Everyday Heroes

Meet Birgitte- a beautiful, compassionate and kind soul from Norway!

Tell me about yourself?

I’m Birgitte, 26 years old, from Norway. I recently graduated from college as a Social Worker. My mother took care of the three of us as a single mom, and she has had a huge influence on me. I always wanted to help people and have been passionate about social justice.

What is one word that describes you well?

That is a difficult question, because there are so many different aspects to a person. If I had to choose one, it would be a pleaser. I always want to please people and make sure everyone around me is happy, I also want everything around me to be perfect.

This could be wonderful but sometimes it also takes a toll on me.

Why volunteer ?

I have always been a person who likes to contribute towards society in some way or another.

Why volunteer with CESRT?

When I graduated from college, I had a boyfriend, we were building a house together. Life seemed perfect, but then one day we broke up and I also quit my job. I then decided to travel the world and help people. I started looking into different organizations to volunteer with. I first found a Norwegian Organization called, Drop in the Ocean, I looked at the places they worked in and one was Chios. I stayed for 3 weeks and made some wonderful friends- Moulham and Adam who were living there and also another volunteer by the name of Becks. When I was at the airport saying goodbye to Moulham, I burst out crying at the airport and cried all the way from Chios Airport to my bed in Norway. Everyone was looking at me but I didn’t care, my heart was just sad. And the funny thing is Im not even a crier!

Why do you think you cried so much?

I think it was several things, firstly there were so many people that needed help and I was leaving them behind. I could go back to my comfortable home in Norway, but what about these refugee families? What will happen to them?My heart broke for these friends I had made, some of them were waiting in Chios to be reunited with their family.

Secondly I had made some really good friends and leaving them behind was also difficult.

Back home in Norway all my friends and friends, didn’t understand why I was so sad, they kept asking me what had happened. For a long time I felt broken from inside. I finally decided that I had to go again, but the organization I had worked with- Drop in the Ocean, had ended their work their in Chios. I started to look at other organizations and I found CESRT. And contacted them.

What have you learned about the crisis that you didn’t know before?

My biggest lesson is that humans are so resilient and they find happiness and joy even when their whole life has been turned upside down. I realized that when I worked at the Suda Camp (refugee camp) the people there were so polite, cheerful, and happy. The camp conditions weren’t sanitary or very ideal but despite that they were positive about the future.

How does being a Social worker help you in volunteering?

Working as a social worker and volunteering with refugees has helped me to have a whole different perspective on life. Because I have seen their suffering and I have also seen their positive energy.

What are the future plans?

As a volunteer, I would like to travel some more when I have the chance. I plan to go back home earn some money and then continue my travels. It would be my dream to work with a non profit Internationally.

What is your best and worst memory in volunteering. And by worst, I don’t mean by bad experience, I mean something that really made you sad or cry or touched your heart…

Well, I had a few experiences that were really hard. The first time I volunteered, we were distributing food at the Vial Camp. All of a sudden a little boy came up to me and he wanted to play. He looked at me and he looked exactly like my nephew, except for his dark hair. I thought of my nephew and how blessed he was to be born in Norway and this young beautiful child was in a refugee camp just because of where he was born.

Another thing that triggers me to get upset is when I see a pregnant mother at the Children’s House. It makes me sad thinking about the unborn child that is going to enter the world this way.

And the best memory?

The best memory is the kindness and friendship that I see in people. This includes other volunteers and also Moulham and Adam who have become my good friends.

How do you plan to spread the word about the situation?

For this trip, I actually started crowdfunding. I decided to travel and I didn’t have money. I thought I could just start a little crowdfunding and see, I wasnt sure I would raise any money. But I wrote on the page what I was going to do, where I was going, and why I wanted people to contribute the money. I also wrote that I would definitely go even if people didnt contribute and I would find a way. Within the first 24 hours my friends and family donated around 1000 Euros!By the end of it I had raised 1700 Euros and awareness about the non-profit and about the refugee crisis in Chios.

What do you want the world to know?

I just want them to know that the conditions arent good for the refugee families. They are waiting for answers, to get transferred, to reunite with families- they are just waiting. I believe that while they are waiting, everyone could just show them some more humanity, love and respect.

I just remembered one of the worst memories- we went to a restaurant, and a an older Greek man came up to me and the other volunteer and asked us, what we were doing in Chios, if we were tourists. She said no, that we were volunteering with refugees. He got so upset, and started cussing and saying awful things about refugees and yelling at us. It absolutely broke my heart because these people didnt leave their country willingly, they were forced out and we need to be more sensitive.