Empower Change: Support my Volunteering Expenses

“Migration is not a phenomenon, it is human nature” - Route 4 Documentary (2021)

I am a psychology student passionate about crisis intervention and community psychology. Even though I'm studying in Portugal at the moment, my educational journey has taken me to Japan and the Netherlands, with a few stops along the way. Currently, I spend most of my free time volunteering with Red Cross Portugal as a first responder and a member of the psychosocial support team of the organisation’s Emergency Department. This summer I will be joining Movement on the Ground in Lesvos for 5 weeks. I will contribute to the education centre that empowers the refugee community with the tools to transform their environment and prepare for their next chapter.

On Europe’s doorstep, we witness the criminalisation of humanitarian workers, inhumane conditions in refugee camps and life-threatening migration routes. Despite this crisis being long-standing, there has been an alarming increase in forcibly displaced individuals, reaching 32.5 million refugees globally as of mid-2022 according to UNHCR [1]. For me, these numbers and trends are terrifying and almost incapacitating, but I choose to use these emotions to motivate myself to take action and effect change. After extensive research and careful consideration, I decided to apply to Movement on the Ground as a volunteer and I am excited to share that I have been selected to join their team in Lesvos this summer.

Your generous contributions will go directly towards supporting the costs of my volunteering trip! I expect to spend about 650€ on flights, 700€ on accommodation for my 5 weeks of volunteering and around 650€ on food and other travel costs. By helping me cover these expenses, you are enabling me to focus on making a meaningful impact on the ground.

Movement on the Ground is a remarkable organisation that is responding to the European refugee crisis affecting innocent children, women and men forced from their homes. They are rooted in the refugee community to transform refugee camps from within. At the core of their mission is the ‘Camp to CampUs’ philosophy, the process of transforming refugee hotspots into safe, healing and dignified environments — places where refugees feel empowered and included in the running of services and projects, where both the host and hosted community can feel involved, valued and connected. To learn more about their work, check their website.

As someone who aspires to work in the humanitarian sector, I am thrilled that I will get to contribute to the necessary paradigm shift in humanitarian aid. Volunteering with Movement on the Ground will undoubtedly be challenging and at times overwhelming. Nevertheless, I am sure it will also advance my skills in the field and prepare me for a rewarding career.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my volunteering with Movement on the Ground. Your support will not only make this dream a reality but also help bring hope, dignity, and empowerment to the lives of displaced individuals.

With Sincere Gratitude,

Sofia Seabra

[1] https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/