Tag: education

exit strategy

That’s right. It’s almost time for me to painstakingly remove myself from all the projects and I’ve invested in and the people whose lives I have been a part of, even if for a second. I feel like an awkward cephalopod that’s spent all its energy wrapping its arms around something only to be pulled away, inch by inch. If the imagery sounds jarring, I promise you the feeling is even worse.

Why is this such a difficult process? Well, let’s start with the kids. The art and play therapy sessions have evolved in some really amazing ways. From connecting emotions and thoughts to actions, to exploring psychosomatic symptoms, its been amazing to see these kids open up and explore how they feel. And of course inevitably, the more time I’ve spent here the more attached I’ve become to them and their laughter, hugs, and contagious energy. But now I have to focus my attention on my exit strategy, and it’s a fine balance: I need to find a way to leave without simply vanishing from their lives (as so many have done before), but at the same time, if I make a big deal out of my leaving, I’m also emphasizing the fact that they are being left behind, that they—unlike myself—cannot leave the island. Like everything we do here, it’s vital that all of our actions are done in the interests of the kids (or the beneficiaries) and not ourselves, so even just the act of saying goodbye takes a great deal of thought and preparation.

Children learn about psychosomatic symptoms through a drawing exercise

It’s a challenge that looms closer each day, and I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to face it. One thing that’s for sure is that these kids continue to amaze me. Just last week was African Cultures Day at the School of Peace and I got to see my students performing a Congolese dance. I sent a video of it to a friend who replied, “refugee camps on the news are always so depressing… It’s amazing for me to see how happy everybody looks.” And I realized that it was this inside perspective that I have, that one can’t get from the news—the insight into the smiles, courage and strength that these children constantly show me—that I might miss the most. But that’s also something that I will never have to say goodbye to.

some quick updates!

Hi all!

Thanks to everyone who has followed my journey thus far. Things have been moving super quickly so here’s a brief post to bring you up to speed:

Class schedule for Stand By Me Lesvos

I’m teaching English lessons! I started to volunteer at an education initiative for refugees right outside of the Moria camp called Stand By Me Lesvos, which was founded by local Greek citizens. Since native English speakers are in short supply, I’ll be teaching advanced conversational English twice a week. I will be creating the lesson plans, curriculum, etc. Very excited to start next week!

View from STBL playground; Moria refugee camp can be seen in the distance
Two students drafting articles during our first class

Also, at a community center located right outside the School of Peace I will start to teach (*surprise*) writing lessons! Specifically, the class is focused on journalism so that students can be empowered to tell their stories and those of their community, to a global audience. And of course, learning advanced English writing skills can take anyone super far, whether it’s applying to jobs, getting into schools, etc. For me, whether it’s slam poetry or this very blog, writing has always been how I expressed myself. I hope that by the end of my class, my students will be able to do the same:) Oh, and ideally if everything goes according to plan (which it almost certainly won’t), we hope to publish a journal with the students’ work by the end of the month. This is also an initiative led by myself and another volunteer, so we’re excited to design the program and get started!

And finally, the past two weeks of careful planning have paid off and our IsraAID team had our first art/play therapy sessions! Was it complete chaos? Of course it was. Did we have to change the entire carefully-planned-program at the last minute? Of course we did. More will come in a future post…