Katie-Jay’s Hope for 2020 impact: Return to Greece

If I am to share with you my hope for 2020, I must begin with Sharvan. He is an energetic 4-year-old Kurdish boy of Syrian parents. I met him and his mother, Leila, during Little Ripples’ Teacher Training I in August 2019 in Ioannina, Greece. Sharvan attended our trainings too, as there was no other option for childcare in the northern Greece refugee camp of Katsikas.

Sharvan, which means war in his native language of Kurmanji, was born during the ongoing conflict in Syria and was just two-years-old when his family fled the violence. They survived the harrowing and dangerous walk across Turkey, the brutal and risky boat ride to a Greek Island, and were then resettled to camp Katsikas.

Sharvan was quick to react to any situation, many times with fists and yelling, but a big gentle hug dissolved his toughness into curiosity and warmth. Sharvan’s soft green eyes represent a window into his possible future, a future that his mother Leila hopes can be peaceful. Leila is a certified Little Ripples Teacher, but she no longer teaches in the camp. When I met them, they were waiting for their last set of documents in order to make the journey to Germany, where they hoped they could permanently resettle and begin a new life. Recently, I heard they were in transition through Athens to make this happen.