Greek Village of Skala Sikamineas Remains Committed to Aiding Refugees

A vantage point has been set up to keep watch for the boats of refugees crossing from Turkey to Greece, which just a few kilometers away. (J. Owens / VOA)

Thousands of life jackets, discarded by refugees upon arrival in Lesvos, Greece, have been gathered together in the north of the island. (J. Owens / VOA)

Inside the hut on Lesvos, Greece, where vigil is kept for migrants from Turkey. The volunteers and NGOs involved has telescopes and night vision binoculars. (J. Owens / VOA)

A map pinned to the inside of a hut on Lesvos, Greece, that acts as a lookout point for refugees crossing to Greece from Turkey. (J. Owens/VOA)

A volunteer has a quick cigarette on Lesvos, Greece. Those on watch for migrants sailing from Turkey check the ocean with binoculars every 15 minutes. (J. Owens/VOA)

The volunteers on Lesvos, Greece, stay vigilant outside their hut for any boat crossings made by refugees. (J. Owens/VOA)

Fishermen from Skala Sikamineas, a city on Lesvos, Greece, wait for a storm to pass. (J.Owens/VOA)

At the harbor in Skala Sikamineas on the Greek island of Lesvos, volunteers for the Refugee Rescue team carry out maintenance on their boat. (J. Owens/VOA)

One of the team for Lighthouse Relief moves the remains of a dinghy from the shore of Skala Sikamineas. They are then recycled and made into new goods. (J.Owens/VOA)

Richard Heard is part of the Refugee Rescue team, which sets off from Skala Sikamineas to ensure the safety of refugees on their crossing from Turkey. (J. Owens/VOA)

Vangelis Stilianou owns a restaurant in Skala Sikamineas with his brother. Like many others in Lesvos, he has been badly affected by the drop in tourism. (J. Owens/VOA)

Andrea Montenegro is with Lighthouse Relief, which helps arriving refugees and has begun cleaning the local beaches of debris. (J. Owens/VOA)

In 2015, thousands of refugees arrived on the shores of Skala Sikamineas on the Greek island of Lesvos. Numbers have dropped dramatically since then. (J. Owens/VOA)