Solidarity and Humanity
23 of July 2018. A deadly wildfire destroys a huge part of east Attica leaving behind almost a hundrend dead people, and thousands homeless, with lost fortunes and empty looks.
From the very first moment, we were close to those suffered the wildfire, by offering them our main strength: the network of migrant communities (Greek Forum of Migrants) and our member organizations. All of them spontaneously wanted to offer whatever they could, a helping hand, cars, time, courage and compassion. Unfortunately, the majority of migrants and refugees have experienced the "unexpected" evil; they know what it`s like to lose your own people all of a sudden, to lose your home, even your own life. So, in these dark hours, solidarity and humanity are the only things worth giving, because they can bring hope and life again, words that don`t match with discrimination either for race, gender, religion or color.
"Humanity is still visible and alive ..." says Muhtar, a member of the Afghan Migrant and Refugee Community in Greece. In the area of Mati, one of Ermal’s compatriot, Ermal is the president of the Federation of Albanian Associations of Greece, states: "When I found my children on the beach alive, I was relieved. After this I lifted all the kids in the boats as if they were feathers..." At the same time, fire victims at Mati and N. Voutzas offered food and water to the volunteers who helped them, and as the Albanian Federation wrote at it`s facebook page: "... there are no differences between Greeks and foreigners at this time. Solidarity is the same for all, both for the fire victims who accept it and for the ones who offer it ... ".
Egyptian fishermen from the very first moment either as crew members or with their own boats, took the risk and went in the area in order to save lives. Refugees came in teams from the island of Mytilene, so that they would help cleanning the burned houses. Syrians, Palestinians, Albanians, Ukrainians, Sudanese, Ghanaians, Egyptians, Libyans, Afghans, Nigerians, Ethiopians, Georgians, Pakistani, Senegalese men and women, young people and of all ages, immediately went to the hospitals to give blood donations, they collected food and clothes and drove it to Rafina and Nea Makri. Dozens were the ones who cleaned yards, picked up debris, helped to distribute food and supplies. And there are many more who continue and offer whatever they can.
We, the Greek Forum of Migrants, would like to sincerely thank all the migrant and refugee communities and their representatives who have responded to this call and showed solidarity, what we consider as self-evident, to support our fellow human beings in an emergency situation.
Bellow you can read some of the posts published in social media of the Greek Forum of Migrants and from our member communities who volunteered:
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Afghan M&R Community in Greece. اتحادیه افغانهای مهاجر و پناهنده مقیم یونان
July 29 at 11:59 AM ·
نوشته شده به قلم مختار رضایی
وقتی برای کمک داوطلبانه به اسیب دیدگان اتش سوزی اخیر در یکی از مناطق یونان رفته بودیم به این گزینه برخوردیم.
یک خانم تقریبا مسن یونانی که از آتش سوزی اخیر اسیب به دارایی اش خورده بود وقتی ما نزدیک شدیم با ایشان صحبت کردیم و وقتی سارا که با ما بود دید یک سئوال پرسید که این دختر خانم کی هست و شما از کجا هستید؟
در جواب گفتم که از اتحادیه افغانهای مهاجر و پناهنده در یونان هستیم و آمدیم تا داوطلبانه در کنار شما باشیم چون در کشور مان بدتر از اینها را به دلیل جنگ دیدیم و می خواهیم به مردم کمک کنیم و بعد از لحظه ای مکث با بغض گفت * معذرت می خوام دخترم، من می بایست به تو کمک می کردم و حال تو داری به من کمک می کنی ازت خیلی ممنونم و خدا عجرت بده دختر کوچیکم*
با این که چند ساعتی در کنار این مردم بودیم در آخر متوجه این شدم (زنده باد انسانیت) به یاد این جمله افتادم چون از هر قشر جامعه انسانهایی دیدم که می خواستند کمک کنند.
Όταν πήγαμε να βοηθήσουμε εθελοντικά τους ανθρώπους σε κάποια περιοχή παρατηρήσαμε αυτό το θέμα. Όπως μοιράζαμε την ξηρή τροφή στην περιοχή όπου αναλάβαμε, πήγαμε προς μια κυρία όπου είχε υποστεί ζημιές από την πυρκαγιά. Είδε την μικρή Σάρα και εμάς, και ήρθε σε διάλογο και μας ρώτησε από που είναι η κοπέλα και εμείς. Απάντησα είμαστε από Κοινότητα Αφγανών Μεταναστών & Προσφύγων στην Ελλάδα και είμαστε εθελοντές για να είμαστε κοντά σας παρόλα που εμείς έχουμε ζήσει και τα χειρότερα λόγω πολέμου στην χώρα μας. Ήρθε κοντά στην μικρή Σάρα και συγκινημένη της είπε “συγγνώμη κοριτσάκι μου, εγώ έπρεπε να σε βοηθούσα και εσύ εμένα σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ και ο Θεός να σου φέρει μπροστά σου μικρό μου κορίτσι”.
Παρόλο που είμασταν λίγες ώρες κοντά σε αυτούς και τους εθελοντές (από τους ειδικούς γιατρούς, διερμηνείς, στελέχοι κ.ά) παρατηρώντας μου ήρθε αυτή η πρόταση ( η ανθρωπιά είναι ακόμη φανερή και ζει)
Σύνταξη του Μουχτάρ ΡΕΖΑΙ
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Federata Shoqatave Shqiptare Greqi is with Ermal Sulaj.
Në shtëpin e djegur të një prej bashkatdhetarëve tanë në Mati i cili ishte dhe protagonisti kryesor në shpëtimin e rreth njëqind njerëzve që qëndronin në breg, të mbërthyer në grackë midis zjarrit dhe ujit. <> thotë. <>. Përveç bekimit të nënave atë natë, ke dhe mirënjohjen tonë heroi ynë modest!
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EL / EN
Ευχαριστούμε θερμά την άμεση ανταπόκριση μεταναστών, προσφύγων και των κοινοτήτων-οργανώσεων μέλη του φορέα μας, στην έκκληση για βοήθεια και εθελοντισμό στις πυρόπληκτες περιοχές της Αττικής. #αλληλεγγύη #εθελοντές
---> Συνεχίζουμε τις καταγραφές εθελοντικής εργασίας και προσφοράς σε συνεργασία με το Συμβούλιο Ένταξης Μεταναστών του Δήμου Αθηναίων, καθώς οι ανάγκες από την ερχόμενη εβδομάδα σε εθελοντές καθαριστές, χτίστες, μηχανικούς, εργάτες, ηλεκτρολόγους κ.λπ. θα είναι μεγάλες.
Ομοσπονδία Αλβανικών Συλλόγων Federata Shoqatave Shqiptare Greqi,, RovEna Kim-Hee, Ermal Sulaj, Ελληνογεωργιανή Ένωση Νέων ქართულ-ბერძნული ახალგაზრდული გაერთიანება უბრალოდ მე რობაქიძე , Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο Καύκασος – Γεωργία CAUCASUS-Cultural Centre /ათენის კულტურის ცენტრი «კავკასია», Ελληνοπακιστανικός Σύλλογος Anwar Iqbal, ο Khalid Mughal, Κοινότητα Αφγανών Μεταναστών και Προσφύγων Taher Alizadahe Afghan M&R Community in Greece. اتحادیه افغانهای مهاجر و پناهنده مقیم یونان, Αιγυπτιακή Κοινότητα الجاليه المصرية باليونان شباب المستقبل Αιγυπτιακή κοινότητα στην Ελλάδα, Ουκρανική Κοινότητα “Η Γη του Πελαργού” Український Журавлиний Край "Η Γη Του Πελαργού" Ουκρανική Κοινότητα Ελλάδας Kateryna Kuchirka, Νιγηριανή Κοινότητα Ελλάδος, Κοινότητα του Κονγκό, Ethiopian Socio-Cultural Center "Aithiops" Assefa G Debele, Ένωση Παλαιστινίων Εργαζομένων, Refugee 4 Refugees, Αννα Αγγέλου, Titi Riga
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We are greatful for the immediate response of migrants, refugees and migrant communities-members of our organization to the volunteer and help call from the regions suffered the deadly fires. #Solidarity #volunteers
We continue to record volunteer work and offerings in cooperation with the Integration Council of Migrants - City of Athens, as the needs for volunteer cleaners, builders, engineers, workers, electricians, etc. will be great in the days to come.
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