Eirini Vlaxou, the lawyer and coordinator of our legal service at the Athens Solidarity Center, writes in huffingtonpost.gr, simply and comprehensively about a difficult issue: the refugee’s right of access to the asylum procedure.

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Published at NetHope

By Kelli Hogan

Editor’s Note: Kelli Hogan, a marketing manager at Google, was a member of the 12-person NetHope Team K deployment to Greece and its official mission storyteller.

Drama, Greece — Children lie, giggling and wiggling, on the floor surrounded by paper and markers. They’re making art, an activity facilitated by Solidarity Now, a UNICEF Blue Dot agency dedicated to providing social and health services to mothers and children in refugee camps throughout Greece.

“Will we have Wi-Fi today?” ask several staff members as they invite me in. Beaming with excitement at the prospect of imminent connectivity, the team gives me a tour of the child-friendly space, baby corner, and breastfeeding room. The Solidarity Team, made up of teachers, psychiatrists, social workers, and an interpreter, work to advise and support refugee mothers and children on how to navigate the asylum process, provide psychological support for anxiety and stress, and organize social and physical activities.

Kids are always eager to join in on the painting, free play, and athletics. “We are glad for the love that children show us,” said one staff member.

Working with the mothers is equally rewarding, but it can take a little longer for the mothers to feel comfortable participating and opening up. Solidarity Now often uses activities such as knitting, jewelry making, and group exercise to encourage the mothers to share their feelings and experiences.

The Solidarity Now team relies on free Wi-Fi to keep its operation running. They consult online public service resources to stay informed about the asylum process and ever-changing regulations and policies. They also share learnings and best practices with other groups in their organization. Reliable connectivity allows the team to communicate more effectively and operate more smoothly, leaving them more time to focus on what they love: working directly with mothers and children.

The NetHope-led Syrian Refugee Connectivity Alliance was made possible by the support of Cisco, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, The Patterson Foundation, and UNHCR.

The press release regarding the organisation’s new program entitled “Future Interpreters”. SolidarityNow with the support of the Guerrilla Foundation and in collaboration with the Society for the Care of Minors and the PanHellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University, organizes a comprehensive training program for community interpreters and/or intercultural mediator in Athens and Thessaloniki.

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The interview of Bushra in Kathimerini newspaper; Bushra and her three children were beneficiaries of the Home for Hope project implemented by SolidarityNow in the framework of the hosting scheme project. A couple of months ago the family was relocated in France; Bushra’s story is described in this extensive tribute.

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Cash4Solidarity Prepaid Cash Program is implemented by  SolidarityNow towards all its beneficiaries in the Home for Hope hosting project, supported by the UNHCR and funded by the European Commission.

Cash4Solidarity is a step beyond the provision of essential necessities, since this is the way with which the beneficiaries choose where to allocate the amount of money they receive, enhancing thus their dignity and at the same time creating conditions for smooth social inclusion on the road to an autonomous life.

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The press release regarding the organisation’s new program entitled “Future Interpreters”. SolidarityNow with the support of the Guerrilla Foundation and in collaboration with the Society for the Care of Minors and the PanHellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University, organizes a comprehensive training program for community interpreters and/or intercultural mediator in Athens and Thessaloniki.

See the whole article here

To Vima newspaper (online edition) hosts the press release of the organization regarding the cash transfer project|Cash4Solidarity, which is implemented with the support of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and funded by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. This program aims at strengthening, empowering, and enabling the refugees to take back control over their lives, with dignity and self-sufficiency.

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The 51-year-old Adulla, with Syrian origin, has come to Greece along with four out of her eleven children. Her 17-year-old son was killed in Lebanon. Adulla and her children were forced into a constant “hide and seek” to escape from ISIS. They managed to escape from Lebanon and after the murder of the 17-year-old son returned to Syria to be found later in Iraq and today in Chios.

Adulla’s family is one among the 700 refugees currently residing in Souda camp, whereas more than 3,500 refugees have passed from Chios only during the first months of 2017. “We live everyday by the day, by the hours. We don’t have hot water, we sleep on the floor, we are afraid”, Adulla says.

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The Blue Refugee Center broadens the services provided to the beneficiaries; more precisely, the Iraklis table tennis official team announced the start of cooperation with the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki; the beneficiaries will be able to have free table tennis lessons.

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The Blue Refugee Center broadens the services provided to the beneficiaries; more precisely, the Iraklis table tennis official team announced the start of cooperation with the Blue Refugee Center in Thessaloniki; the beneficiaries will be able to have free table tennis lessons.

See the whole article here