Twenty-nine refugee and migrant children, aged 9-10, who participate in METAdrasi’s educational activities in Chios, visited Kambos of Chios, where the systematic cultivation of citrus fruits that dates back to the 14th century takes place.
Accompanied by teachers and interpreters, they visited the Citrus multi-purpose venue, where they had the chance to tour the premises of a traditional estate and get a taste of the arrangements of the famous old estates where the aristocratic families of Chios used to live.
The special architecture did not leave the visitors unmoved: the huge arched gates, the arcades, formed by marble columns, the balconies and the courtyards paved with cobbles, impressed both young and older.
The students walked along the citrus groves identifying the lemon, orange and tangerine trees. They had an especially remarkable experience when the venue’s managers put into function the well with its water pulley mechanism, so as to show the children how the irrigation of all these big areas was traditionally done.
Filled with enthusiasm, they stood by the farmyard observing and writing down the species and the number of the animals of the area, taking photos and keeping notes in a specially formed notebook that they had prepared. Afterwards, they took a tour at the Museum, where they were taught of the citrus fruits production history as well as of its importance for the island’s development.
Like journalists, they posed questions about the present-day production of the Citrus estate and they presented the venue’s managers with a small scale model of the estate that they had created in the class, wanting to thank them for the wonderful tour. As a souvenir for their visit, the managers of Citrus gave each student a fruit pie and they all had a nice picnic at the estate’s garden.
An amazing experience! The students got closer to an important part of Chios’ history, realizing once more, the extend of beauty and the value of the place that offers them shelter. The aim was to make them understand that the island is much more than just the refugee camp that hosts them temporarily.
The venue managers, as well as the locals that happened to be there, welcomed our young students with great joy, fulfilling in this way one of the most important purposes of our educational activities, their social integration.
METAdrasi, aiming at covering the educational needs of children living in hotspots on the islands and enabling their smooth integration into the official school system, operates since January 2018, a non-formal Education Center in Chios, in an appropriate space situated outside the Reception and Identification Center of VIAL.
In total, more than 350 school age children benefit, on a daily basis, from METAdrasi’s educational activities in the islands, which are implemented with the support of UNHCR.
Read more about Educational activities for children on the islands