'Super grandmother' embraces refugees

• Report rights infringement
• published: 09 Apr 2016
• views: 3

The Greek border village of Idomeni is home to some 150 people, most are pensioners. It has witnessed the results of an influx of an estimated one million refugees and migrants to Europe over the last year. Panagiota Vasileiadou, 82, has witnessed hundreds of refugees begging for food to feed their children or clean water to shower and wash their clothes. As a daughter of ethnic Greek refugees, she herself left Turkey in a population exchange after the 1919-1922 Greco-Turkish war and is now doing all she can to help the latest wave of refugees by giving out food and clothes. Refugees come to this house in Idomeni, Greece every day. They call her Mama - 82-year-old Panagiota has become the refugees’ grandmother. Baraa and his kids fled the war in Iraq. They braved a sea crossing to Greece hoping to reach safety. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Baraa, Iraqi refugee: “When we came she welcomed us. She made the kids happy and said you can come any time when she heard that their mother was dead.” Panagiota knows what it’s like to lose one’s home. She lost hers in the Second World War. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “I was seven years old when our house was burned down. We didn’t have a spoon, fork, bread or clothes. The only thing we had left were the nightgowns we were wearing. Five children. No clothes, nothing.” At first, Panagiota gave out food and clothes to refugees who were passing by. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “Sometimes I made cheese pies, eggs, sandwiches. Five, ten, fifteen (people) would pass by and I gave them.” Then she opened her home. She now hosts five refugees in her house. Panagiota cooks for her guests every day. Her pension of 450 euros and her children’s support pays for food and basic things for the refugees. She stresses these people are not to blame for anything. The refugees living with her are from Iraq and Syria, two women and three men. They camped in the cold for a month before finding shelter here. Some refugees like Baraa and his kids are there for the day for a meal or a shower. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Baraa, Iraqi refugee: “This old woman made our lives easier. I thank her so much and she represents the Greek people and what Greece stands for.” Panagiota says the refugees are family now. She will keep helping them as long as she can. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “My life changed because I have company in the house, that’s it, nothing else. I have company in the house, I talk, we laugh, even though we can’t understand each other.” But that is only a temporary arrangement. Thousands of other refugees are in desperate need of a long-term solution. STORY: GREECE / REFUGEES GRANDMOTHER TRT: 02:47 SOURCE: UNHCR RESTRICTIONS: NONE LANGUAGE: ARABIC / GREEK / NATS DATELINE: 24 – 25 MARCH 2016, IDOMENI, GREECE SHOTLIST 1 Various shots, Iraqi refugee Baraa’s family entering Panagiota’s house 2. Various shots, refugee family greeting Panagiota 3. Wide shot, Baraa’s family sitting in the dining room 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Baraa, Iraqi refugee: “When we came she welcomed us. She made the kids happy and said you can come any time when she heard that their mother was dead.” 5. Wide shot, Panagiota grabbing the table cloth 6. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “I was seven years old when our house was burned down. We didn’t have a spoon, fork, bread or clothes. The only thing we had left were the nightgowns we were wearing. Five children. No clothes, nothing.” 7. Various shots, Panagiota buying grocery 8. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “Sometimes I made cheese pies, eggs, sandwiches. Five, ten, fifteen (people) would pass by and I gave them.” 9. Wide shot, Panagiota carrying bags and walking back to the house 10. Med shot, Panagiota cooking 11. Close up, cooking pot 12. Close up, Panagiota’s face 13. Various shots, food on the table and family having the meal with Panagiota 14. Close up, Baraa eating 15. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Baraa, Iraqi refugee: “This old woman made our lives easier. I thank her so much and she represents the Greek people and what Greece stands for.” 16. Close up, children by the dining table 17. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Panagiota Vasileiadou, Greek host: “My life changed because I have company in the house, that’s it, nothing else. I have company in the house, I talk, we laugh, even though we can’t understand each other.” 18. Various shots, Panagiota saying goodbye to Iraqi refugee family http://www.trhaberler.com/kategori/video/