Safe houses for Women

Moria Camp’s population is overwhelmingly young men. Women are very vulnerable, and have been harassed., or even assaulted during their travels. There are special houses for them to live, if they have suffered trauma, and others where they can spend the day and feel safe, take a shower, and relax. The showers are especially important, because the conditions at the camp make showers dangerous for them. I teach English at one of these houses four days a week. It is a typical Greek house with a walled garden and two stories. There is no signage on the door, and you must knock to be let in. There are women from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Cameroun, and Iraq. Some of the women need to learn our alphabet, others are more advanced. The classes are a joy for me, calm and quiet, and we make real progress. I will work there for seven weeks. Other volunteers teach arts and sewing, help with asylum papers, and provide psychological counseling. Here we are making three letter words.