Early last year, we at Movement On The Ground expanded our mission to the Greek island of Samos, more specifically Vathy Camp.
The conditions and management of Vathy Camp differed greatly from what we became ‘used to’ on Lesvos, but we did not allow it to stand as an obstacle for our work in any way.
The Samos crew started as a one-man army, with Martijn Van Ommen leading operations in and around Vathy Camp. Quickly – thanks to the implementation of our waste management program – Martijn was able to recruit a team of hardworking resident volunteers to assist him with cleaning, pallet and tarp distribution and support of other residents. However, attracting visiting volunteers has been a slightly slower process.
The resident volunteer team hard at work on Samos.
Unlike the camps on Lesvos, Vathy camp on Samos tends to ‘fly under the radar’. The concern with this is that the conditions in and around the camp are just as, if not more, dire than that of Moria camp. These dire conditions on Samos mean one thing, there’s a big demand for helpful hands.
So, we’re asking you, our Movers, to volunteer your time, your hands and your heart to the residents of Vathy camp and our activities that support these residents. And if you don’t have time, ask someone who might!
Visiting volunteers Esther and Ahmad distributing tarps in the 'Jungle' surrounding Vathy camp.
If you volunteer on Samos, you’ll get to work with a small, intimate team and the nature of your work will be fairly diverse. One of our current volunteers, Esther, has thoroughly enjoyed her volunteer time on Samos for this exact reason. “We get to engage a lot with camp residents, especially through the waste management program,” she explains. “And no matter if it’s cleaning up or distributing goods, there’s always a great energy between residents, resident volunteers and visiting volunteers!”
Our Samos team is in need of help from the end of February through to the beginning of April, so if you can help in anyway, be sure to visit our Become a Volunteerpage.