“Unfortunately, this was the chance they had — so they were forced to board and pray to live another day.”
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There was no warning of the boats coming from the Turkish side on the rocky shores of the Greek Island of Lesvos — where unless spotted by volunteers who put themselves at risk, there would be no one to receive them. There would be no one to help resuscitate drowning woman, children and people.
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Throughout all this hardship, I saw humanity in its absolute best. Camp Moria is a true “juxtaposition.” This camp has a striking and pervasive air of optimism which is found within the refugees, many whom have endured such awful fates in their own countries. |
“When they learned that I was Afghan--
and had come from America to help them-- they were so relieved and so moved.” |
More About the Author
Freshta Poupal, a nurse from New York, was one of the first Afghan-American volunteers to travel to the Greek island of Lesvos in the Fall of 2015. Then, Afghan refugees didn’t wait long before leaving Lesvos. Many of the families Poupal helped are now in Germany. Poupal, 26, spent 18 days on the island and wrote emotional pleas on social media for other Afghans to come and translate.
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