to the air while others showed different funny postures. Then I tried to switch these fake gun for a “love” made by hands or something that doesn´t provoke violence.
Human currents flowing through rivers of life,
Seeking for hope or evading the hazard.
As swallows emigrate to warmer locations,
Refugees walk through tough roads for basic needs to be covered,
The oldest may know where they go,
The youngest is unaware of what they do.
Leaded by apparent dreams,
That western societies draw into the white paper,
Which shouldn’t be drawn yet.
Martín Sosa
