The summer months have always been a time of excitement in Greece. Greek citizens, expats, and tourists take long vacations near coastal areas, having carefree fun by the sea. However, since the refugee crisis started, the sea has become an enemy for many people.
Euronews, reported that going back to the sea is not an option for many refugee children who suffered traumatic experiences during the dangerous journey from the Turkish coast to one of the Greek islands in the Aegean.
A new project has taken on the task of rectifying the situation and bringing refugee children closer to the sea once again. ‘‘Their mothers had to force them in. We’re here to help them get familiar with the water and we’ve managed to get all the children in the sea,” Lia Stavropoulou a local lifeguard said to the news agency.
At the moment, around 70 children are participating in the program that is meant to teach them how to swim. They receive lessons on a daily basis.
Thousands of migrants and refugees have made the dangerous journey to cross from Turkey to Europe. There are more than 1,500 people trapped on the Greek island of Lesvos, while it was estimated that a total number of 60,000 migrants and refugees are trapped in the country.
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