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Social Circus Campaign in Vathy Refugee Camp

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Every child deserves to play.

Rhopalo Circo is an organization of performers, musicians, mediation specialists, and art educators, who bring the joy of play to those who would be otherwise unable to access it. Our organization was conceived in 2018 with the intent to address the current refugee crisis within Greece and surrounding nations. Children need to play in order to develop, but that ability has been stolen from many of them. We intend to give it back.

Rhopalo Circo offers circus shows and workshops geared at promoting human dignity and coherence. Our founders are trained in a variety of disciplines from conflict management to traditional circus skills. John (Soleil) carried a degree in Conflict Studies from St Paul University, extensive mediation training from the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution and even more training from Cirque du Soleil's Social Circus program. Kaylie teaches circus to kids all over Ontario, and Millie and Pascal teach in Quebec! Together, we provide an opportunity to play, heal, and be abundantly human, to whomever we encounter. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child outlines play as a basic right and we intend to see that right carried out.

We are partnered with the local NGO Samos Volunteers who already deliver food, water, and basic hygiene to the residents. This leaves them with little time to manage playful activities and so they have welcomed us to do our work. So that's where we come in. By providing an opportunity to be silly we accomplish so much. Kids stay out of trouble, they interact with each other in positive ways, and most importantly, they laugh.

We believe that one minuscule action can change the course of the world in absolutely beautiful and unpredictable ways. This is why we are called Rhopalo Circo – a play on the term Rhopalocera – the Latin family name for the common butterfly. We may be small, but our impact will be immense. Currently, there are four of us - in the future we hope to be four hundred.

Today we play - tomorrow we fly!

We will spend two months within the refugee camp in Samos. There are currently 1,000 children there who need to play in order to develop cognitively, and to simply remember that they exist. In order to make this a reality, we need your help. Here's a breakdown of our costs.

$4,800 - 4 x Two-way flights. (We do want to come home eventually!)
$1,000 - Local transport costs.
$2,500 - FOOD!
$3,200 - Accommodation (We can't stay in the camp.)
$1,000 - Circus supplies (We intend to leave balls and toys when we leave)
$2,000 - Emergency fund (Just in case! If we hit this goal, extra money will all go to Samos Volunteers to help their costs. https://samosvolunteers.org/)

Total: $14,500

As a thank you, donations over $50 will receive a personalized letter from Samos with a journal entry describing one of our days. Just send your mailing address to our Facebook page and we'll get you the letter!

Help us power our imagination spaceships!

We need your help, now.

In addition to donating you can help us realize this project in other ways. Share this campaign on Facebook, e-mail your mum, text your dog, or send a telegraph to space!

We'll be posting updates throughout our journey so you can stay up-to-date. We want you to know exactly where your money has gone and all the good that it has done. Check out our Facebook page and give us a like - https://www.facebook.com/rhopalocirco/ 


**VERSION FRANÇAISE**

Rhopalo Circo part en Grèce!

Rhopalo Circo est un projet rassemblant des performeurs, médiateurs et éducateurs artistique qui tentent d’amener la joie et le jeu à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Notre organisation a vu le jour en 2018 avec l’intention de prêter main forte à la présente crise migratoire en Grèce et d’autres parties de l’Europe.

Rhopalo Circo offre des performances ludiques et des ateliers afin de valoriser la dignité humaine et les liens sociaux. Nos fondateurs sont formés dans une variété de disciplines tels que la gestion de conflits, l’éducation artistique et la performance circassienne. Ensemble, nous offrons une opportunité au jeu, à la guérison et à l’abondance humaine, et ce, à quiconque qui croise notre route.

Nous croyons que même les plus petites actions peuvent changer le cours du monde de manière magnifiquement impromptue. C’est pourquoi nous avons nommé notre projet Rhopalo Circo - un jeu de mot sur le terme Rhopalocera - le terme latin pour la famille des papillons. Nous sommes peut-être petits; mais nos impact seront grands. Présentement, nous sommes quatre - dans le futur nous espérons être quatre cents.

Aujourd’hui nous jouons, demain nous volons!

Notre intention est de passer deux mois dans le camp de réfugié de Samos. Afin d’en faire une réalité, nous avons besoin de votre aide! Voici le détail de nos dépenses prévues:

4,800 $ - 4 x vol aller-retour
1,000 $ - Transport local (Aller et revenir du camp)
2,500 $ - Nourriture
3,200 $ - Accommodation (Nous ne pouvons rester au camp)
1,000 $ - Matériel de cirque (Nous voulons laisser des balles et des jouets de cirque)
2,000 $ - Fonds d'urgence (Au cas où! Si nous atteignons cet objectif, tout les sous en extra iront à Samos Volunteers pour couvrir leurs frais - https://samosvolunteers.org/ )

TOTAL: 14, 500 $

Les dons de plus de 50$ recevront une lettre personnalisée de Samos avec une description d’une de nos journées. Envoyez-nous simplement votre adresse postale sur notre page Facebook afin d’acheminer la lettre!

Aidez nous à propulser notre fusée vers l’imaginaire!

En plus de donner, vous pouvez nous aider en partageant cette campagne sur Facebook, en envoyant un courriel à ta mère, en textant ton chien ou même en envoyant un télégraphe dans l’espace!

Nous ferons un suivi de notre mission sur notre page Facebook afin de vous garder au jus des derniers événements. Nous voulons vous assurer de savoir oû va votre argent et le bien qu’il en aura résulté! Suivez le lien ci-contre pour notre page facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/rhopalocirco/
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Donations 

  • Annie Prévost
    • $100 
    • 5 yrs
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Fundraising team: Rhopalo Circo (2)

John Shibley
Organizer
Greely, ON
Kaylie Kreatrix
Team member

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