7 members of our community have set themselves the challenge of walking 50 km on the 29th of of April to raise money for the refugees of Yoga and Sports with Refugees in Lesvos, an NGO helping with physical and mental health of refugees through sport. Lesvos is a Greek island known for being a major arrival point for refugees. Yoga and Sport with Refugees addresses a crucial need for support, structure and community for people during the asylum process.
Refugees in Greece are facing human rights violations every day, from illegal pushbacks in the Aegean sea, the creation of prison-like accommodation and lack of access to sanitation and food. Restricted freedoms lead to increased mental and physical health issues. Due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria and Sudan, many organizations are understandably redirecting their funding away from Greece, leaving us with the challenge of continuing to fund the activities for our community.
To continue to be able to run our activities in Lesvos, our volunteer team decided to walk 50km from Sunrise to Sunset on Saturday 29th April, in order to raise much needed funds for our project to continue. This arduous challenge traverses mountains and rivers. We are hoping to raise enough money to cover the rent of our gym for at least 3 months. This will ensure we can still offer a space outside of the camp for people to be together and play sport.
Doing sports as part of a strong community promotes positive physical and mental health. Our coaching team is all from the refugee community, and the skills they learn here stay with them for their future lives.
