Nicholas Shange age 14, Brooklyn Sigma Beta freshman at Léman Manhattan Prep.
My Greece Trip: A Journey of Culture and Service
Service:
One of the highlights of my service trip to Greece was when I spent three days volunteering at the Yoga and Sport Shelter with my classmates. The shelter houses unaccompanied refugee boys and gives them the opportunity to live and grow together. These teens, most who are around my age, came to Greece by themselves after escaping life-threatening situations in their home countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. Helping them, even in a small way, is something that I won’t forget.
Day 1:
On the first day, we became familiar with the shelter and the boys who lived there. We were assigned to help build closets so that they would have more space in their rooms. We worked with a boy named Hussain who was 14 years old and from Syria. He told us that he had traveled by himself from Syria to Greece in search of freedom and protection.
Listening to his story made everything more real. I understood that while I had been blessed to travel to Greece to learn and have fun, others had traveled there to survive.
Day 2:
On day two, my group built two more closets. This time we were more confident, our teamwork increased, and we understood how to work with our tools better. Once we had finished our closets, we had time to relax with some of the boys at the shelter. We played simple games such as catch and soccer. Although we did not speak the same language, we bonded through laughter, high-fives, and enjoying each other’s company. For those few hours, we weren’t refugees and volunteers, we were just teenagers spending time together.
Day 3:
The last day was the hardest knowing it was our last with them. We went to the shelter ready to help more, but we could not see the boys because they had to go to school. It hit us that this would be our last trip to the shelter, and we would not be able to say goodbye to them.
Even though we couldn’t see them, we felt happy because the closets we built would still help make their lives more comfortable. As I left the shelter, I felt sad and grateful at the same time. I was sad because I knew we wouldn’t see them again. But I was grateful for the opportunity to do something significant to improve their lives, to walk in someone else’s shoes, and to learn and grow from it. This service experience taught me what life can be like everyday for a refugee. I couldn’t imagine traveling hundreds of miles to a place I know nothing about, with no one I knew and having to make a brand new life. It also made me realize that even little things such as fixing a closet or playing a game can make someone’s day. I will never forget my time at the shelter and the individuals I came into contact with there because it helped me realize that there are kids my age and even younger that go through things I could never imagine and they don’t complain and are grateful for everything. This experience helped me realize that I complain about the simplest things if I don’t get just what I want. I see that I need to become more humble about everything I get in life.
Culture:
Day 1: School Visit and Cultural Connection
We started off our trip with a tour of ACS Athens which is an International Baccalaureate school, just like ours, Leman Manhattan Preparatory School. We also got to see our former Head of School , Dr. L, who is now Head of School there. We were able to go into a 9th grade history class as well as play basketball with some of the kids during their lunch period. It was intriguing to witness the class because even though it was in a completely different country everything felt really similar to mine.
Day 2: Miniature Greece
We visited a miniature museum that was filled with five floors of small, but detailed miniatures of some of the most well-known places in Greece. From temples to islands, each miniature was important to the history of Greece. Seeing so many historical sites crammed into one room helped me understand how much history is in Greece and got me even more excited to hopefully see some of those sites in person.
Day 3: Olympic History and Greek Cooking
We went to the Kallimarmaro Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held. It was crazy to stand where athletes had competed over 125 years ago. We went through an exhibit of Olympic torches upstairs, one from each year the Olympics were held. That afternoon, we took a Greek cooking class, where a sweet lady named Miss Maria showed me how to make traditional tzatziki. Making my own was so fun because I had never cooked something from scratch in my life before.
Day 4: Giannis’ Neighborhood
One of the highlights of my trip was visiting the neighborhood where NBA Power Forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up. We got to play basketball and soccer on the court where he played as a youth. Seeing where Giannis started just makes me respect him even more because he comes from an impoverished neighborhood and he worked his way to becoming one of the best players in the NBA.
Day 5: Sea Turtles and Pottery
We took a pottery workshop with a man who has been working with pottery for over 40 years. We learned how to mold clay into vases and bowls using a banding wheel and we even got to paint pre-molded plates and take them home. Later that afternoon, we visited a sea turtle rescue center in Glyfada, where we learned about how the turtles are rescued, treated, and looked after all over Greece. Seeing the amount of effort that is put into protecting turtles helped me understand how important environmental service is.
Day 6: Ancient Wonders
On our final day, we visited the Acropolis and walked among ruins of the Parthenon and other ancient buildings. The view was amazing, we were learning about history every step we took. Afterwards, we visited the Acropolis Museum, which contained artifacts from throughout Greek history. It was a perfect way to end a great learning and growth trip.
Final Reflection
This trip impacted me greatly. It showed me that the history that you read is very different if you can actually experience yourself. It also reminded me that there are people who are so much less fortunate and privileged than me, yet they don’t take life for granted. They never complained about what they have and are grateful for everything. This helped me realize how privileged I am and I realized I shouldn’t take what I have for granted and be thankful for all the opportunities I have been granted. Greece allowed me to see a new culture and serve in a way that I knew I was helping people right away. I came back home not just with memories but with a deeper understanding of the world.
Nicholas Shange age 14, Brooklyn Sigma Beta freshman at Léman Manhattan Prep.
Learning to make to make traditional tzatziki with Miss Maria (center left).
Playing basketball in Sepolia, the neighborhood of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Final product of an incredible pottery class!