Feature: Dedicated museum celebrates Greece's solidarity with refugees

A toy, a jacket and a kettle are among the items that have been turned into museum pieces at a unique museum here celebrating the hospitality Greek people showed thousands of refugees fleeing their countries to escape war and persecution.

"Museum without a home" is an initiative by Oxfam and another non-governmental organization (NGO) that transforms the Greek capital into a space of culture dedicated to humanity and hope, organizers pointed out when speaking to Xinhua.

Since 2015, Greece has been the main entry point into Europe for refugees and migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East.

More than 60,000 refugees and migrants have been stranded in Greece since mid-February after the closure of the borders along the Western Balkan route.

"Greece is making history again by showing how people have shown solidarity. They shared what they had, their time, their friendship with people that were fleeing home and we felt that that was a contribution that needed to be celebrated like other contributions that Greece has made," Nicola Bay, director of Oxfam in Greece told Xinhua.

In the museum, the exhibits are actual objects that Greek women, men, and children donated to refugees to make their life easier and to comfort them.

Behind those items, there are stories of friendships that have been formed over many months.

For Efstathia Tsapareli, an actress and mother of a 4-year-old boy, it was normal to offer some of her child's toys to another family.

"For me, it's not about giving a car or a toy or a sticker -- or something bigger...It's about feeling you are welcome and people want to take care of you," she said.

Rahime, who is among the refugees who fled to Greece, said she was very grateful for her son's new car toys.

"Arvin's favorite toys are all here as you see. He likes to bang everything. He likes to make noise," said Rahime.

Bay said they found the objects for the museum through many people who had supported refugees.

"We found quite a few people that were willing to participate in this initiative and tell their stories," said Bay.

In the Greek village of Konitsa in northern Greece, a kettle was the reason for Vasso Chatzi and Syrian refugee Ketime to start their friendship.

"With some people, I became close for sure...They come to the shop; we have coffee together, they have visited our home," Chatzi said.

"You get home, you gather what you have, you give it away. You give it with great joy, with emotion. You see in their eyes the smile, the happiness. They hug you, they thank you, and you don't think then what you're doing. You wish you had more to offer to them," she stressed.

"Vasso brought us kettles and other things we needed of all sorts. From clothes to various other things. From the time we got here, we have benefited a lot from her," Ketime said, who has been living in the area for seven months.

With the exhibition, the organizers want to say "a thank you to the Greek people for the solidarity they've showed, despite the hard economic conditions in Greece and the crisis," Bay highlighted.

The exhibition is on display at the Acropolis Museum, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cultural Center Stavros Niarchos Foundation, as well as the Frissiras Museum until the end of the week.

The stories are all also accessible on the website www.museumwithoutahome.gr.

Among the main objectives of the organizers is to get people to pledge their support for people's right to protection, safety and dignity. They plan to take the exhibition to other countries as well.

"We would really like to make this exhibition go beyond the boundaries of Greece," Bay concluded. Endit