Lampetia (Winter)

After working with displaced people in Sindos in the summer, it was clear to us as an organisation that we would offer excursions and activities again this winter. The idea was simple: rent a minibus and take families to exciting and beautiful places. This way, they would be free, even if only for a few hours, and escape their daily worries and boredom.

We chose places like museums, the zoo and Christmas markets in Thessaloniki as destinations. With the experience of the summer behind us, it was easy to create and fill out the daily plans. Often the families still knew us from the summer and were accordingly enthusiastic and full of anticipation to come with us again.
And off we went – every day a minibus full of different people. We had individuals from over 15 nations and three continents during the project! This gives us a small insight into the phenomenon of migration. People leave their homes for a variety of reasons; each with their own story and destiny. Unfortunately, however, it is also an indication of the ongoing unrest and chaos in our world. Being able to give these people joy and love, even if only for a few hours, is a beautiful and fulfilling activity.
Surprisingly, we were blessed with good weather throughout the whole time and the sun shone almost every day here in Thessaloniki. Only on two days did we have to flee from the cold and wet weather to the museum and the cinema. On all the other days, we went to the zoo. Even though the variety of animals was very limited, people enjoyed themselves – as expressed in numerous selfies and group pictures. We shared our picnic and got to know each other better in a small pavilion overlooking the zoo, while the children roamed around, hoping to encounter a hidden lion or tiger and not just the old, blind pelican.
Next, we stopped at the Christmas market, where each person was allowed to go on a ride or play at an aracade machine. Almost always, the parents let the children use their tickets for an extra ride or an additional game on the machine. The children were naturally very excited each time and joyfully immersed themselves in the colourful, loud and fun world of the fair. While we were screaming and laughing on the roller coasters or competing in a passionate game of air hockey, the parents had a little time to themselves and strolled through the Christmas market. After an exhausting but extremely successful excursion, everyone had to be herded back into the minibus and driven back to Sindos.
We are firmly convinced that projects like this are necessary and make a decisive contribution to the well-being of these people. While emergency aid is still essential, we should not forget that things like joy, laughter and happy memories should be a right for everyone. Consequently, this is the core of our work.
We would like to thank all our supporters who have made this programme possible. We rely on your support to continue planning projects like this.