Covering my head with a garbage bag for the rain was I walking downwards with two Somalian women. Heading to ‘Zone Blue’ to find a place for them. ‘’No, not in our tent, it’s too crowded here!’’ While the most tents have place for 8 persons are the people shouting to us: ‘’Other tents have much less, house them there!’’
All other days I was working with refugee’s who are already for months of years in the camp, which is hopeless, but today I was welcoming people into their new homes. While this new house was barely called a ‘home; in my opinion and this is still much better than the previous camp Moria. Is this how I have to welcome the people in Europe after such a long and difficult journey?
Not any tent wanted to welcome them. One of the ladies was sad and told me: ‘’Maryam, I’m so tired’’. I would feel very sorry to separate these friends from each other because no tent want to have one extra person and for the two of them was for sure no place.
Every rejection at the different tents, sometimes in their faces, feels for my like a punch in the stomach. How would it feel to be rejected by people of your own culture and who’ve gone thru the same situations? No, these women don’t want us, my Somalian women said. Is there another tent were we can live together?? My heart is crying and I almost start building a tent by myself!
After several discussions with colleagues of the infopoint, this really seems to be the only option to house the Somalian women. My colleague found a place for one of them, which was lovely welcomed. At the same time the other women was in tears in front of the tent she had to go to while the present residents rejected her. This felt horrible. A very sad situation, no words can be found. How can I go home in peace after a day like this?
Suddenly we were in front of another tent. No clue who of what found this tent! But the woman who was in tears was full of happiness and hugged someone! She was full of joy because she was reunited with another friend. Unsuspected she walked further into the tent and again a cry of happiness because she met another friend. She went from a tent full of rejection into a tent full of love and happiness. She looked at me and I told her that I was happy for her. She hugged me and keep saying: ‘’Thank you, thank you‘’. I could cry of happiness. Ten minutes before the reunification, while we were sitting hopeless in front of the tent, my colleague Y. texted her friend to pray for this woman! This is sure, the prayers from our heart reached heaven! So cool to hear this!
Sadness and happiness are interchanging constantly. One moment you have hugging a very cute baby or you get invited for a meal and you are laughing about this you do not understand and we are sharing love thru hugs and high fives. While the other you try let a crying teenager know that you care about her or you are lashed out by someone’s frustration about another movement, which is so understandable! This place is very fierce and special but I will keep on believe that this dump will be turned into beauty one day! Everything will be new someday!
“and provide for those who grieve in Zion (Lesbos) to bestow on them a crown of beauty, instead of ashes, the oil of joy, instead of mourning, and a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Jesaja 61:3