Feature: Athens' Eleonas camp offers glimmer of hope to refugees

Greece's first open reception center for refugees in the district of Eleonas (olive grove) in central Athens has, since August, offered a glimmer of hope to thousands of displaced people who have risked their lives to reach Europe.

Thursday marked the Islamic celebration Eid Al Adha (The Feast of the Sacrifice), one of the most important holidays in the Muslim calendar, and which marks the end of the annual pilgrimage season to Mecca. At Eleonas camp, Muslims recounted the good old days, before war and the Islamic State drove them from their homes.

Many prayed to celebrate Eid under better circumstances next year - with a house, a job and prospects in the countries they have chosen as their final destinations and adoptive homelands.

Eleonas is a unique stopover. Refugees and migrants are free to come and go without restrictions at the center which was set up in an industrial zone where olive trees used to grow.

On average, incoming guests spend three to four days before continuing their journey to northern Greece and other European countries, Anthi Karangeli, the camp's supervisor told Xinhua on Thursday during a tour of the center.

"It is the first open camp in all of Greece and, I think, Europe, and it is a great example, because here people are free to come and go and we respect all the refugees that come in. We believe they deserve respect of their dignity and our solidarity," she said.

The site has a 700 to 720-person capacity. There are about 100 air conditioned containers with basic furniture housing families, a playground for the children and a dining hall for the adults.

Doctors offer health care services 20 hours per day. There are UNHCR experts, Greek asylum service employees offering information to asylum seekers, NGO volunteers offering their time, and ordinary citizens who stop by to make donations and extend a few kind words.

The Eleonas center is the result of combined efforts of the the municipality of Athens, the Attica region, the Greek navy, and ordinary people, Karangeli explained.

Since its gates opened mid-August, more than 3,500 people have so far found shelter, and medical and legal assistance.

Eleonas reception center is, for some, like an oasis in a desert, as Greece and Europe struggle to provide the basic assistance to an unprecedented influx of refugees and migrants this year.

More than 300,000 people have reached Greece's shores since January this year, mainly passing through Turkey as they make their way to more prosperous central and northern European countries.

About 3,000 migrants have been lost in the Mediterranean Sea this year.

At Eleonas, refugees find long-sought peace, safety and decent living conditions before continuing their epic journey. Most are Syrian and Afghan nationals.

"We need more spaces like that, not only in Greece but in all of Europe. This is something all governments have to think about, this is a need," Karangeli said, before rushing off to check packages with presents and the next round of special activities scheduled for the kids for the special day.

Mohammed Amin, a 32-year-old father of three boys, aged 3, 7 and 9 respectively, was initially not in the mood to celebrate, but he joined the art workshop creating a colorful collage on the camp's walls to spread joy to children.

It took Amin and his family two months to reach the Greek island of Lesvos. They arrived on an overcrowded boat, paying 1,000 dollars per person to traffickers. He lost his last 500 dollars and a package of warm clothes for the winter at sea, when the boat almost overturned.

Yet, he is grateful they all made it and thankful for Greek help. He knows Greece has been in a dire economic situation in recent years and does not want to stay in the country.

He still has not decided where to go, but he plans to move on to a country that can offer the best medical care to his two boys who suffer from hearing problems. He wants to see his children go to school and grow up in freedom and peace.

Amin remembers what Eid al Adha was like before the killings, the blood, the terror. He wants to be able to celebrate happy holidays again with his family.

"If we were back home without facing problems, the entire family would gather together today. We would see our parents and all the relatives. We would have lunch together and celebrate. We would be very happy," Amin told Xinhua through Halil, an Afghan actor volunteering as a translator who has been living in Greece for the past eight years.

"Today we are in a foreign country. Everybody is trying to do the best for his family. Our concern is to move on. We are not in a mood to celebrate, but we try," Amin said.

For Sefore and Sumaya, two Afghan sisters aged 11 and 12 respectively who made the same trip with their parents and two brothers, it has been easier. Even in the most gloomy times and places, children keep smiling and laughing, enjoying life.

The two sisters joined Amin and other refugees in creating the camp wall collage under the instructions of Vreni Spieser, a Swiss visual artist working at Eleonas after hearing about the site from a Greek friend.

Spieser is a member of a group of artists who are running a four-year project known as Sound Development City which travels across Europe for three weeks each year.

She had never worked with refugees before and was impressed with their willingness to participate. She was happy she offered them the possibility to forget about their woes for a while.

"It is good to connect by doing something together, working together, even if you don't speak the same language. It could be the start of something," she told Xinhua, after giving Sefore and Sumaya cards with letters from the word Eldorado to create patterns on the wall.

Spieser's work has lately focused on Eldorado, which for her symbolizes the desire to be somewhere else and therefore is also about migration and the ongoing refugee drama.

The Swiss artist called on her fellow European citizens to open borders, homes and hearts to welcome the refugees.

"The only thing I can say is yes, let them in. I have a Swiss passport. I can go wherever I like. I do not complain. But if you have another passport, you can't. Why?" she asked. Endit