CORSO WORK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 29, 25 September 1946, Page 6

CORSO WORK

AN URGENT NEED ‘MORE CLOTHING IN GREECE The urgent need of Greek children for clothing and their delight at receiving New Zealand garments from a CORSO welfare worker is described in a recent letter, by Mr L. A. D. Hayman, of Christchurch. “When the Nomarch of Evros reported that he had seen there many children with pitiful rags for clothing,” he says, “I determined to take clothing there immediately.. Enough clothing for about 100 children was baled up and put on board. The 30-mile trip took about five hours.

“With our bales we rowed ashore to the remains of the wharf. The ship steamed away leaving us to hire mules to carry us up the winding, rocky path to the main village of Hora about an hour’s journey. The village is built 1000 ft. up among the bare rocks at the head of a val-. ley. The early inhabitants had to choose such a retreat and vantage point for defence against pirates. “By seven next morning with a train of seven mules we were well on our way to the village “Profitis Elias.” The track wound along upland rocky paths; above the sheer solid rock towered to about 3000 ft. and below, sloped away to the sea, the islands of Lemnos and Imbros being visible on the horizon. “We conferred with the president of the village and the committee which registers the indigents, and asked them to select from' indigent families about 40 of the most needy children. The children were then called in groups, some getting an overcoat and socks, and others dress and underclothes for girls, and shirt and trousers for boys. It was great to see the pleasure on the faces of the children who received clothing. “We set off again about 3 for the next village, Lakoma, the track leading down a spur, the lower slopes of the hills being covered with olive trees. Perhaps news of our coming had gone before us by “bush telegraph”, for, at the upper end of the village a crowd of children had gathered and shouted the Greek equivalent of “Welcome.” “On the way back we turned off to visit Alonia. Of the total of 645 inhabitants, 285 are indigent. The shocking poverty of the villagers was immediately evident in the dreadful rags in which a great proportion of the children were going about.”

Life has been hectic here with the sudden reductions in UNRRA staff which have been ordered. I wish I could portray vividly enough the need of these people, not only for immediate relief in the way of clothes but also the long term need of improvement in their standard of living. The medical service is very inadequate too. I am trying to assist them to have established a small “cottage hospital” of five beds, for maternity cases and those unfit to travel to hospital—a gruelling and fatal journey.