The Tree of Hope
Role: Project Manager
Client: Lighthouse Relief and Ritsona Refugee Camp Youth
Timeframe: January 2016
Overview: Managed the ‘Tree of Hope’ project aimed at engaging adolescents in Ritsona Refugee Camp through creative expression and community building in the form of an art installation
Situation
Our client, Lighthouse Relief, is an NGO dedicated to providing direct assistance to refugees crossing the Aegean Sea onto Lesvos Island and offering soft psychosocial programming at Ritsona Refugee Camp. The ‘Tree of Hope’ youth art event was initiated to address the significant lack of adolescent-specific programming and engagement, particularly for those over 15 years old not registered with the Ministry of Education. This gap left many young individuals without constructive outlets for their energy and creativity.
With support from the Non-Government Organization ‘I Am You’, the ‘Tree of Hope’ project aimed to empower adolescents through art, fostering creativity, empowerment, and collaboration. The goal was to provide these adolescents with a platform to express themselves and engage positively with their community.
Our Approach
Phase 1: Community Engagement and Project Preparation
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Engaged the community and secured buy-in from both the youth and supporting NGOs.
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Conducted outreach to explain the project's concept and goals.
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Identified the camp library isobox as the ideal location and negotiated its use.
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Gathered essential materials and established communication with the adolescents across the camp.
Phase 2: Creation of Art Components
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Adolescents crafted leaves, writing their hopes and dreams on them.
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Created flowers from recycled water bottles, using techniques like shaping them over a candle for realism.
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Prepared materials for constructing the tree itself, using plaster and other resources.
Phase 3: Mural Construction and Decoration
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Constructed the tree and painted the mural on plywood attached to the library isobox.
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Adhered and painted flowers, leaves, and branches onto the mural with meticulous attention to detail.
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Completed the artwork with a poem in both English and Arabic as a central piece.
A youth working on her flower made of recycled water bottle
The donated shipping container prior to mural construction
Plyboard was adhered onto the shipping container for a smoother surface to work on, followed by several layers of paint
Phase 4: Community Celebration
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Hosted a community celebration event featuring traditional music.
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Invited the entire camp community to see and celebrate the completed mural.
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Provided a platform for the youth to showcase their achievements.
Results
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Engagement and Empowerment: Successfully engaged a diverse group of adolescents, fostering a sense of confidence, trust, and identity.
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Community Integration: Participants demonstrated increased autonomy and integration within the community.
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Beautification: The project led to the beautification of the refugee camp, with the completed mural becoming a source of pride and enjoyment for all camp residents.
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Catalyst for Further Initiatives: This project was the catalyst for the Youth Engagement Space that launched shortly afterward in Ritsona Refugee Camp, providing a dedicated area for ongoing adolescent engagement and activities.
Executed by Lighthouse Relief, the ‘Tree of Hope’ project exemplified the power of participatory arts in empowering and engaging young refugees. Through creative expression and collaboration, it offered a platform for adolescents to voice their hopes and aspirations, leading to meaningful outcomes for both the participants and the broader camp community.