UNICEF | Photographs by Lexie

The following images were taken in Camp Ritsona and Camp Eleonas in Greece in 2019. They were taken for the non-governmental organization called Lighthouse Relief and thanks to the Greek Ministry of Migration who invited me onto a number of camps for official press trips. The aim of the collection is to show what life is like for the 850 residents who are currently awaiting their asylum interview in this camp, which for some will not be until 2030. With no easy access to towns or supplies, the residents have built their own community with a thriving micro-economy. NGOs have also built spaces that are dedicated to children.

The Youth Engagement Space

Lighthouse Relief, a non-governmental organisation, set up the Youth Engagement Space for children aged 12 and above in Ritsona. The space can be used to relax, play music, play games or create art. It is a place where children can relax away from the stresses of living in a refugee camp.

Cafe culture

A young resident of Ritsona Refugee Camp is seen preparing a fresh orange juice for a customer in a small cafe set up by residents of the camp. The cafe serves a selection of basic drinks such as tea, coffee and fresh orange. It is used by the residents, NGO workers and Greek Government employees alike.

I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the residents who would often invite me to share a coffee with them or let me relax in the cafe whilst working on my images.

Beautiful henna hands

A young girl displays her new henna design having spent time in the Female Friendly Space in Ritsona. Women are in the minority in the camp and so the female friendly area provides a vital space for women to relax and girls to play away from the boys. Men and boys would often come to climb on the isoboxes in the hope of catching a glimpse of the mysterious world that they were excluded from (only to be shooed away by women or female NGO workers).

Table for two!

Two young boys are seen posing for the camera on a makeshift table in one of the restaurants in Camp Ritsona, Greece. Having a camera in the camp often meant a flurry of demands from the residents to take their photograph.

Artistic expressions

A collection of art is seen hanging from the wall of an isobox in Camp Ritsona, Greece. Bars can be seen on the window as unfortunately the isobox had previously been broken into. Art is used by the NGO as a form of therapy for the residents.

Game, set and match

A young boy plays tennis with an NGO worker in Camp Ritsona, Greece. The instructor was also present but keen not to be in any of the images and so I was careful to ensure that he was always behind my camera.

A game of two halves

Young male residents play football under the guidance of a Greek coach. Some of the boys only have flip flops and so have thrown them to one side as they happily play football on the concrete. Around the edge of the pitch there are a number of empty Isoboxes that were previously home to toilets and showers but are now empty and serve only as a boundary for the football pitch.

Posing in the woods

Two residents make fun of a good natured NGO worker in Camp Ritsona in Greece. Thousands of volunteers work around the world to support refugees and asylum seekers. At the time the image was taken, Lighthouse Relief had 8 volunteers working for the organisation in Ritsona providing psychosocial support to children and teenagers.

Play time in the isoboxes

A young boy is seen playing with toys in a brightly decorated Isobox in Camp Ritsona. The identity of children must be kept hidden in this camp and so the image shows a blurred face in order that the child not be identifiable. I was photographing the isobox without children when curiosity got the better of the kids outside. This boy burst in and before the NGO staff could get him out of the area, I decided to change my settings and fire off a couple of shots to show the motion blur. The colour of the boy's t-shirt provides a nice contrast to the black wall of the play area.

Happy Eid Celebrations

A woman shows off her hand after it was decorated with henna for Eid. She is seen standing in the doorway of her brightly coloured Isobox where an NGO had recently come in to decorate the boxes that are traditionally white and grey. I noticed that her hand stood out against her scarf and dress and matched the colour of her box. She was entertained by my curiousity with the colours and contrasts.

A quick game of uno

Young children sit around a table in a Child Friendly Space playing UNO. Tempers often flared as children felt that the game was unfair but staff, residents and volunteers were always quickly on hand to calm the situation.

The common language of music

The Youth Engagement Space in Camp Ritsona has a number of musical instruments for the residents to borrow. Here a man can be seen playing a guitar. The space frequently erupted into spontaneous dance and music, bringing together different cultures keen to learn each other's traditional dance.

Proud mothers watching their children

Three women watch their children play in the Child Friendly Space set up in Camp Ritsona. The women were keen to have their portrait taken and that of their children.

Project Elea brings colour to the camp

Brightly coloured Isoboxes can be seen surrounding a football pitch in Camp Eleonas in Greece. An NGO had organised the bright colours as a way of giving the place character and soul. Having visited other camps in Greece were the boxes remained white and the streets were not decorated with pretty plants and flowers, it is clear to see how important it is to have colour in the refugee camps.

An isobox in the Youth Engagement Space

An Isobox in the Youth Engagement Space contains a number of games, instruments, books and a small kitchen where residents can come to relax and borrow the items.

Jenga fun for the little ones

Children play in a Child Friendly Space with various materials including jenga building blocks. In the background a volunteer resident can be seen playing with a child.

Passing time with dominos

Residents and a volunteer are seen playing dominos in the youth engagement space in Camp Ritsona, Greece. The volunteers come into the camp four days per week to play games, talk and socialise with residents. It provides vital psychosocial support to residents who may have to wait for years before being granted an asylum interview.

A family store in Camp Ritsona

In Ritsona in Greece the camp manager has allowed a micro-economy to bloom. There is a short row of shops selling chocolate, drinks and essentials. There are also two restaurants and a cafe for residents and NGO workers to socialise.

I had met the young man on the right in the youth engagement space. He has dreams of becoming a model one day and wanted some portraits. I sent them to him with the help of the translators from the NGO and google translate. He is so beautiful, I hope to see him modelling at some point in the future.

Relaxing with tea and shisha

With nothing else to do but wait, the youth engagement space provides vital entertainment for the children and teenagers in the camp. Here they can come and learn sports, art, languages or just relax. There were many times when I was asked to come and sit, enjoy a tea or just make conversation. These moments were just as special as documenting the lives of these teenagers with my camera.

Hectic play in the child friendly area

The children of the camp are given a few hours each week to come and play with volunteers and residents in structured activities that provide a break for both the children and the parents.

The activities and equipment are likely to be similar to play schools all over the world, however, the NGO staff talked of how quickly things can escalate with small issues spiraling out of control. With that in mind, I had to work carefully and quickly without flinching when tiny hands tried to grab at my equipment. I would quickly move to another area when the children became too interested in the cameras.

One love in the children's play area in Eleonas refugee camp

A play area can be seen in Camp Eleanas in Greece. The isoboxes have been decorated to attempt the make the area a more enjoyable space.

Shop life in Camp Ritsona

This young man posed in front of his counter in a shop in Camp Ritsona in Greece.

Despite his traditional and serious expression, he was thrilled with his portrait, which I later shared with him. Having a professional photograph still provides many residents and refugees with a lot of joy. Where possible, I have also printed out some of the portraits and given them hard copies.

The football pitch in Camp Ritsona

These children play football on concrete in the middle of Camp Ritsona in Greece. The children do not all have shoes and some choose to play with bare feet as their flip flops don't make for good sports shoes. Despite the lack of equipment and obvious need for new nets, the standard and spirits were high.

A mural in the Youth Engagement Space in camp Ritsona

This mural is on the wall of the Youth Engagement Space in Camp Ritsona, Greece. The bright colours are intended to provide a happy environment but the message is serious.