Every month, hundreds of refugees continue to arrive by boat onto the Greek island of Lesbos, risking their life in search for security. The refugee camp Moria was originally designed to host 2,500 people, but currently over 6,000 people live there in inhumane conditions. Small children walk barefoot in the mud and garbage among summer tents and barbed wire – a situation we couldn‘t have imagined would become a European reality, running counter to the humanitarian values the EU promotes.
The Mosaik Support Center for Refugees and Locals provides a space of warmth, safety and community for the most vulnerable populations on Lesvos. Built on principles of solidarity, integration and empowerment, Mosaik aims to move beyond immediate crisis response and to offer sustainable structures to support refugees in their resolve to live with dignity.
Bringing together over 800 students from 20 countries, aged 4 to 89, Mosaik offers language courses in English, Greek, Arabic and Farsi (specifically for the local Greek population), legal support for asylum applicants, vocational training in arts and crafts, upcycling workshops, music and dance classes and cultural events supported by artists, activists and organizations from across the world. Mosaik is dedicated to the improvement of the situation of refugees on Lesvos and their integration into the local community, thus demonstrating that alternative solutions to ones commonly practiced, are viable.
„Mosaik is the single place that makes us forget Moria for a few hours every week" (quotation of a young unaccompanied minor from Afghanistan who has participated in our Greek and IT classes for 12 months).
We are calling for donations for integration, education and mobility. Help us in creating a space of dignity for refugees on Lesvos! We are financed exclusively by donations and are thankful for any kind of support. Mosaik is a collaborative project run by borderline-lesvos and Lesvos Solidarity. For more information check:
http://www.lesvosmosaik.org/en/ http://www.lesvossolidarity.org/index.php/en/
