We Change Lives of Those Who Have Lost Everything.

Greece

In 2015, 856,000 people passed through the Greek islands, and in 2017 and 2018 only just under 30 thousand (according to UNHCR). But 2019 brought already a growth – over 60,000 newcomers. Today, boats coming to Greek beaches are back again, and practice shows that you can get stuck in Lesbos for a good few years. Nikos and Katerina run a small restaurant on the island, where every refugee can feel at home and eat a meal for free.

Overview:
  • There are currently over 2200 refugees in the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos
  • At least half of them are children
  • Since the beginning of 2015, nearly 1 million refugees have arrived in Europe via the Greek islands
We provide more than

850

meals to refugees a day
We distribute

meals and first aid items

for the most needy, inc. children, pregnant women and the sick

20.06.2024

A refugee I am

Forced to flee, I become someone

I am not

These few lines from a Lao Che song have been on my mind all morning. The World Refugee Day, which we celebrate today, could easily be called World Day of Helplessness, Lack of Solidarity, Fences, Barriers, and Lack of Hospitality.

“In Nigeria, I was a metalworker; here, I am a nobody,” says John. From a pile of random things, he pulls out a plastic chair and a wooden stool for us to sit on. Embarrassed, he explains his hoarding. “In winter, we lacked everything. We barely managed to get wooden pallets to make a floor in the tent so we wouldn’t sleep in a huge puddle that formed in the middle after every rain.”

The flapping tent in a camp on the coast of the Greek island of Lesbos is the background for our entire conversation. John invites me for tea and tells the story of his journey that ended in the snare of European barbed wire.

“I traveled all over the world with my crafts. I had exhibitions in the United States and many European capitals. Once, I even visited Kraków.”

“Where would you like to go back to?”

“Most of all, to Nigeria, to my home, but that’s impossible,” he explains, completely resigned. I wish him that, saying words of comfort. I’m trying to fill the silence in John’s story, in which a tear in his eye has become the main character.

“My work gave me many opportunities. I lost everything when my government forced me to flee. I don’t blame Europe for welcoming me very differently than before. I blame my country’s authorities because they took away my dignity, opportunities, and future.”

Together with you, we reach out to them. Our goal is to restore their dignity. Visit GoodWorks 24/7 and donate at least one warm meal to people who have lost everything.

Four years have passed since our conversation. I don’t know where John is today. There is no trace of his tent in the Greek camp. Now, there are containers where new people—teachers, students, farmers, pharmacists, mechanics, artists, scientists, hairdressers—live under the common name of “refugees”.

Mateusz Gasiński

We need to dry out the buildings as quickly as possible

Urgent help for flood victims

The most vulnerable are the elderly and disabled, living in remote rural areas and small towns, where reaching them is difficult. You’ll be informed about every penny spent to help them. 100% of the funds raised will go directly towards targeted, precise aid tailored to the needs of those affected.

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We already have :
137,508 EUR
We need:
111,111 EUR