Refugee Support in Lesvos
Donation protected
Today, the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes is the highest since World War II, according to UNHCR. Over half are children and on average, over 28,000 people are forced to flee their homes every day. In August 2015, the refugee crisis in Europe came into the media’s attention, as photos of children washing up on shore and hundreds of people packed into small boats captivated us and the rest of the world. Though this crisis is not at the top of our daily headlines, the problem is still ever-present and growing.
After spending the past 2 years working with refugees in Madrid, I’m now headed to Lesvos, Greece for 3 months with my sister Zoe. I will be working with the organization Movement on the Ground (MOTG).
MOTG is a humanitarian NGO working in the refugee camp Kara Tepe, a camp for the most vulnerable refugees, mostly families and children. Their goal is to use innovative ideas to help empower the residents (the term they use for refugees in the camp) and make it a more sustainable and positive place to live. They term this philosophy, Camp to CampUS, and are involved in various projects. As volunteers, we’ll be helping with the Community Center, where they organize daily kids activities, the Giving Food Truck, a mobile food truck with the capacity to make 10,000 meals a day, and more. We looked at many organizations but were most impressed and inspired by MOTG's commitment to working in solidarity with the residents and their creative ideas.
We have funded our own accommodation and travel while there, but MOTG asks all of its volunteers to raise additional funds to contribute to its ongoing projects. Funds will be used towards children's activities, maintenance of structures within the camp and towards long-term projects to improve infrastructure. Every donation helps keep children smiling, energy flowing and supplies coming.
You can read more about MOTG’s work on their website: http://movementontheground.com/who-we-are/ or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/movementontheground/
100% of the funds raised will go directly to MOTG and their projects on the ground in Lesvos.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. Thank you for your support and generosity!
I also encourage you to read more about the refugee crisis from any of these articles:
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/20/533634405/five-surprising-facts-about-the-refugee-crisis
After spending the past 2 years working with refugees in Madrid, I’m now headed to Lesvos, Greece for 3 months with my sister Zoe. I will be working with the organization Movement on the Ground (MOTG).
MOTG is a humanitarian NGO working in the refugee camp Kara Tepe, a camp for the most vulnerable refugees, mostly families and children. Their goal is to use innovative ideas to help empower the residents (the term they use for refugees in the camp) and make it a more sustainable and positive place to live. They term this philosophy, Camp to CampUS, and are involved in various projects. As volunteers, we’ll be helping with the Community Center, where they organize daily kids activities, the Giving Food Truck, a mobile food truck with the capacity to make 10,000 meals a day, and more. We looked at many organizations but were most impressed and inspired by MOTG's commitment to working in solidarity with the residents and their creative ideas.
We have funded our own accommodation and travel while there, but MOTG asks all of its volunteers to raise additional funds to contribute to its ongoing projects. Funds will be used towards children's activities, maintenance of structures within the camp and towards long-term projects to improve infrastructure. Every donation helps keep children smiling, energy flowing and supplies coming.
You can read more about MOTG’s work on their website: http://movementontheground.com/who-we-are/ or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/movementontheground/
100% of the funds raised will go directly to MOTG and their projects on the ground in Lesvos.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. Thank you for your support and generosity!
I also encourage you to read more about the refugee crisis from any of these articles:
http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/20/533634405/five-surprising-facts-about-the-refugee-crisis
Organizer and beneficiary
Talia Gerstle
Organizer
Traverse City, MI
Zoe Gerstle
Beneficiary