Real Lifejackets for child refugees
Donation protected
We are CK Team Refugees, a team of over 100 volunteers sponsored by MSF which pioneered search and rescue efforts on Lesvos in 2015/16 and went onto work in mainland camps, opening schools and providing medical care.
In the past month alone over 1000 children have crossed to the Greek Isles (the equivalent of 5 UK primary schools.) Just this weekend (Nov 11-12) 3 young children tragically drowned, washed up on deserted beaches and now with stormy and colder seas approaching, there is a disaster waiting to happen.
Hence CK Team veterans Matt Llewellin, Danielle Cobb, Jason Mitchell and anyone who wants to join us will be back in Izmir in time for the coldest seas in mid January.
We provide real life jackets to children whose familiies have already made the decision to cross the Aegean to Greece, seeking refuge in Europe whilst fleeing the war in Syria and neighbouring countries. We also distribute safety information and discourage crossings, but words alone cannot help a drowning child who is wearing a fake life jacket. We believe in direct action and filling the gaps; nobody else does this work.
Many children simply do not have a life jacket, like young Aylan Kurdi who drowned two years ago, tragically washed up on a beach where we later laid a memorial. Some children have life vests made of anything that can be found, or simply wear armbands. But most have fakes supplied by smugglers and clothing outlets, made in factories where we have succeeded in disrupting production in the past.
Video below of how we started in January 2016
We buy directly from trusted big suppliers and we do deals with shop outlets to remove their stock of fakes and replace them with the real thing, additionally distributing our safety information there.
Your donations have saved countless lives, providing more than 1000 children's life jackets to date.
In one example (photo below) a boat carrying 106 refugees sank off the Lesvos coast and along with search and rescue teams our team of medics and volunteers scrambled to assist. Three children wearing our life jackets were rescued floating out to sea; their bodies had been righted by our lifejackets and their airways had been kept clear. They lived.
Please help us to save more lives this winter 2017/18
The world may not be watching but we are acting.
We will also be in Greece providing urgent aid to refugee camps.
Here is our original Campaign from January 2016, partnered by Lets Help Lesvos and The Love Light Project.
During the past twelve months a million desperate refugees fleeing the war in Syria have attempted the dangerous sea crossing to Greece in overfilled rubber dinghies managed by mafia and people smugglers.
Many thousands have drowned including the tragically infamous 3 year old Aylan Kurdi and his brother who did not even have life jackets. Most Syrians cannot swim and the life jackets they receive or buy (if they can afford them) are not fit for purpose.
The people traffikers promise life jackets but instead give sports jackets meant to be used as a simple swimming aid, offering no help to those children who have never swum in a pool, let alone a freezing cold stormy sea. Those who can afford to buy their own life jackets often unknowingly buy fakes which kill them. Many children only have inflatable armbands.
We buy and distribute life saving jackets every week.
It can be dangerous work as there are many vested interests, but it is essential work.
Who Are We
The CK Team Lesvos Refugees started by Head Teacher Matt Llewellin is a volunteer group based on the island of Lesvos which has rescued, treated, reclothed and transported 10000 children and their parents who have landed on treachourous rocks along a 15 kms stretch of isolated coastline. We are recognised by the UNHCR as the provider of land based rescue and relief in the north eastern zone 5, and our team of 15 includes medics, a fireman, a nurse and a professional driver for dangerous areas which only 4x4 jeeps can access. We also pay locals to transport refugees, providing an extra income and building bridges.
Abraham Teran of Lets Help Lesvos has been instrumental in supporting the CK Team's work and has transformed the north of the island's relief effort since he arrived here. Setting up a new transit camp for cold and wet refugees and opening and stocking a new emergency aid warehouse are just two of his projects.
Alexandra Wynne of The Love Light project has installed lighting along coastal areas of Lesvos which has provided infinitely safer landings. Furthermore she has provided design, lighting and limitless care and compassion at the Childrens Tent at the main refugee camps on the island.
Having seen many terrible things here and cleaned up tens of thousands of fake or ineffective jackets from the beaches, we have come together to do something about it and we would be extremely grateful for your support.
On January 14, the three of us travelled to Izmir, the city through which most refugees who cross the Aegean Sea pass. With Sabire Tüylü who translated and members of the Swiss Cross Team including Marco Kauer, we met the local Imam and a very trusted genuine life jacket supplier.
Whilst it is very important to stress that we do not recommend or encourage the dangerous and illegal sea crossing, we believe it is imperative that children and their parents have a genuine chance of survival in the real likelihood of a capsize. In these circumstances a life jacket is the most important, most basic humanitarian need.
Please join us in our attempt to prevent further cases like young Aylan and his brother and indeed the death of thousands more beautiful children who sadly only witnessed conflict and death during their short lives.
We only wish to see smily, happy faces after the sea crossing from now on but sadly 500 refugees (mainly women and children) have drowned in stormy seas since January alone.
Every penny of your donation will be spent on life jackets and safety information provision.
Photos will be published regularly so you can see your purchases and the children who you have helped reach land safely.
Our team philosophy is that nothing is impossible and we invite you to join us in this ground breaking attempt to save lives in honour of the thousands of dead who did not have genuine life jackets.
Thank you!
In the past month alone over 1000 children have crossed to the Greek Isles (the equivalent of 5 UK primary schools.) Just this weekend (Nov 11-12) 3 young children tragically drowned, washed up on deserted beaches and now with stormy and colder seas approaching, there is a disaster waiting to happen.
Hence CK Team veterans Matt Llewellin, Danielle Cobb, Jason Mitchell and anyone who wants to join us will be back in Izmir in time for the coldest seas in mid January.
We provide real life jackets to children whose familiies have already made the decision to cross the Aegean to Greece, seeking refuge in Europe whilst fleeing the war in Syria and neighbouring countries. We also distribute safety information and discourage crossings, but words alone cannot help a drowning child who is wearing a fake life jacket. We believe in direct action and filling the gaps; nobody else does this work.
Many children simply do not have a life jacket, like young Aylan Kurdi who drowned two years ago, tragically washed up on a beach where we later laid a memorial. Some children have life vests made of anything that can be found, or simply wear armbands. But most have fakes supplied by smugglers and clothing outlets, made in factories where we have succeeded in disrupting production in the past.
Video below of how we started in January 2016
We buy directly from trusted big suppliers and we do deals with shop outlets to remove their stock of fakes and replace them with the real thing, additionally distributing our safety information there.
Your donations have saved countless lives, providing more than 1000 children's life jackets to date.
In one example (photo below) a boat carrying 106 refugees sank off the Lesvos coast and along with search and rescue teams our team of medics and volunteers scrambled to assist. Three children wearing our life jackets were rescued floating out to sea; their bodies had been righted by our lifejackets and their airways had been kept clear. They lived.
Please help us to save more lives this winter 2017/18
The world may not be watching but we are acting.
We will also be in Greece providing urgent aid to refugee camps.
Here is our original Campaign from January 2016, partnered by Lets Help Lesvos and The Love Light Project.
During the past twelve months a million desperate refugees fleeing the war in Syria have attempted the dangerous sea crossing to Greece in overfilled rubber dinghies managed by mafia and people smugglers.
Many thousands have drowned including the tragically infamous 3 year old Aylan Kurdi and his brother who did not even have life jackets. Most Syrians cannot swim and the life jackets they receive or buy (if they can afford them) are not fit for purpose.
The people traffikers promise life jackets but instead give sports jackets meant to be used as a simple swimming aid, offering no help to those children who have never swum in a pool, let alone a freezing cold stormy sea. Those who can afford to buy their own life jackets often unknowingly buy fakes which kill them. Many children only have inflatable armbands.
We buy and distribute life saving jackets every week.
It can be dangerous work as there are many vested interests, but it is essential work.
Who Are We
The CK Team Lesvos Refugees started by Head Teacher Matt Llewellin is a volunteer group based on the island of Lesvos which has rescued, treated, reclothed and transported 10000 children and their parents who have landed on treachourous rocks along a 15 kms stretch of isolated coastline. We are recognised by the UNHCR as the provider of land based rescue and relief in the north eastern zone 5, and our team of 15 includes medics, a fireman, a nurse and a professional driver for dangerous areas which only 4x4 jeeps can access. We also pay locals to transport refugees, providing an extra income and building bridges.
Abraham Teran of Lets Help Lesvos has been instrumental in supporting the CK Team's work and has transformed the north of the island's relief effort since he arrived here. Setting up a new transit camp for cold and wet refugees and opening and stocking a new emergency aid warehouse are just two of his projects.
Alexandra Wynne of The Love Light project has installed lighting along coastal areas of Lesvos which has provided infinitely safer landings. Furthermore she has provided design, lighting and limitless care and compassion at the Childrens Tent at the main refugee camps on the island.
Having seen many terrible things here and cleaned up tens of thousands of fake or ineffective jackets from the beaches, we have come together to do something about it and we would be extremely grateful for your support.
On January 14, the three of us travelled to Izmir, the city through which most refugees who cross the Aegean Sea pass. With Sabire Tüylü who translated and members of the Swiss Cross Team including Marco Kauer, we met the local Imam and a very trusted genuine life jacket supplier.
Whilst it is very important to stress that we do not recommend or encourage the dangerous and illegal sea crossing, we believe it is imperative that children and their parents have a genuine chance of survival in the real likelihood of a capsize. In these circumstances a life jacket is the most important, most basic humanitarian need.
Please join us in our attempt to prevent further cases like young Aylan and his brother and indeed the death of thousands more beautiful children who sadly only witnessed conflict and death during their short lives.
We only wish to see smily, happy faces after the sea crossing from now on but sadly 500 refugees (mainly women and children) have drowned in stormy seas since January alone.
Every penny of your donation will be spent on life jackets and safety information provision.
Photos will be published regularly so you can see your purchases and the children who you have helped reach land safely.
Our team philosophy is that nothing is impossible and we invite you to join us in this ground breaking attempt to save lives in honour of the thousands of dead who did not have genuine life jackets.
Thank you!
Organizer
Matt Llewellin
Organizer
