May 25, 2025

LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS - With Kayra Martinez

Show Notes

When governments want to help, they do. Refugees learn quickly who is seen and who is overlooked.

Michael Desrosiers talks with Kayra Martinez, the founder of Love Without Borders for Refugees in Need, about what real support looks like and who gets it. Kayra has spent nearly a decade working with refugees in Greece, building an art-centered nonprofit that gives people more than just supplies. It gives them agency.

How does someone with no formal training end up running a global humanitarian effort? Kayra’s story begins with listening. What started as a volunteer trip in 2015 became a full-time mission after she saw families stuck in camps with no housing, no food, and no help from the organizations that were supposed to be there.

Kayra shares how art became both a survival tool and a way to reclaim dignity. She also draws a sharp contrast between the rapid, well-funded support offered to Ukrainian refugees and the ongoing struggle for Syrians, Afghans, and others still waiting for basic aid.

What does it say about our priorities when the same crisis gets two very different responses? And what kind of help actually makes a difference? Kayra doesn’t just raise these questions. She answers them with clear, tangible ways to get involved. From local art events to one-on-one support, this episode is a reminder that the scale of a crisis doesn’t excuse inaction. It demands creativity, persistence, and a willingness to care.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

03:26 Why Greece Became the Focus

04:46 What Triggered the Refugee Crisis in 2015

05:32 Germany’s Response vs. Greece’s Challenges

08:12 Building Solutions Without a Playbook

11:02 Funding the Mission and Staying Afloat

15:14 What Governments Could Do but Don’t

18:12 How You Can Help

Links

Connect with Kayra Martinez:

https://lovewithoutborders4refugees.com