Meet the Makers
Each piece carries the fingerprint of one person — their patience, their story, their craft. Meet the refugee artisans on Lesvos whose work makes every utensil possible.
* Some names have been changed to protect the artisan's identity and family.
Iran
Hossein is a skilled craftsman. He runs the bandsaw cutting out the slabs and each spoon blank. He's from Iran, and he had to leave everything behind because of his faith. Now he's rebuilding his life here on Lesvos. *Photo removed for security reasons.
Pakistan
Barnum came from Pakistan. He's precise in a way you can't teach, and he notices the things most people would miss: the curve of a handle, the way a grain wants to be followed instead of fought. He's here for one reason: to support his wife back in Pakistan, and hopefully she can reunite with him in Greece in the future. Every piece he carves carries a little of that weight, and a little of that hope.
East Africa
Israel is a meticulous craftsman. He'll sand a spoon a few more passes than anyone asked him to because he can still feel a spot that isn't quite right. He's from East Africa. His wife is still back home, and he holds onto the hope that one day she'll be able to join him here in Greece. That hope is a big part of why he shows up every day, and you can feel the care he puts into every piece.
Gambia
Alex is from Gambia. He's married with two young daughters, and his oldest just started school — a big deal in their house. He is very diligent, focused, and somehow always smiling through any difficulty. He's here to give his girls a steadier start than he had, and that quiet determination shows up in everything he makes.
East Africa
Mobadek left East Africa with his wife and three children still back home. Through his work making spoons he is able to fund an education for them unlike his father was able. His goal is to reunite all together under one roof. He shows up to the workshop with a kind of quiet gratitude that's hard to miss, and a steadiness that doesn't waver when the work gets hard. Every spoon he finishes is one more small step toward the day he can support his goal of family reunification.
East Africa
Elshaddai recently became a father for the first time. He and his wife welcomed a new baby, and you can see how much that's changed him — every shift carries a little more weight, and a little more meaning. He's from East Africa, and he is a very capable worker in the workshop. Whatever you hand him, it comes back done right. He's building something for his family, one piece at a time.
