Vital work of restoring mental wellbeing to those in need

Having escaped war zones, undertook a treacherous journey across thousands of miles and finally risked death in a leaky dinghy, how can a refugee leave their awful experiences behind and get on with life? Surprisingly, the answer begins with swimming lessons and art classes, according to Tommy Flavin

You’d be forgiven for thinking that survivors of the journey across the Aegean Sea would prefer to forget their many brushes with death. But the first thing you see upon entering Pikpa refugee camp is a string of life jackets hanging from a fence. The words ‘Safe Passage’ are daubed across them in fading letters.

Most people’s instinct would be to shield the refugees from anything that might remind them of their trauma. Not so the volunteers of Pikpa. Here, they take active steps to help refugees face their traumas head-on in an effort to overcome them.