Services offered
A displaced woman at Bashira leaves her palm print on a white sheet.
A place of hope for vulnerable displaced women
SAO’s Bashira Day Centre located in Mytilene, the capital of Lesvos, is one of the few places on the island dedicated exclusively to displaced women. Our friendly environment is a safe haven for often traumatised women and their children, where they can address many of their urgent needs with dignity.
Our Day Centre also serves as a dynamic learning hub that fosters personal growth through a psychosocial programme built on a participatory approach, that encourages women to make their own informed and independent choice. It is also a place where displaced women feel at home, a feeling that can be a luxury for many refugees and asylum seekers.
At Bashira, displaced women benefit from a comprehensive programme designed to address many of their needs, empower them to take essential steps toward improving their situation and prepare them for the next phase of their journey, since most of them move to mainland Greece. They can get professional assistance and guidance with dignity and respect. Our support is offered in Arabic, Farsi, French, Greek and English.
Our dedicated team of professional women invests the necessary time in each individual. Our programme covers basic needs, provides much needed emotional support, addresses concerns and helps with cumbersome bureaucratic processes.
Our staff adhere to the “Do no Harm” Framework and other IASC guidelines.
Change through professional support
Services offered
Assistance with basic needs
Most people arriving at the shores of Lesvos have lost everything on their way to safety, so essential supplies are both urgently needed and deeply appreciated. Women participating in the Bashira programmes receive SAO-funded supermarket coupons, hygiene and self-care items and public transport tickets. They also have access to clean showers with warm water, shampoo, soap and towels, providing a safe space where they can bathe themselves and their children without fear. Additionally, they can visit our beauty salon to style their hair, apply makeup and experience a comforting sense of normalcy.
Empowerment through psychosocial services
Women with open wounds from the arduous and exploitative trip to the island receive crucial support either from our team or through referrals to specialised organisations. These women could be shipwreck or trafficking survivors, have experienced violence before or during their journey, or have lost family members. Through one-to-one meetings or group sessions, they progress in their healing journey and receive personalised support. This includes escorting to public or SAO-covered private health services, assistance with obtaining official documents and providing accurate information on legal, social and other developments affecting displaced people. They can also engage in handicrafts, express themselves through art and connect with other displaced women in a supportive and accepting environment.
Inclusion through education
Learning a language and acquiring new skills are crucial for displaced women to help them achieve their goals and navigate everyday communication. We offer informal English and Greek conversation circles, as well as beginner-level computer use and sewing seminars. The women have access to our study corner, equipped with notebooks, pencils, dictionaries and language-learning books to study independently or ask for help with their homework. We also provide information about the formal Adult Education Centres on Lesvos. Finally, they have the opportunity to experience Greek culture and reconnect with nature through excursions, fostering a sense of connection and familiarity with their new home.
Conditions on Lesvos
When women arrive on the island of Lesvos seeking safety, they encounter numerous challenges that can make their already hard journey even more arduous. The Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) at Mavrovouni on Lesvos is situated in an area where the weather is harsh and there is not adequate sheltering neither for the cold in the winter nor for the heat in the summer. [1] The sanitation facilities are inadequate and there is frequent shortage of hot water and constant power cuts. Food quality is poor and despite a police presence, security incidents, including violence against women, are still present.[2]
Yet, despite all they have endured, these displaced women are expected to find the strength to continue. They must provide safety for their children, navigate complex legal procedures and seek help, when needed. These processes can take weeks or months, and even after being granted refugee status, their struggles are far from over. Since May 2023, people who have been granted refugee status at Mavrovouni CCAC are no longer provided with food, leaving them to fend for themselves. [3] Women who have to remain on the island for extended periods or choose to settle there face significant challenges, including poverty and lack of opportunities.
But there is always hope. Though their stay on Lesvos may be brief, at the Bashira Day Centre, displaced women always find a warm, welcoming space. Here, they are listened to with care, provided with basic necessities and offered guidance to help them overcome the obstacles in their path, allowing them to prepare for the next steps in their lives.