Through the rare opportunity of an art exhibition in our area, feelings, ideas, and emotions emerge, constituting the culmination and reward of every effort of this kind.
From Monday, December 18 to Friday, December 22, the Youth Office opened its doors to schools in our province with an educational program approved by the Larissa Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education, allowing teachers, students, and pupils to visit the exhibition “Journey into the Ocean of Life”. The program initially involved informing them through a video about the difficulties of the lives of unaccompanied refugee children on their journey to freedom. Then the tour of the exhibition began so that through contact with the paintings, children could express thoughts, ideas, reflections, and the vision of a new life in groups. In our plenary session, each group presented the work that moved them, and they read to us what overflowed from their hearts about these children and their lives!
Five schools, over 330 students, and 30 accompanying teachers visited the exhibition! The Gymnasium and High School classes of Kranea had the pleasant surprise to meet the officials of “Synyparxis,” which manages the refugee shelters on behalf of the Church, the President, Metropolitan Iliou, Mr. Athenagoras, and the General Director, Archimandrite Father Panteleimon Papasynephakis, accompanied by our Metropolitan, Mr. Chariton, wanted to be informed about the educational program. They spoke with the students, informed them about the work being done, and wished them happy holidays. In turn, the students, developing their thoughts through the paintings, impressed the distinguished visitors.
In our meetings with the schools, many discussions arose, and we deeply contemplated who the stranger, the dangerous, “the other” might be. Students, with the vigor of their youth but also the empathy for pain, loneliness, and trauma, as well as the hope they discerned in the children’s works, recorded beautiful thoughts. Here are some indicative ones:
- From the dangerous life to joyful play!… Joy that the children managed to be saved and can live freely.
- Hope and optimism for tomorrow.
- Purity, hope, optimism, imagination.
- The flag held by the child includes various flags, implying the positive aspect of globalization and unity.
- Hope is lost at sea.
- Country of origin: destruction. Host country: safety.
- Greece = a lifeboat.
- Refugee means abandonment, sorrow, emotion, separation, loneliness, and insecurity.
- Dark colours indicate pessimism and loneliness, while the intense colour of the boat indicates the only way out for freedom.
- When you are lost in darkness, seek for light!
- Animals offer love without distinguishing countries.
- Never stop dreaming!
- The heart beats again when I came close here.
In Greece’s sun, I found a friend, to soothe my pain.
Similarly, lively comments were also recorded in the guestbook. Another, a more mature look at the exhibition. We selected some representative ones:
- We lived for a while in a different place, a place full of tears and pain, trying to feel even a little like these children.
- I feel very fortunate to have been born in a country where freedom is a given and not sought after.
- May our homeland become a beautiful “paradise” – as Eltaph Hussein Korbaní says – and heal the wounds of the little refugees.
- The presentation of the artworks by the Metropolis was exceptional and meaningful. Many thanks. Respect to you!
- Hopefully, the pain these children felt will turn into joy and happiness.
- No more unaccompanied!
An extension of the exhibition is already requested and being discussed. We will inform you in time. Thank you to our students for the beauty of their souls they laid in this program of our Metropolitan Youth Office!
Blessed Christmas!
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