“All children need a hug, to be able to sleep, to go on an adventure and to have good conversations” That's why children's book writer Marijn Welten created the Gijs Giraffe initiative. Marijn ended up making 540 unique dolls, with the help of a lot of volunteers who all knitted their own version of 'Gijs'.

"Now that I’m in Europe, I want a calm and free life. Without anyone telling me what to do, and especially not because I’m a woman. I want to go to school, go to the gym, wear make-up and cut my hair the way I want it. I want to make my own decisions in life. Now I’m taking music and singing lessons, and my family is fine with it. They also want me to live peacefully and calm here. I’m hopeful for what the future brings.” We support you Sevda, and so many others like you, to follow your dream. Stay strong and keep developing yourself 💪 . . . #movementontheground #lesvos #empowerment #values

“It’s one thing to say, ‘Give humanity to the people,’ it’s another to see those people’s faces, to see their families.” says Jiatian. He’s volunteering with us this summer for three months while on summer break from University. We caught up with him earlier in June to find out his thoughts on the experience and what he hopes to take away from volunteering for so long! Read Jiatian's story on our website in the 'stories' section!

From the moment we started working on the beautiful island of Lesvos in 2015 we have been amazed at the strength, warmth and openness of the locals. Especially during the extreme hardship they have endured these last years, we have been inspired by their own journeys as well as their fathers and their fathers before them. Movement on the Grounds focus has been to support the hospitable Greek population in managing the refugee situation. Together we went looking for sustainable solutions, programs that serve both the hosted and hosting community and activities that support the local economy. We can look back on this time and conclude that this has worked very well. Today, our friends, the Greek population, is facing an important moment: the national elections on the 7th of July. A new government will be formed and will work on a new policy for the coming years. We respect every outcome and we are hopeful that a humane and sustainable policy shall be pursued. We hope they will continue to see the value of working together to try to help each other in these difficult times. We have always felt very well supported in our mission and have received a great deal of cooperation from both the Greek people and the Greek authorities, which we are grateful for each day. This collaboration has affirmed our inclusive approach and way of working and therefore we are fully motivated to continue our mission, as we see this approach works best. For us, the people of Lesvos has set an example that hopefully inspires the rest of Greece and Europe as a whole. We wish the Greek people wisdom in making an important choice on the 7th of July and expect and hope to be able to continue our joint mission after the elections. Wishing you all the best Greece. #Greece #Lesvos #Elections

✔️ Fan distribution → done! ★ Next up → sun cream! With temperatures in Lesvos rising up to almost 40 degrees (Celsius), it is incredibly challenging to keep everyone safe and healthy. Yesterday every tent in the Olive Grove received at least one fan, to keep our residents (a bit) cooler during the nights. During the day, under the blistering sun, sun cream is of the utmost importance. And... we don't have it anymore. Simply put, we're asking for your help. Help us to keep the men, women and children safe from the sun by making a donation as small as €10. With this we can provide sun cream for an entire family. Help out at movementontheground.com/donation.

What a fantastic event it was last night at the @5&33Gallery at the @art’otel in Amsterdam! Fifteen professional international artists who are newcomers to Europe got to display and sell their amazing art works at the gallery, in an effort to help them develop a new portfolio and establish themselves locally. The event was in collaboration with @SelwynSenatori and @SalwaFoundation and was a huge success with lots of artworks sold! The artists and organisers will also be kindly donating the commission from the sale to Movement On The Ground. But don’t worry if you weren’t there last night, you still have until the 12th of July to see the fifteen handpicked artists work, at the 5&33Gallery!