“The way Themida works is awesome and the services that they provide to refugees are amazing. I'm really thankful that they helped me when I really needed them. I want to say that you guys are amazing for helping children who are hopeless and can't fight their case. They need you and are there for them.” Hadi, Afghanistan, reunited with his uncle in Switzerland.
In January, we celebrated our first year of the ‘Themida’ legal intervention program. Together we witnessed the incredible obstacles and dangers that children on the move and homeless unaccompanied children face in Greece. Whether they are suffering the consequences of extended stays in camps, detention facilities or sleeping rough in the streets of Athens, unaccompanied children are often voiceless and invisible, easy targets for abuse and exploitation.
Since December 2019, we have taken on over 116 critical legal cases for unaccompanied children in Greece and provided legal information, DNA tests for family reunification cases, psychosocial support and essential aid to more than 1500 unaccompanied children, many vulnerable families, single women and youth. Today, some of these children are successfully reunited with their families or transferred to safer accommodation, but others remain unable to meet their basic needs like access to education, social services, and legal and psychosocial support.
We continue working to advocate for the rights of children to be with their families, encouraging and supporting other actors, institutions and our trusted network to understand the issue. If you want to learn more about it, please take a look at our social media.
The last 12 months have been far from being easy, and the outbreak of the pandemic has profoundly challenged the ways in which we deliver legal services, and communicate with the children. Yet over 60% of our total Dublin cases received a positive answer so far.
Today, Themida continues to operate from Lesvos and Athens.
In Athens, we have deployed a small team completing an exhaustive needs assessment with the sole objective to identify and provide critical legal aid and basic assistance to children at risk.
These results are thanks to many wonderful people who believed in this ‘impossible mission’. A massive thank you to YOU who contributed to its success.
All they need is the opportunity for a better future. Your support helps us ensure they receive it! Stay tuned for our next fundraising event during the second week of March.
Thank you for believing in our work.
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Our primary objective since initiating this project has always been to give full support to one of the most vulnerable groups of the refugee community in Lesvos, the unaccompanied minors. Our emergency operations have been developing since the very first day, continuously adapting to the ever-changing circumstances and challenges.
In March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, Moria was placed under a temporary lockdown, and the need for mental and physical care of these minors had significantly increased.
Better Days responded quickly and effectively, as part of our Covid-19 emergency response for UAMs, by dispatching:
All items were distributed to minors throughout the lockdown utilising various methods like for example outreach initiatives, to the RIC minors’ office, and most importantly to Minors Clinic (Health Point Foundation) the primary medical provider to UAMs of which our partnership had been strengthening.
We delivered medical supplies but also supported them by building capacity internally by helping to manage budgets and to develop internal protocols and policies.
On the 9th of September, following the total devastation of Moria Camp due to fire, Better Days worked tirelessly to ensure the immediate identification and transfer of UAMs to a safe location by:
Over 300 UAMs were identified by or with BDs support within 24hrs. Nonetheless, we received over 85 requests through our helpdesk between the 10th-20th of September.
406 unaccompanied children no longer have to live in Moria camp after being transferred to a safe location on the Greek mainland.
We couldn't be happier to see them moved to a better place. Take a minute to celebrate this significant win with us.
Your contributions have helped us support unaccompanied minors on Lesvos during their most vulnerable moments. You should feel proud of the impact you helped to create in the same way we are extremely thankful for it.
We remain committed to cater to the needs of the lone boys and girls in Greece by providing access to legal and emergency aid for UAMs and youth.
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This report aims to give you a quick snapshot of activities implemented in the summer months before the fire reduced Moria camp to ashes.
Throughout June and July, we executed a two-phase scabies prevention program and the third phase of our MIRE Emergency response outreach exercise.
There were 340 unaccompanied minors sheltered in sections A & B of Moria camp.
Scabies was an ongoing, unresolved issue that was flagged by medical teams. A lack of coordination and capacity amongst actors resulted in a widespread epidemic of scabies amongst the residents. Attempts have been made in the past to rectify this issue to no avail.
Via a coordinated effort involving 9 different organisations we:
340 UAMs were successfully treated. For the first time in the camp's history, we achieved a 100% success rate, making the impossible, possible.
Meanwhile, our emergency response team directed their attention and efforts towards the 600 UAMs residing outside the camp in the Olive groves.
Upon the request of RIC Minors Office, Better Days was invited, along with other actors, to participate in locating 150 UAMs eligible for a new relocation program initiated by a ‘coalition of the willing’ to 12 European countries.
Better Days seized the opportunity, not only to support in the relocation program but also to map, identify and re-register those minors not eligible for the immediate relocation program. We deployed multiple outreach teams to check in with those that remained living in the hazardous and undignified conditions of the olive groves. This gave us an opportunity to update them on their legal processes as well as refer those in need to medical actors.
Our expertise and experience of outreach work resulted in the team finding 12 previously unidentified vulnerable children and 4 unaccompanied minors declared missing by the authorities.
Because of your donations to the Emergency Response calls on GlobalGiving, we were able to react swiftly to the situation. All this would not be possible without your support.
Identifying and providing services to unaccompanied minors requires a holistic multi-faceted approach and we are committed to continuing to do so. While we are still facing challenging times, we remain committed to offer the best possible support to UAMs and youths residing in Greece.
Next month we will update you with regards to our interventions throughout August and September.
Our team on the ground in Lesvos,
Together for Better Days.
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While COVID-19 has disrupted our normal operations, we pride ourselves on being agile and adapting to changing needs on the ground and across other locations.
As of mid-May, around 700 unaccompanied children live in Moria Refugee Camp, of whom approximately 300 live in its outskirts in squalid and unsafe conditions. 250 of them are waiting for their family reunification cases to be completed so they can soon be with their loved ones.
Thanks to your donations, The ‘Themida Legal Intervention’ program administered a total of 70 family reunification cases (and 3 asylum cases), from which 9 have received a positive answer. Since March, 3 family reunification cases for Sweden, 2 for Finland, 1 for Norway, 1 for Holland, and 1 for Germany ended successfully, and so far a total of 11 DNA tests have been submitted and 4 results were received, of which 3 were positive. 6 other DNA cases are soon to be started.
Better Days has also supported advocating for the relocation of the unaccompanied children residing in Lesvos and the rest of the Greek islands.
Despite the subsequent set-backs of the COVID-19 crisis, on-line psychological support sessions became a reality: unaccompanied minors in Moria Camp, Athens and around Europe are receiving emotional support through periodic video calls to ensure they have a safe space to decompress and learn mechanisms to cope with their uncertain realities as best as they can. Our PSS director delivered a total of 57 sessions since the pandemic started.
At the same time, we have begun to provide logistical and distribution support to the health response confronting this and continue to support our local refugee and host communities in need.
Since March, the Better Day's team on Lesvos has assembled and delivered more than seventy different pharmaceutical items, including PPE to medical actors and vulnerable members of the community.
A total of 41 deliveries containing 516 medical products, 869 boxes of drugs, more than 200 clothing packs, games, or hygiene items as well as personal protective equipment including 127770 single-use masks, 43850 gloves, 27,6 liter of disinfection, 91 kg of washing powder, and 28,8 liter of soap, have been dispatched as part of our Covid-19 emergency response operations.
Because we received your donations for Emergency Response calls on GlobalGiving, we have been able to react quickly to the situation. All this would not be possible without your help.
We will continue to help by humanizing the distribution of aid to affected communities and to support children’s rights to family reunification and relocation to other EU member states.
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Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
