It’s time to appreciate and thank Isabel Mora le Moyne for all of her passion, hard work and dedication to our misson. After three years of working as a project manager for the Movement, Isabel is moving on to the next chapter of her life. We couldn’t be happier for her and we truly wish her all the best. You'll be missed, Isabel!
Read about Isabel's journey and her experiences working with us below:
“It’s funny when I think of what brought me to Movement On The Ground because when I first joined the Movement, it was just for a three- month project. I had done similar work in the past at the UNHCR in the middle east, so working at Movement wasn't my first experience working at a nonprofit.
Because I had worked with larger organizations in the past and I saw that only a handful of people could really get to know what the end result looked like, MOTG was so tangible in comparison. I could really feel and see what was going on, which was so rewarding.
During my time at Movement, I was involved in many projects, among them, I participated in the Harvard project on Lesvos. During that trip, the Harvard group brainstormed ideas on how MOTG could best take action towards helping the situation.
I guess, because there is so much to do, me and Stephanie have always had our fingers in many pots and different areas. I was also involved in the Think Tank project on Lesvos, this was one of the first projects I was a part of. It was really interesting to bring 40 people from different areas of the world to come together and brainstorm on ideas to help solve some major problems on Lesvos.
At Movement On The Ground, the mentality is to just DO. It's more about getting on your feet and just doing, and going for it, and learning from your mistakes, and just figuring it out, and to know that you’re at least getting the ball rolling and you’re getting somewhere, even if it’s not perfect. That was a bit of a challenge, because normally, people need perfect plans before doing anything. You'd think we need these perfect plans, but you never really know until you start doing it. That was, I think, one of the major learning points for me. It was an amazing opportunity to get to work in Movement On The Ground and get in touch with the MOTG spirit. I love that everyone at the Movement is making sure we’re at least doing something, because a lot needs to be done.
One of the most interesting projects that I was a part of is the Movement Hotel, just because it had so many layers that I was responsible for. Not only was it being in a former prison and running a hotel, it was training people from Syria and all over the world and helping them find jobs. This really helped me push myself outside my comfort zone, so I learned a lot about myself through that project.
As for my experience on the ground [on Lesvos]. For a total, I’ve been there for two months or so. I went at least once a year. I always went for a specific project, and then after that project would end, I would get into the day to day life. When I would go it would always be chaotic and I would try to soak up as much as I could as try to get into the normal Movement On The Ground routine over there.
Something that truly inspired me every time I visited Lesvos, were the volunteers and the resident-volunteers. They are just such hard working and positive people. I was so surprised by their strength, I’m still, to this day super impressed by them.
One of the most touching memories I have of Lesvos, is a night at the Community party. We did a Community party once a week, and it was incredible! We threw a party for 50 nationalities and every nationality had their own music and food. Men from Afghanistan and Syria are dancing, and everybody’s celebrating each other’s culture. It's so surreal because you think to yourself that I’m on a refugee campus, how is this happening? I found myself utterly speechless. It was such a surreal and beautiful experience. I’m so impressed that Movement On The Ground has been a part of creating this amazing community feeling.
My overall experience working for the Movement has been absolutely incredible. It’s been really eye opening to work in an area which really needs help and to work alongside people who really, genuinely make sure that we are providing that help that is needed. It’s just so rewarding and special.”
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