Greece

Refugee Camps in Greece In Refugee Camps in Greece Since 2016

Greece is home to an estimated 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, many having risked their lives to make the treacherous journey by boat. Last year 1 in 3 entering the country were considered "vulnerable," including torture victims, unaccompanied minors, and single parents traveling with children. 

PTMI is determined to help change the trajectory of their future.

From 2016-2019, SMF successfully ran a program for Yazidi refugees in the Serres Camp and Syrian, Afghan, Kurdish refugees in the Nea Kavala Camp. We also trained and equipped 68 international adult volunteers serving in Greece from around the world, (including Syrian and Afghani refugees) to teach PTMI music programs in more than 12 refugee camps throughout Greece.  

As teenagers and volunteers re-located, however, our program is in need of a fresh round of training.  We would love to send director Liz Shropshire back to Greece in 2027 if funding can be raised. 

These refugees live in camps, squats, and on the streets.  Their lives can only be described as tenuous, as the camps are full of hunger, illness, monotony, hopelessness, and far too often, suicide.

PTMI programs in Greece have proven to provide hope where none exists.

When refugee children learn to play a musical instrument of their own, they discover that they are capable of more than they imagined. As they sing an play music, hey learn to listen—to others and to themselves. They engage their brains in new ways, build confidence, and discover the power of setting goals and achieving them. As their sense of possibility grows, the future becomes less frightening. 

They begin to see themselves not as victims of their circumstances, but as young people who can shape their own futures—and create lives of peace and purpose. This growing sense of confidence, agency, and belonging can help protect them from the lure of extremist and terrorist groups.

For refugee teenagers and young adults, one of the greatest challenges is overcoming hopelessness. When they become PTMI Volunteer Teachers and begin helping younger children heal through music, something transformative happens in their own lives as well. They become leaders, role models, and sources of hope within their communities. They discover that their experiences and abilities uniquely qualify them to make a difference. Through serving others, they regain a sense of purpose and possibility—and begin to rise as the leaders they were meant to be.

Help us meet this need and return to Greece in 2027!