Scouts and Guides contributing to refugee support activities in their local communities in Europe (43): a story from Corfu and Athens (GR)

Earlier this month, the Scouts of Corfu (Ionian Islands, Greece) organized a volunteer mission to Athens where they spent a weekend working with and for refugees and in particular the children of refugees.

The mission was part of the continued work undertaken by the Scouts of Greece to support refugees and migrants and was implemented with the assistance of the Ionian Islands Scout Region. Local businesses supported the mission with goods and services. In Athens, the Ionian Scouts were joined by Scouts from Igoumenitsa, Arta, Agrinio, Patras, and Athens.

During the project’s preparation stage more than 120 local Ionian Scouts had participated (adult leaders, members of parents’ committees and former Scouts) while 25 of them travelled to Athens and delivered four tons of food, clothes, medicines, toiletries and toys at a number of refugee and migrant centre in the capital of Greece:

• At the Refugee Camp of Elliniko;
• At an open refugee shelter for repatriated refugees (at the Attico Park, operated by the International Organization of Migration);
• At the “Society for the Care of Minors” Institution (in Exarchia);
• And at Piraeus harbour on pier E3 in cooperation with Pampeiraiki Refugee and Migrant Support Initiative.

At all these centres, the Scouts offered their services and skills and were engaged in a number of activities, such as distributing clothing, shoes and toys to those in need. While others were doing housekeeping in the minors’ dormitory, another group prepared and distributed a meal – the traditional Corfu “pastitsada” – for 350 refugees.

Throughout the weekend, Scouts distributed gift bags to refugee children and provided some hours of fun for them, playing games and running and creative activities.

This activity received support from the World Scout Foundation through the Messengers of Peace Initiative (MoP) of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).

More pictures from the activities
A short video clip of some of the activities
The Ionian Scout District on Facebook
The Scouts of Greece on Facebook