Dear friends and supporters,
last month, we celebrated Paréas' two-year anniversary, and a few days ago, we threw a big birthday party! These last two years have truly been a rollercoaster filled with lots of laughter, friendships, shared meals and activities. We managed to build and maintain Paréa as a community center involving 11 partner organizations, which provide a safe haven for people on the move. We are very proud of our team and our remote and on-the-ground volunteers. Now, it’s time to look back to what we’ve achieved together and celebrate!
In the last two years, this is what we did in Paréa:
These numbers not only show the impact we’ve had on so many individual lives but also demonstrate the impact of your trust and support, without which we would not be where we are today.
Although we have a lot to celebrate, the past two years have been a challenge, especially regarding the future of Paréa due to the constantly changing context and growing financial struggles. But even through the darkest days, with the effort from people like you who care about the rights and well-being of our visitors, we managed to provide a safe space and a welcoming environment for the refugee community on Lesvos!
The story of A. (20) from Afghanistan, visitor of Paréa:
A. is a 20-year-old man from Afghanistan, who came to the island of Lesvos together with his parents and his two younger brothers. When he was a child, he had an accident and developed a mental disability, which affects him until today. At the beginning of his time on Lesvos, he wasn’t leaving the camp much. One day, he came to Paréa, and from there on, started to come more and more frequently until he visited Paréa almost every day. By meeting people, taking part in activities and with the help of psychologists, his mental health improved and even though he sometimes struggled and had bad days, he was always the number one rescuer of dogs. He once came to Paréa with two puppies he had found in the camp, who were then adopted by volunteers in Paréa and now have a loving family in Germany. A. was always sitting next to our free café, always ordering: “Two Nescafe full milk full sugar”. A sentence many people in Paréa will never forget! When he got a positive asylum decision, he came to Paréa to say goodbye and took pictures before he left for Germany in the autumn of 2023. “Paréa gave me a routine and a sense of community. I will miss this place, the coffee and all the people working here”.
This is what keeps us going in Paréa: the feeling of community and hope in times when so many people experience such a difficult stage in their lives. Together, let's continue fighting for a world where everyone feels safe and welcomed. Thank you for considering this important commitment and for being an integral part of Europe Cares!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me via silvia.lucibello@europecares.org. We are happy to share more info on our work and the situation on the island.
Silvia
(Executive Director Europe Cares e.V.)
Commentaires