Over the past few weeks in Greece with Communitere, we've seen just how powerful getting your hands dirty can be - especially when you dig in with people you might not normally have much in common with. From beekeeping to crafting with LED lights, sometimes doing something together is the greatest way to break boundaries, and form friendships. On our last with day this team - for now! - we're at it again, teaching kids of all ages and backgrounds to make something beautiful, fanciful, and fun - kites! We got groups of refugee kids together with local kids for our kite-making workshop, with Communitere leading the way. They were shy at first, with heads down, concentrating on their work. But it took just a few minutes for the kids to loosen up and get to know each other. And once the kites were done, these friendships really took off! It didn't matter then who was a refugee and who wasn't - sometimes being a kid is just being a kid. The kite-making workshop was an … [Read more...] about Taking Flight

Being a young adult in a refugee camp can take a toll on the spirit. Some young people begin to wonder if they'll ever return home, boredom can settle in, and they miss their friends and family terribly. Some of the teachers at Communitere saw their students struggling a bit, and had an idea. On Day 35, they threw their students a party! A chance to spend time together, eat special foods, and dance. The teacher surprised their students with delicious traditional Greek sweets, brought in movies to watch, and even had live music. One of the teachers described the student’s mood change. “They have been literally transformed. From sad and brooding they became progressively happy and laughing.” Some sweet treats, movies, and music can go a long way in making a student feel seen and important. Thanks to these quick-thinking, dedicated teachers, their refugee students know that someone’s got their back. … [Read more...] about A Boost to Morale

Today we’re back in Thessaloniki, Greece, to see what’s buzzing with Communitere. They’re always hard at work thinking of new ways to better serve the refugee community. And for Day 33, they’re thinking about bees. Refugees often have a difficult time figuring out ways to support their families in a new place. “They need to fight the feelings of uselessness and to find a practical way out to unemployment,” said one friend from Communitere. So they had a sweet idea – what about bees? Beekeeping, they thought, could be a great way to learn a new vocation and provide a much-wanted honey to sell in their local communities. Communitere also thought beekeeping could be a great way to integrate the local community and refugees, working together to find common threads that connect them. So Communitere organized a beekeeping workshop, inviting people of all backgrounds, languages, and religions to learn together. It didn’t take long for people to connect with what we were … [Read more...] about Buzzing for Change

Many different backgrounds and families come together to make up a community. And in Greece, communities are now welcoming more refugees as members of the community than ever before. Our partners in Greece, Communitere, are setting out to bring those from different backgrounds together. One of the best ways to bring people together is through activities and learning - getting out and doing something. Many refugees and locals had have some experience with sewing. So today we're stitching together not only clothes, but friendships as well! Everyone - not matter what their situation – was welcome to Communitere's sewing workshop. Kids were invited. Communitere provided transportation and translation. And beginners? No problem! Communitere purchased four sewing machines, and then everyone got to work! Participants learned how to make cylindrical scarfs, aprons and bags. The exercises helped refugees and locals alike with limited experience to improve their skills. The … [Read more...] about Stitching a Community Together

Communitere’s Winter Workshop brings young migrants and refugees together with locals. They offer a series of creative sessions that provide new skill sets, but more importantly bring the two communities under the same roof - and working on the same projects. Communitere's workshops take on traditional arts and crafts. But the underlying theme was skill-learning - how can we take this opportunity to not only get to know one another and get crafty, but learn some new skills, too? On Day 27, we wanted to teach a fun new way to combine technology and something a lot of people are very familiar with, sewing. LED embroidery was the name of the game - and the participants loved it! There was a chorus of “Your workshop is really fun!” and “Didn’t believe that I could make it!” coming from the participants as they got to work. Refugees and the local community were excited and empowered, ready to take what they learned and apply it to ventures they may already pursuing. A … [Read more...] about LED-ing the Way

3D printing is new to Thessaloniki, which means the market is wide open for skilled 3D printer operators. Our friends at Communitere saw an opportunity. Why not help refugees learn how to offer this skill, and connect them to the local community who may be looking for it? That's what Day 25 is all about. Thanks to a donation by Fablabs, we were able to teach participants how to print in 3D! The projects covered a range of skills - from the practical like printing a broken part of a car seat to the more fun and decorative like making Christmas snowflakes. This workshop opened a door to a new technology, that could very well help refugees not only survive but grow in their new communities. It was an opportunity to lift refugees in Thessaloniki up in a way they haven't before, paving a pathway to the future. … [Read more...] about In 3D

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

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 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