“The ball connected people, took away barriers and broke preoccupations. Players did not know each others names, or speak each others languages, but they all found ways and signals to communicate with each other,” says Tirza, our sports coordinator on Lesvos. She helped organise a special mixed tournament between boys from a local Greek academy and Unaccompanied minors, on World Refugee Day last Thursday. Sports is one of the most important ways we promote understanding and solidarity between communities on the Greek islands, the tournament last week was another great reminder of its potential for success - especially among the younger generations. Read more about the day here ➝ http://bit.ly/mixedtournament

In groups of 15 people each, employees of The Student Hotel are travelling to the island of Samos. The goal: promote team building and make as big of an impact as possible in our waste program there. This team of volunteers arrived on Samos just yesterday and they got straight to work! . . Thanks to these amazing volunteers, we’re making a big difference on the island. But how is the experience for them? We spoke to Rachel from the last @thestudenthotel cohort on Samos to find out. Read more via ➝ http://bit.ly/TSHSamos #Samos #MOTG #Waste #Environment #Progress #Sustainability #MovementOnTheGround

With almost 10,000 people arriving to the greek islands this year so far, how important is our work in terms of the future of the refugee crisis in Europe? . . “Dignity - sounds a little bit crazy, is more important than oxygen for people in the Middle-East," says documentary maker and journalist Sinan Can. "Let me say you give them humanity back, dignity back and then they move to another country, I think they will take that with them.” . . Learn about the future of the refugee crisis, as well as how change-making can relate to us all in our full interview with Sinan here ➝ bit.ly/sinansessions3

The Olive Grove South shading area has been decked out with a new bench, made from scratch on-site by our team, using our ULC workshop container! With the weather averaging 32 degrees each day, staying in tents during the day is becoming really difficult for residents. We can’t change the weather or provide round the clock air conditioning, but we can make use of the space and resources we have, in an innovative and sustainable way. We started with building the shading area and now we’re making the space as comfortable as possible with some seating!

Despite everything Nazdar has been through, she is one of the most active and enthusiastic resident volunteers we have. She’s an inspiring example of the resilience of women in Kara Tepe. Take a moment to watch and learn about her story on IGTV or our website now! #women #resilience #karatepe

The women of Kara Tepe inspire us every single day with their persevering spirit. They are strong. Much stronger than anyone ever thought, but this journey hasn’t taken away their kindness and ability to love. Thanks to the amazing work of @womenxwomen and their auction last night, we’re able to contribute to the future of these women, by giving them a real space that will be there’s - for them to grow as individuals, to nurture their spirit, to learn and to share their knowledge. So that they may never change. ♥