Meet the Team
Sarah Schneider
Chairwoman of the Board
Project Management
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
I am the chairperson of the organisation and am responsible for the management of the entire MVI project, including our projects at the European borders as well as the regional groups and the online community and the whole colourful MVI team as well as our numerous cooperations and partnerships.
Here and there I am present at various events and am happy about all those who stand up with us for the fact that health is a human right and must be made accessible to all people!
What is Medical Volunteers International story?
I worked for MVI for the first time in 2017 in Patras/Greece for several weeks, then I documented human rights violations at Europe’s borders with various NGOs and supported refugees in the asylum and residence procedure in Germany. I have never lost touch with MVI and have been working as a project coordinator for MVI since the beginning of 2022. Now I’m chairwoman of the board.
Nicole Grimske
Member of the Board
Medical Supervision
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
Since the beginning of 2021, I have been responsible for medical management at MVI. My job is to draw up and develop guidelines, plan our medication requirements and ensure that they are handled professionally, as well as being the contact person for the teams and coordinators for medical issues.
Because I can’t do all this on my own, a team is currently developing to support me.
What is Medical Volunteers International story?
In 2018, I started to get involved with people fleeing their homes, initially in the context of civil sea rescue. Since then, I have experienced many situations that I could not have imagined before. People on the move have the same rights to the respect of their dignity (food, shelter, medical care, respectful treatment, …) as myself and my family, even if the reality is in fact very different …
Even if I have little impact on this, it is my commitment to make a small contribution to change this situation.
„All that evil needs to triumph is the silence of the majority.“ (Kofi Annan)
Schukufeh Memari-Nejad
Member of the Board
Project Management
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
It is quite diverse. I keep an eye on MVI’s finances and look after our donors, members and also the regional groups. Sometimes I attend events and also work on campaigns and fundraising. Since I’m also on the board, there are all kinds of tasks.
What has been your most impactful experience working with Medical Volunteers International?
Last year I finished my traineeship at a Hamburg secondary school and then went to Lesvos for two months as a volunteer with various NGOs. This year I spent two months in Calais and after that I knew that I really wanted to work in the humanitarian sector. I had been following MVI on social media since last year and then responded to various offers. I got to know the board of directors, hoped that the rescue campaign would work and tadaa: since 01.10.2023 I have been working on board.
Our Coordinators
Our small team ensures that MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL can continue to deliver life saving measures to disadvantaged people. The board is based in Hamburg, and works closely with our local coordinators on-site.
Here you can find out more about our active and former coordinators
Our Team
Our small team ensures that MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL can continue to deliver life saving measures to disadvantaged people. The team in Hamburg is supporting the board, and works closely with our local coordinators on-site.
Viviane Czok-Gökkurt
Coordination of press and public relations
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
My primary goal is to make Medical Volunteers International e.V. more visible so that many more people learn about the great work of our organisation and support us in many different ways.
In addition to writing texts for newsletters, social media, etc., I am always on the lookout for partners for fundraising events so that we can carry out our projects in the long term.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
Since 2019, I have been supporting refugees in Greece and on the Balkan route. In the process
I have repeatedly come into contact with MVI and learned to appreciate its valuable work. When I heard
that MVI was looking for supportin the project “strong together – Networks for Integration”, I immediately applied.
What has been your most impactful experience working with Medical Volunteers International?
To experience how important and helpful it is for refugees to have a reliable and competent counsellor at their side. Someone who listens, treats them free of charge and is at eye level.
Annbritt Meiwald
Coordination Crewing
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
I’m responsible for the crewing so I’m the first contact for our volunteers. I process the applications and guide our volunteers through all the necessary steps before they can start in our projects.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
I learned about MVI when I was volunteering with a different organisation in Serbia and we were working closely with the volunteers from MVI. I was impressed by their work and applied for an internship in their backoffice. When they asked me to stay, I was happy to agree.
What has been your most impactful experience working with Medical Volunteers International?
Getting to meet some of the volunteers in our project in Serbia in person and seeing the important work they are doing under challenging circumstances.
Levin Schmidt
Community Coordination
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
I coordinate the MVI regional groups in Germany. Together with the committed people at over 10 locations, I organize panel discussions, film screenings and information stands where people can talk to each other and find out about the work of MVI. I also coordinate the “WeCare” project, in which we want to provide refugees in Germany with low-threshold, digital access to psychosocial counseling.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
I have already worked for a medical organization on the island of Samos in the past and have since been active in supporting refugees at Europe’s external borders. MVI offers concrete solutions for one of the most urgent care gaps on the ground and always adapts its own services to the respective local needs. I am therefore very happy to be part of the organization.
Elisabeth Steuernagel
Communication design
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
As a freelance media designer I design the NGO’s communication, i.e. all printed materials, posts for social media, I keep the website up to date and work closely in the team with the public relations department.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
I saw an advert on a neighbourhood platform. As I was short of work at the time, I thought I could donate a few hours to a worthwhile cause on a voluntary basis.
I enjoy working with a wonderful team.
Malena Halmer
Fundraising
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
I am responsible for fundraising at MVI. My job is to ensure that the necessary financial resources are available for our various projects so that we can provide medical support for refugees everywhere.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
I became aware of MVI’s important work via social media. After doing a lot of voluntary work, it was important to me to also stand up for the rights of refugees professionally. I am delighted to now be part of a great team that fights ‘Fortress Europe’ every day.
Jannes Vahl
Press spokesman
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
Being MVI´s spokesperson I´m responsible for sending out press material to different types of media, I´m answering incoming requests and managing the relationships with all our nice an interesting media partners.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
You invited me to an italian restaurant, I told you about all my brilliant skills, we paid and I became MVI´s spokesperson. So far so good. But to be honest: it´s a great honor and a daily pleasure for me to support MVI.
What has been your most impactful experience working with Medical Volunteers International?
I think each single one would need to mentioned here. But I strongly hope that one day our work will no longer be required.
Madlen Komm
Backoffice Support
What is your role within Medical Volunteers International?
I support the team in Hamburg in terms of fundraising and manage the feedback process with volunteers. In addition I´m now establishing a quality management system within the organization.
How did you first hear about Medical Volunteers International and why did you decide to get involved?
By the end of 2018 I wanted to support an NGO by using my medical skills. MVI was mentioned to me by a friend of mine and shortly after I submitted my application I met with Kai. Three weeks after talking to Kai I found myself in Lesvos and I was coordinating the team there for two months.
In March 2019 I started my work on fundraising and feedback. Since March 2020 I´m also working on quality management issues.
Regional representatives
In different cities in Germany we have regional representatives, who help to acquire donations of money and goods. They are also a contact person for voluteers and everyone who is interested. For more informations click here.
Donors and partners
It would not be possible for our volunteers in Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia and the Mediterranean Sea to do what they do without the wonderful support and help of great partner organisations and generous donors. Whether it is collecting and transporting donations in kind for our work on the ground, providing space for our clinics, actual cooperation on individual projects or financial support in the form of a grant – we would like to say THANK YOU for the great and long-term support we receive time and time again.
Make a difference with your donation!
Donate now!
Why donate? We rely on donations to buy medical equipment, disposables and medication. We keep our overhead costs to the absolute minimum. With your support we are able to provide primary health care to displaced people where no one else does. Approximately 50% of our patients are unregistered refugees and are not eligible for local health services. This is why our work is so important!
Donations Account
Medical Volunteers International e.V.
IBAN DE08430609672076077900
BIC GENODEM1GLS
GLS BANK
Donations via Paypal
please use the Tool of the GLS bank and leave your emailadress there!
We are happy about every donation! If you make a donation intended for a specific project or for one of our locations, we will make every effort to use it for that purpose.
If this is not possible, your donation will be used for other projects or locations that are also in need of funding.
The easiest way to help us is with a so-called “general” donation, i.e. a donation that does not have a specific purpose.