Dave Scharf, Centretown News
Lisgar students Sydney Pothakos (left) and Tara Bertrim (right) recently went to Greece as part of a humanitarian mission to help Middle East refugees.Two Lisgar Collegiate High School students looking to make a difference in the world’s ongoing refugee crisis took an unconventional approach recently: a winter trip to provide humanitarian aid for refugees in Lesvos, Greece.
Tara Bertrim and Sydney Pothakos spent a week and a half volunteering on the Greek island. Sydney’s mother, CHEO nurse Roxane Pothakos, accompanied the girls on the trip and will stay for a month as she continues to volunteer and provide medical aid to refugees.
The two high school students, 17, spent their time at the northernmost Greek island, Lesvos, near Turkey. They provided tents, toys, food, and clothing for refugees. The money used to purchase these items was raised through a GoFundMe crowd-funding page the girls had created, which raised more than $700 online.
Sydney Pothakos said while following the global refugee crisis on the news, she felt “the urge to do something greater than just acknowledging the situation from afar.” Pothakos said she wanted, “to stand on the front lines” to make a difference. So when Roxane Pothakos offered to take the girls with her on a service trip, they jumped at the opportunity.
So off they went, to spend 10 days volunteering at Moria refugee camp and along the nearby shore as refugees arrived by boat.
The refugee camp was once a prison, now it holds thousands of refugees — primarily from Syria, but also from Afghanistan, Iraq, Kurdistan, Somalia, and Bangladesh. The camp is enclosed by barbed wire fences, and Sydney Pothakos says they noticed a heavy police presence.
“The rooms there are meant for 10 to 15 people, but hold up to 50 refugees every night,” says Bertrim. The refugee camp sees hundreds of refugees arrive every day.
Bertrim adds: “The conditions are by no means five-star living, but the volunteers are doing an incredible job there to help refugees however they can.” Bertrim says she was inspired by the hard work of their fellow volunteers.
Sydney Pothakos says they hope they can teach their friends and classmates about what they learned in Lesvos, and hopefully clear up the many misconceptions surrounding the refugee crisis.
The Grade 12 student says she wants people the know that, “a large chunk of refugees arriving in Lesvos are well educated. I don’t think that’s something people know from just watching the news.”
SeBertrim says, “The majority of refugee parents and children that we met just want to know someone is there to help. A lot of the children wanted a warm hug, big smile, a sense of security and love.”
Louisa Taylor, a director for Refugee 613, recognizes that volunteering at a refugee camp is likely not possible for most. Instead, Taylor recommends that, “if you can donate money, that is the most valuable. The organizations that are working on the ground know how to take your dollar and stretch it. So every bit counts.”
Taylor says for those looking to volunteer, there are a number of ways to do so. Because Refugee 613 takes on very few volunteers, Taylor encourages interested people to visit the Volunteer Ottawa website and find meaningful ways of helping in Ottawa.
Both Pothakos and Bertrim say the trip was life-changing. “There is nothing more important than loving the world, and caring for one another during these times of need,” says Pothakos.
Bertrim agrees, and adds: “We need to think about what you would do for your family or friends and spread that love and support to those who need it.”
Pothakos says she wants people to know that she and Bertrim are not superheroes, instead “just everyday teenagers trying to make a difference in the world.