RefuGEN clothing aid

We would like to turn our attention once again to what is happening in Greece, to the rivers of refugees arriving daily in search of a future, without finding suitable accommodations, and what the world of ecovillages is doing regarding the situation with the RefuGEN project.

Since we wrote about the GEN mission and our action as Damanhur to bring concrete help, the situation of refugees in Greece has not improved.

It is really touching to read the testimonials from our friends who are on-site. GEN is doing much, and yet I feel the sadness of not seeing long-term solutions to this tragedy, which is continuing every day. As Damanhur, we chose to do our part by collecting clothes, shoes, blankets, sleeping bags, and other useful items, as this represents a direct action – requested by GEN members – in which everyone could participate.

The Damanhurian communities had been actively collecting clothes and shoes, and for ten days or so, clothes arrived every day creating mountains of items that then had to be packed. We did not expect such extensive participation. Several Damanhurians offered their availability to help select the different types of clothes, and in mid-February, five pallets were on their way to Greece. After talking to Anna from the Greek ecovillage Skala, we decided to send the pallets directly to the Thessaloniki redistribution center, where they could be better distributed according to the demand from the different camps. In this way, Damanhur added a drop to the sea of humanitarian aid for refugees.

We know that so many have done the same, and it is very important to contribute to the cause, because what we are seeing is a drama that maybe we can’t resolve, even with everyone’s help, though at least contribute to making it a lighter situation.

Macaco Tamerice