Around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our daily lives. People around the world have been asked to isolate themselves by sheltering at home. To wear masks when near others and avoid crowded places. To wash your hands frequently. And to seek medical attention if you fall ill.
The Concern
But what if your home” is a tent shared with 10 others?
What if there are no masks and the only way to eat is by standing in a crowded food line for three hours?
What if you have minimal, if any, access to soap and the only water you have is the two bottles you’re given to drink?
What if there is no nearby hospital ready to support COVID patients?
These were the questions facing the people living at the infamous Moria refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece.
Thankfully, there are people like Xander and Zoë, founders of When We Band Together (WWBT), who are doing everything they can to improve the quality of life for the refugees in Moria and keep them safe from the virus.
When it became clear that COVID-19 was beginning to spread across the world, they worked with Team Humanity's refugee volunteer group, raising funds to provide the materials to manufacture masks and purchase enough hand sanitizer for every resident in the Moria Refugee Camp.
The refugee volunteers made enough masks for all of the residents in Moria, and then sent additional masks to organizations in the United States like BLM of Greater New York, Dignity and Power Now in L.A., as well as Equity and Transformation in Chicago as a gesture of solidarity between groups fighting for freedom and equality.
WWBT also rented a warehouse next to the Moria refugee camp to transform the property into a COVID-19 health clinic with the sole intention of isolating and treating suspected cases.
See the video below from the WWBT construction in Lesbos, Greece. The hospital opened May 5, 2020.
"The speed of the transformation, from rundown looking warehouse to beautiful looking health clinic, was incredible to watch. We are so inspired and impressed by our partners and our leader on the ground, Stavros Mirogiannis." - Xander Schultz, WWBT
What Still Needs to be Done?
They are now looking for donors and sponsors to help pay rent and utilities at the new clinic to help ensure that cases do not spread in the camp, and some of the most marginalized people in the world have what they need if they do fall ill.
Creative Ways to Help
- Brands are welcome to sponsor the hospital.
- People can share this article and the WWBT website. Every share can help!
- Have an idea? We want to hear it! Complete the forms below to contact WWBT directly here
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