Emilia Kamvysi is an unassuming 86-year-old Greek grandmother from Lesvos, who has received two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“What am I going to do with it anyway?” she says of the $1.2 million prize if she wins and went on to state she will donate the money to the Greek healthcare system. “I wish that Greece wins this prize, not just me.”
Kamvysi, along with her cousins, aged 89 and 85, were photographed sitting on a bench last year helping a young Syrian refugee mother by bottle-feeding her child. The photo went viral on social media, and she and the other women became symbols of Greek generosity toward the refugees in Greece.
The three women, along with a Greek fisherman Stratis Valiamos and American actress Susan Sarandon, are nominated for the Nobel prize by a group of Greek lawmakers, academics and others, for their humanitarian efforts for the refugees.
“There are many people that helped the refugees- the fishermen, the volunteers. It wasn’t just us,” Kamvysi said. “Those poor babies, escaping war and drowning in the waters. It’s such a shame. We’re all crying in the village whenever there’s a shipwreck.”
Others in the running include Pope Francis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and whistleblower Edward Snowden- the award will be announced today, Friday 7th of October at 8pm AEDT.
