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Help for the refugees on Samos

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At the end of October I'm flying to the Greek island of Samos, to spend a month volunteering at the refugee camp near the port town of Vathy.

I'll be working with an independent organisation called Samos Volunteers, who have been covering the basic needs of refugees arriving on Samos since before any official groups showed up. Most major NGOs have now withdrawn their activities from the closed camp, leaving Samos Volunteers as the main group providing human essentials to the 900+ people being detained there.

My role within the organisation will involve setting up an educational and recreational percussion project for the children and young adults currently detained in the camp. These young people have often been through extremely traumatic experiences, and their day-to-day lives in the camp rarely have much structure. I'm an experienced community music practitioner and I hope that this percussion project will offer an environment where they can positively socialise and create something of their own. 

Any donations I receive will go directly to buying essential goods for the refugees in the camp. This will include clothing, footwear, food, tents, sleeping bags, and hygiene items, as well as instruments for the percussion project. I will be buying the majority of these items on the island, so your donation will also be helping the Greek economy, which is struggling to support such a huge influx of vulnerable people. 

This is a completely voluntary role, and I have saved enough of my own money to cover my flights, ferries, accommodation and transport on the island, as well as my own food. This adds up to over £1000.

The money you donate will directly help people who have been forced to leave desperate situations in their own countries for the relative safety of Europe, and are now being detained in often inhumane conditions. With winter approaching, and more men, women, and (often unaccompanied) children arriving on the island every week, any help you can give will make a massive difference. 

I would be massively grateful for any help you can give; every penny counts! Please spread the word and THANK YOU!

I'll be keeping in touch with everyone who donates to let them know how I'm getting on and how their donations are helping.

More info on Samos Volunteers here:
https://samosvolunteers.wordpress.com/

If you would like any more information on the percussion project I'll be setting up in the camp, or would like to donate any unwanted drumsticks, beaters, or small percussion instruments, please email me at [email redacted].

Thanks for reading,

Dav


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Donations 

  • Karen N Encarnacion
    • £10
    • 8 yrs
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Organizer

Dav Shiel
Organizer

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