A group of musicians from Galway, Ireland is seeking travel industry support for a planned trip to help refugees on the Island of Lesvos. They are currently trying to find an airline/travel company to sponsor them by way of providing flights to Athens, from where they will take a connecting ferry.
“I decided to plan this trip because I have been so moved what is happening to refugees in Europe at the moment,” one of the groups members, Maeve Kelly, told Travindy. “They have already been to hell and back and are now facing enormous walls of bureaucracy and racism while trying to find a safe haven for themselves and their families. I have also been keenly watching the incredible work being carried out by volunteers who are trying their very best to ease the journey for these people. I have the time and the energy and feel driven to help, as do the other people who are coming with me. Lesvos is crumbling under the pressure and desperately needs people on the ground helping. From a musician perspective, we have first hand experience of how uplifting music can be, especially for children. We all want to use our talents to raise spirits over on Lesvos, both for the refugees and the volunteers who have been working around the clock over there.”
The group plans to be in Greece for the first two weeks of December and will be helping out with a number of ventures while there – in particular, the Village of All Together and the work being carried out by the Kempson Family in the north of the island. They are also planning workshops, activities and music sessions with the refugees, both children and adults.
Three of the group, Maeve Kelly, Liam Conway and Ciaran De Burca, are experienced workshop coordinators, having worked with children and young people in Vietnam, China and most recently in Malawi.  The other members, Peter Brazier and Frank Hall, have many years of workshop coordination, music and dance teaching and playing experience.
- For more information visit their website
- Do you know anyone in airline industry who might support this? Please share.
