Yesterday we visited the Thessaloniki International Fair with Communitere, our partners in Greece. Today, we're taking a look at even more exciting things happening at the fair - from sculptures to games to craft-making, there was something for everyone. Communitere wanted to use the festival as a platform for cohesion - to get refugees and locals interacting and making connections over their mutual interest in technology and learning. So we set about to help them do exactly that! On Day 24, we gathered refugee and local children and adults to take a moment to get to know their neighbors - and to get their hands dirty. For the kids, we held birdhouse-making workshops at the fesetival. For the adults, we had sculpture-making lessons and group visits to view the art. All the creative activities were centered around one thing - using recycled materials and turning them into art - bird houses and sculptures included! The festival was all about taking something and reusing … [Read more...] about Upcycling and Uplifting
Changemakers365
Unlocking Creativity
This year marked the 82nd Thessaloniki International Fair! It's a time for this Northern Greek community to come together to explore advances in science, technology, and the arts. But few people realize the enormous cultural gifts that refugees in Thessaloniki can bring to the table. That's why our partners Communitere wanted to use the festival as an opportunity for refugees to have their voices heard - in a creative way. So on Day 22, we brought together refugees and migrants that live in and around Thessaloniki with a Greek Architecture firm to design and built the chill-out space for the festival! Greeks, Syrians, Nigerians, and Spanish refugees worked together, bringing their unique creative perspectives, overcoming language and cultural barriers. Together, they designed a number of modular installations, reusing and upcycling available material. As participants were working together, solving the practical problems of design and construction, they got to know, … [Read more...] about Unlocking Creativity
Working Out
Working out is important, no matter where you are. It keeps your body and mind healthy. It helps keeps stress levels down, which can be especially important for refugees. In Greece, many of the refugees play football during the warmer months to stay active. But as temperatures decrease, so do the activates that are available. Communitere has a solution to solve these months without sports - a gym! In Nea Kavala refugee camp, there are many adults that don’t have tons to do. “There is the possibility of running gym sessions to create a regular gym group," said Giorgos, one of Communitere's leaders. "With the gym, we hope to create more of a community atmosphere within the camp, which could help relax tensions between ethnic and language groups.” So on Day 22, the team at Communitere designed some outdoor gym equipment! They built a pull-up bar, a double sit-up bench, a weights bench and a pull-down weighted box, as well as some hand weights. The whole project only took 2 … [Read more...] about Working Out
The “IT” Factor
In 2018, almost everything is accessible through a phone or computer. The world is at our fingertips. But if you don’t have the right tools, the opposite is true. Refugees who have fled to Greece often lack that digital access, which cuts them off from opportunities and information. Communitere, our partner in Greece, has lots of used computers – they're just missing a few parts here and there that could get them up and running again. This sounded pretty doable to us. So today, we're helping fix four laptops that will help get refugees plugged in again. The first was a laptop screen repair for young Syrian refugee seeking reunification with his family in Germany. “I am still speechless...I really don't know how to express how thankful I am," he said. "Thank you so much for fixing it - it's actually better than before.” Next we repaired laptops for teachers in the nearby Nea Kavala refugee camp. “We're all testing out the laptops and tablets tonight and they are AMAZING!" … [Read more...] about The “IT” Factor
Breaking down Barriers
Team sports have bonded friends and strangers for ages. Today, we're moving to seeing how this old tradition is playing out in Greece,the birthplace of the Olympics, but in a very modern setting. Our friends at Communitere are using sports to unify a refugee community with their neighbors. Using the world’s favorite sport - football! Football (soccer in the U.S.) is beloved by so many communities across the globe. But when a refugee is living in a new camp, there is not always space or resources to play. Today on Day 20, we're bringing football back to the refugee community in Greece - by hosting a football tournament! We set up at the center pitch in the YMCA. And over 80 attendees showed up ready to play. “The reaction was 100% positive. You could see the happiness in their faces of belonging to a team," said a teammate from Communitere. "Football has this power, making people that do not know each other play together and become friends in order to achieve a … [Read more...] about Breaking down Barriers
A Family Tradition
Over the past few months, we've been working with communities in Northeast Houston to help rebuild their lives after Hurricane Harvey devastated the city. As we near the end of our time here, we're having a final party to celebrate so many things - the recovery and progress they've made since the storm, and incredible way they've come together to do good. But there was one last thing this party needed, and it was very doable - Pupusas! Pupusas are a traditional Salvadorian dish of a thick corn tortilla stuffed with a savory filling. The ingredients weren't easily found after Harvey because of the need for a grill and limited access to food options. So this was really a treat! "Things like this remind me of El Salvador. This is how we celebrate there," said Juan, one of the community leaders who was instrumental in the recovery. The event came together beautifully. It was a holiday party, a celebration of success, and a goodbye send off for our ARC team in Houston. … [Read more...] about A Family Tradition
A Smash Hit
Yesterday, we left off mid-party during our celebration of the NE Houston community. We're bringing people together to celebrate a huge undertaking - rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey. Food? Taken care of yesterday. Pinatas and surprise gifts? That's for today! We partnered with All Hands and Hearts: Smart Response to purchase a gift for every child attending the party! Like a Trojan horse of joy, we packed each piñata full of plush stuffed animals for the children. For the adults, we had help from The Houston Rockets, the Christian Tabernacle Church, The Restoration Team, East Harris Community Empowerment Council, World Vision, and private donations. These generous partners helped provide everything from microwaves and blenders, to three refrigerators for the adult raffle at the party. A chance to get together, be thankful for one another, and celebrate overcoming Harvey as a community is incredibly important and powerful. “We are a big family that has grown bigger. … [Read more...] about A Smash Hit
A Place at the Table
Today we return to Houston to close out the final chapter of our relief work with the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Throughout our time in the city, we've met many people from northeast Houston who have banded together to get their community back on track. We've been through a lot together. So we wanted to celebrate all the wins, big and small, with this unstoppable team of individuals. Over the next three days, we'll be spending time in northeast Houston as we prepare for a celebration to match the incredible things they've done, together. The first idea is the food, of course. Every good party since the dawn of time has had great food at the center. Sharing a meal is an age old tradition of bringing people together, of telling stories, and of celebrating. For the Northeast Houston celebration, we wanted to make sure that the food was exactly what the community wanted - something that fit who they are and what they love. “What I found great about this project was that … [Read more...] about A Place at the Table
Off Their Feet
The leaders of Girls for Africa - Elizabeth, Nyamat, Tabitha and Suzzie – go above and beyond to serve others. And they hardly make any time for themselves. They never get to rest! So for day 16 – after 15 incredible days supporting the girls in giving back to the community – we wanted to do something nice for them this time around. As full-time students with full-time jobs, these leaders still take care of the Girls for Africa members as much as they can. They pick them up at their homes and drop them off after meetings. They coordinate activities. They act as role models and a support network. They do so much good, every single day – they're always on the go! We thought the perfect treat may be a way to get off their feet – manicures and pedicures! Although they may not always make time for it, we know that the girls love to be social. So we purchased gift certificates to treat them to a day at the spa and a meal at a local restaurant. We wrote them thank you notes for … [Read more...] about Off Their Feet
Catching Up
Moms are superstars, no matter where they are. And the moms of the girls in Girls for Africa are no exception. Many of them are former refugees from South Sudan, and it's been tough raising families in a new place, without many resources. They work long hours – day and night – to make ends meet. So today, we wanted to do something to bring the girls and their moms together – and to say thanks for being simply amazing. The girls came up with the idea of hosting a group dinner – a fun and relaxing way to bring both the girls and their moms together, and catch them up on everything they've been up to. It was tough at first to find a time that everyone could meet! With a busy schedule as students and moms who have two or three jobs, free time is certainly precious – and rare. But the girls were finally able to find a time, and 25 girls and their moms gathered together to break bread. At the dinner, the girls shared why Girls for Africa was so meaningful for them. And the moms … [Read more...] about Catching Up