Dear Generosity Crowd,

With this call I would like to support good friends, who have been volunteering since September 2015 in refugee camps and irregular camps along the refugee route that leads from Turkey to Austria.

With this campaign we are raising money that we will bring directly to the Macedonian border, where we are now working with people seeking refuge. These people are living in inhumane conditions, sleeping outside in temperatures that can reach down to -25̊ C. There are many children among these refugees and they face constant danger on the way to Austria. Often they get beaten by “border hunters” and we are witnessing fractures and complicated wounds like frost bite on a daily basis. These people have no access to even the most basic hygiene, travelling in hazardous conditions while often being unable to wash or shower for months.
Together with a small, volunteer–based humanitarian organization called Legis based in Skopje (http://www.legis.mk/), we have the simple goal of helping these people survive. Legis manages a small office and distribution center at the Serbian-Macedonian border - exactly at the spot where most refugees pass. At this site we distribute aid to refugees and try to interview many of them in order to gain a broader insight into their means of travel and the risks they are facing.

We buy and distribute winter gear (jackets, warm hats, gloves and socks) to help them combat the cold. Furthermore, we need money for social workers and translators. We will keep you updated during the whole process and make a photo documentary. We keep statistics on the number of people passing by: these statistics can be seen by individual request. Every Euro donated goes directly to the people affected – and every Euro counts!

Please find more information in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtvsHIiYDV0 and on this blog https://refugeeinsci.wordpress.com/volunteer-observations/

I would also be very grateful if you could share this with as many people as possible.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sarina

More background information:
In the last year we have seen a great movement of refugees between Turkey -Greece and the EU. This so-called “humanitarian corridor” or “Balkan route” has seen a considerable solidarity movement of international volunteers organizing first aid for people fleeing from war. It has also seen a lot of unnecessary suffering and deaths. Fences and walls have been built around us to keep people out. Our media has reported sporadically on the happenings, but still a lot is unknown to us in the West.

Today the ‘humanitarian corridor’ is claimed to be closed. This is not the case! Each month we see between 500 to 1000 people travelling through Macedonia on their way north, this time using irregular routes – meaning human trafficking.
We decided to support this particular place because – simply stated – the area is being neglected. We are the only humanitarian NGO that has access to these villages and who works only with local social workers. This is a community-based approach that has been lacking throughout this crisis. As Macedonia is experiencing an extremely cold winter at the moment, we have to be quick – people are suffering NOW! Meanwhile we are looking at the future and are preparing more sustainable solutions. But right now we need to act and directly respond to this humanitarian crisis.
In times when your passport decides if you are human or not – we have to stand together!
Thanks again for your support!