Samos Volunteers

This video is a short testament of Samos Volunteers' mission on the island. It's about the values that have informed our work all through the years and the commitment that will continue to lead us facing future challenges. Big changes are coming up - but we are ready. We will continue to provide our services and activities, to support all communities in Samos - for as long as support will be needed. Consider donating to SV: visit our donation webpage https://lnkd.in/erwtKYe 🧡💙

We are recruiting! 🧡 💙 We are looking for someone to fill our Logistics Officer position! This dynamic role requires supporting the Logistics and Distribution coordinator and is integral to running all our service sites and facilities! If you want on-the-ground experience, are handy, enjoy working in a dynamic team, and share SV values of dignity, respect, and collaboration, consider applying! ❗❗Start date: ASAP❗❗ DM us, or visit https://lnkd.in/dhk9rWSQ for more information! #SamosVolunteers #Volunteer #JobSearch #HiringNow #WorkAbroad #WorkOpportunities #VolunteeringAbroad #Greece #NGO #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome #Solidarity #HumanitarianAid #PsychosocialSupport #Community #Empowerment #SafeSpace #EuropeMustAct #SafeAndLegalRoutes

Ahmed is one of our invaluable community volunteers who supports us at Alpha Land. We hold language classes, computer skills lessons, CV-making sessions, activities for kids, support groups, and sports. We also register people for clothes distribution so they can find new outfits for free in our 'free shop.' It has been quite busy recently, so having Ahmed support us has been super helpful! We wouldn't be able to ensure that our services were meeting the needs of the people we serve as best we could without our community volunteers. They are the backbone of our work. !!شكرًا احمد Find out more on how you can support our work today, or join us at https://lnkd.in/dhk9rWSQ #SamosVolunteers #Volunteer #Greece #NGO #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome #Solidarity #HumanitarianAid #PsychosocialSupport #InformalEducation #Community #Empowerment #SafeSpace #EuropeMustAct #SafeAndLegalRoutes

In the closed-controlled access center (CCAC) on Samos, there are no safe spaces dedicated to the LGBTQ+ displaced community. This means that people who have fled because their identity is persecuted or not accepted find no respite. The testimony below, created by a male member of the LGBTQ+ community residing in the CCAC, says: "Living in Samos camp as a person that is part of the LGBTQ community is very difficult because there is no special place for us to live in the camp…they don’t care about how we are feeling. I have been mocked. Some people hate in the camp because of sexual identity. This makes me feel so sad and depressed.” Every Friday, we host an anonymous support group for members of the LGBTQ+ community on the move. When guiding these support groups, our priorities are safety, comfort, respect, and dignity. All LGBTQ+ people on the move deserve to feel safe, happy, and free to express themselves. It is everyone's human right to be able to express who they are proudly. Visit our website to learn more about how we support the LGBTQ+ community on the move: samosvolunteers.org

We have been working hard with our friends Gemma Bird, Andrew Foreman, and Simone van den Akker to prepare our in-person exhibition of artwork and photography on the island! This exhibition will not only host artwork from residents at the closed-controlled access centre on Samos featured in the latest Amnesty International report but will also include: 🧡Insights and photography by the local community. 💙Reflections on the theme of migration and home. 🧡Life on the island. 💙Community. Save the date in your calendar, and be sure to pass by! 📆Friday 23rd - 27th August 1 pm – Vathi Library 📆Friday 30th August 1 pm – Alpha Land

It was great to chat with Hazar Deniz Eker about the significant role of using artwork and creating a space for the voices of people on the move to guide our research on Europe's migration facilities. In Amnesty International's latest report, published last week, artwork created during our workshops at our sites showcased the inhumane conditions in the Samos Closed-Controlled Access Centre from the residents' perspective. The centre is supposed to be the blueprint for new reception and pre-deportation centers in Europe. The severe issues of overcrowding, lacking water services, lacking sanitation facilities, lacking medical care, and prison-like structures exacerbate already vulnerable communities and place people seeking protection in detention-like conditions. This cannot be the future of the EU.

🗣 We are recruiting! If you are interested in fair representation, human rights, and on-the-ground experience, this role is ideal for you! Stipend provided, minimum commitment: 3 months. 🤳 Visit our website for more info: https://lnkd.in/dhk9rWSQ #HumanRights #communications #vacancy #experience #NGO #grassroots #ontheground #recruiting #SamosVolunteers #volunteers #Greece #Samos #borders #SafeandLegalRoutes #FreeMovement

Meet Hesham 🧡💙 One of our wonderful community volunteers, Hesham, has shared an essay about his experiences on Samos and time spent in Alpha Land. Hesham is an incredibly funny and positive person, and we feel honored to have him working with us! Read his full essay on our blog, available here: https://lnkd.in/d37t9Bxj #SamosVolunteers #Volunteer #Greece #NGO #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome #Solidarity #HumanitarianAid #PsychosocialSupport #InformalEducation #Community #Empowerment #SafeSpace #EuropeMustAct #SafeAndLegalRoutes

“My Life to Freedom” by Tasneem 🧡💙 Tasneem, a former resident at the Samos Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) and a former community volunteer with SV, describes her poster done during the art workshops at Alpha Land. These art workshops were part of the report published this week by Amnesty International , investigating the living conditions of the EU-funded refugee detainment centre. Tasneem wishes to say to “all organisations who are responsible about migration and refugees, please, a little bit of mercy and kindness for refugees can make a difference for them.” 🫂We hope this encourages more people and organisations to listen to the voices that matter and take collective action to safeguard human rights for all. 👉🏻 Visit our website to read the full report by Amnesty International or to view all the artwork done during the workshops in our online exhibition. #SamosVolunteers #Volunteer #Greece #NGO #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome #Solidarity #HumanitarianAid #PsychosocialSupport #InformalEducation #Community #Empowerment #SafeSpace #EuropeMustAct #SafeAndLegalRoutes

In May, we held art workshops in our space in Alpha Land in collaboration with Amnesty International. Our aim was to highlight the voices of those living in the Closed Controlled Access Centre (CCAC) and their experiences living in Samos. This project coincides with the latest Amnesty International report released today on the Samos CCAC. The report highlights inadequate conditions, lack of access to vital services, and unlawful detention of residents. You can read the full report from Amnesty and the full collection of artwork on our website. We hope you will join us in continuing to advocate for a more human life for people on the move in Samos and globally. https://lnkd.in/dVWXYnj #SamosVolunteers #Volunteer #Greece #NGO #Refugees #RefugeesWelcome #Solidarity #HumanitarianAid #PsychosocialSupport #InformalEducation #Community #Empowerment #SafeSpace #EuropeMustAct #SafeAndLegalRoutes