Where we work
BULGARIA
Due to border closures and militarization in Hungary and Croatia, the so-called Balkan route is increasingly shifting to Bulgaria. In response, the Bulgarian-Greek and Bulgarian-Turkish borders have also been heavily reinforced in recent years. Frontex is also active here with brutal force and terrible pushbacks.
Reception prospects and integration rates in the country are very poor, meaning that Bulgaria remains a transit country. Refugees repeatedly report experiences of violence and imprisonment. Medical care for refugees is also completely inadequate there. We provide medical care to people on the move in need at two locations in Bulgaria.
Sofia
In Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, we launched another project in May 2024 to provide medical care to people in need. In a small treatment room and street outreach, we provide care to people in need 5-6 days a week, depending on their needs.
Services we offer:
- Basic First Aid
- Referral to Bulgarian Health Services
- Health Promotion Activities
- Follow-ups, Referrals, and Monitoring
- Medical Advice
Our team:
- 2 Coordinator
- 1 to 2 Doctors
- 1 to 2 Medical Professionals (nurses / paramedics)
Our resources:
- own safe space
- key partnerships with other NGOs to provide a wide range of medical servives
- outreach programms
Varna
In Varna we work together with cooperation partners and we provide medical care for people who have left the war zones in Ukraine. They are suffering from poor housing and living conditions in Bulgaria. Most of our patients come from Mariupol, Odessa and other parts of eastern Ukraine. For this we have mobile equipment and vehicles to visit those people in their shelters, as well as various as doctor’s rooms in some shelters.
Services we offer:
- Primary healthcare and accompaniment in the Bulgarian health system
- Acute and chronic wound care
- Referral to more advanced medical services, dental work and psychological support
- patient documentation
Our team:
- 1 Coordinator
- 2 to 3 Doctors
- Interpreters
- Support from within the local community
Our resources:
- Advanced training on arrival
GREECE
Due to its geographical location on the eastern border of the European Union, Greece has been a main country of arrival for refugees and migrants seeking to reach Europe via the Mediterranean for years. Most refugees arrive via Turkey and try to reach Greece from there via the Aegean Sea.
As local medical care for people on the move is inadequate, we have established several locations to support people in need.
Athens
In Athens we treat 400 patients per month, mostly from Afghanistan, DR Congo, Cameroon, and Greece. Since December 2021, we mainly operate from our own clinic, Meraki, located in the centre of Athens, while we keep offering our services in our partner spaces in different locations around the city. We also visit camps in the Attika area, make home visits and escort our patients to the hospital when needed, and we are always ready for emergency response.
Another one of our activities is the street outreach shifts, where we cooperate with several partners to offer healthcare services to the street connected, who are usually excluded from healthcare structures due to stigma and prejudice. The homeless population, people with problematic substance use, and women in prostitution are some of the (mostly local) people we connect with through our outreach activities. We also link our patients with specialized services in the public and NGOs’ healthcare system, making around 100 referrals and managing 5 complex medical cases a month.
Services we offer:
- Basic medical care
- Medical case management
- Referral to further medical services and emergency facilities
- Referrals to specialists and pharmacies
- First aid training
- Emergency care
- Outreach medical assistance
- Camp visits
- Patient documentation
Our team:
- 1 long term Coordinators
- 4 to 5 Doctors
- 2 to 3 Medical Staff
- An adaptable interpretation team, including interpreters from within the community
(Arabic, Dari, Farsi, French, Greek)
Our resources:
- Our own clinic space, where we can offer a safe space to our patients
- Key partnerships which enable us to run clinics and store supplies at a very low cost
per patient - Medical supplies and equipment
- Outreach programs in the refugee camps in the greater Athens area
Mental Health for Children & Youth
With our MHPSS project for children, young people and families in Athens, we want to strengthen and promote the psychosocial well-being of children and caregivers. As most of the visitors have been through terrible experiences, the aim of the project is to promote resilience and reduce psychological stress. We offer a safe space for victims and caregivers to talk about their lives and how they can best support their children and receive support.
Services we offer:
- Psycho-social case management
- Group sessions
- Play activities
- Safe space
- Camp visits
- Patient documentation
Our team:
- 1 Coordinator
- 1-3 Mental Health Worker Volunteers (Psychologist, Child Psychiatrist, Social Worker, Pedagogues, or or related fields)
- An adaptable interpretation team
(Arabic, Dari, Farsi, French, Greek)
Our resources:
- Existing structures
- Safe space
Kos
In Kos there is one of several CCAC (closed control access centers). Here the situation for arrivals is usually catastrophic, as are the hygienic conditions. Medical care is inadequate and difficult to access. We therefore offer basic medical care in our own treatment room not far from the camp, we also try to refer people to other health care facilities if necessary and support them with appropriate visits.
Services we offer:
- Basic medical care
- Medical case management
- Referrals to further medical services and emergency facilities
- Referrals to specialists and pharmacies
- Patient documentation
Our team:
- 1 Coordinator
- 2-3 Doctors
- 1-2 Medical Staff / Paramedic
Our resources:
- Own clinic
- Outreach
BOSNIA
We care for patients in various squats on a daily basis. Our team offers acute medical support for injuries and chronic illnesses.
We also provide medical training for emergency care.
Services we offer:
- Primary healthcare
- Case management
- Referral to further medical, dental and psychological services
- Referral to legal support, accommodation, food and clothing
- Emergency care
- Manual patient documentation
- Documentation of human rights violations
Our team:
- 1 Coordinators
- 1 to 2 Doctors
- 2 to 3 Medical Staff
Our resources:
- Mobile deployment options to react flexibly to changing flight routes in order to reach as many people as possible.
- A large network of partner organisations, which makes it possible to provide patients with comprehensive care, e.g. clothing and food.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Due to the lack of legal escape routes, over a hundred thousand people fleeing wars and violence are forced to take the perilous route across the Mediterranean every year. Thousands of people lose their lives on this route every year.
To support sea rescue, we have a cooperation project with “Sea Punks e.V.”, which operates the rescue ship SEA PUNK I.
On board this ship, we provide the medical team for the missions and the extended medical container to care for the guests.
Services we offer:
- Emergency care
- First aid training
- Primary health care
- Documentation of human rights violations
Our team:
- 1 Doctor
- 1 Paramedic / Nurse
Our resources:
- Medical treatment station in a container on board
- Medical material and equipment
