June 15, 2019

Today was the first day of volunteering with Movement on the Ground. We met Anouka, who gave us a tour of the camp. At the surface level, the camp seemed like it was in great condition. Some highlights included spaces for women, barbershops, digital learning labs, etc. However, the more time we spend in the camps, the more I notice some fundamental problems. For instance, the bathroom facilities don't have toilet paper or soap. It took an ambulance 35 minutes to get to a woman who had suffered from  a heat stroke. The isoboxes are hardly furnished. The AC doesn't work. The list goes on. However, these all more seem to be failures of the Greek government, not the NGOs. Without these NGOs, these camps would be entirely unlivable.

We aren't suppose to take pictures inside of the camps, so here is what an isobox looks like. Keep in mind, this is typically shared by a family, which can sometimes be up to 10 people.


Image result for isobox
Source: http://www.isobox.gr/isobox_classic.htm

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