Refugees in Greece
Donation protected
Dear family and friends,
This July, as I will soon finish my Master’s thesis on the European Union’s response to the refugee crisis and their financed projects to improve refugee conditions, I'll be heading to the Greek island of Lesbos as a legal assistant to help with asylum cases. During my last volunteer trip in Greece, with all of your support, we all together raised 10,000 dollars for direct relief projects, which were spent specifically to purchase Ramadan food packages and mosquito nets for babies in the camps in Northern Greece. While the first fundraiser's focus on direct relief succeeded in having an immediate impact and benefit to a vulnerable population, it is important to recognize that direct relief projects are short term and give temporary relief. My last experience working in the Greek camps, my academic dedication to the subject ever since, and the reports from my contacts on the grounds all emphasize the lack of attention to and necessity to finance integration projects, which are much more sustainable and effective long term in building the psycho social health of these communities. After all, rather than giving the communities fish, it's crucial to teach them how to fish, or rather, to become independent. Please note that 100% of your donations are to fund integration efforts to help refugees. My own expenses are already covered by myself and the organization I'm working with. Once I arrive and become more involved in integration projects, I will then of course post further details regarding how your contributions are being maximized. Finally, if you would like to gain an idea of what life is like on the grounds, I encourage you to read the blog I created on my last trip. The link is attached below. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your kind donations. I hope we can give a little love to our less fortunate friends in the camps. Please feel free to personally contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Nahreen
https://somethingslearnedfromynewfriends.wordpress.com
This July, as I will soon finish my Master’s thesis on the European Union’s response to the refugee crisis and their financed projects to improve refugee conditions, I'll be heading to the Greek island of Lesbos as a legal assistant to help with asylum cases. During my last volunteer trip in Greece, with all of your support, we all together raised 10,000 dollars for direct relief projects, which were spent specifically to purchase Ramadan food packages and mosquito nets for babies in the camps in Northern Greece. While the first fundraiser's focus on direct relief succeeded in having an immediate impact and benefit to a vulnerable population, it is important to recognize that direct relief projects are short term and give temporary relief. My last experience working in the Greek camps, my academic dedication to the subject ever since, and the reports from my contacts on the grounds all emphasize the lack of attention to and necessity to finance integration projects, which are much more sustainable and effective long term in building the psycho social health of these communities. After all, rather than giving the communities fish, it's crucial to teach them how to fish, or rather, to become independent. Please note that 100% of your donations are to fund integration efforts to help refugees. My own expenses are already covered by myself and the organization I'm working with. Once I arrive and become more involved in integration projects, I will then of course post further details regarding how your contributions are being maximized. Finally, if you would like to gain an idea of what life is like on the grounds, I encourage you to read the blog I created on my last trip. The link is attached below. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your kind donations. I hope we can give a little love to our less fortunate friends in the camps. Please feel free to personally contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Nahreen
https://somethingslearnedfromynewfriends.wordpress.com
Organizer
Nahreen Aref
Organizer