Welcome Friends & Family to our last newsletter of 2023!
This year continued to be challenging for people affected by war, conflict, poverty and displacement. We, at Refugee Biriyani & Bananas are grateful for your contributions that helped make life a little more comfortable for those we are supporting.
For our December 2023 newsletter, we wanted to give you an update on some of our achievements from the year and how you can continue to support. With an ongoing war and assault on the people of Palestine and many dead or missing as boats capsized of the coast of Greece this year – THE CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER!
As the year comes to an end, we would also like to take this opportunity to wish you ALL, all the best for the festive period and holiday season, with lots of health and happiness for you, and your loved ones.
Distributions
This year we continued our aid distributions of food, hygiene products, supermarket vouchers and non-food items to people who are refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. The people we are supporting are from countries such as Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Cameroon. Once in Greece they are forced to live in refugee camps, are homeless, or forced into other precarious living conditions. Here are some examples of what your support provided:
Our team of volunteers and coordinators helped us pack, sort and distribute aid in rain and shine. Unfortunately, due to a lack of steady funding there were times where we had to reduce how much aid we could provide and how many people we could support. However, this year we also saw an increase of people newly arriving to Greece to seek safety and refuge. Thus, we continue to require your long term solidarity, trust and donations.
Emergency Appeals
As well as usual distributions, the situation for those arriving in Greece became increasingly challenging. As there was more people homeless, we focussed on emergency and winter aid provisions for those staying outside without shelter.
Since the 7th of October, 2023, as the assault and war in Palestine escalated with the dire consequences of death, injury, displacement and starvation, we also set up an EMERGENCY GAZA APPEAL.
Community Humanitarian Leaders Programme
In August 2023 we also started our training and apprenticeship initiative called the ‘Community Humanitarian Leaders Programme,’ recruiting Moussa and Muhammad. From leading distributions in Athens and Chios to getting on-the-job training on how humanitarian aid and NGO management works, here are some examples of what they have achieved:
- Started their driving lessons
- Received training on fundraising and created their own fundraisers for RBB.
- Led our aid distributions in Chios and Athens.
- Network / community building with other organisations in Greece.
- Received videography training from Beth Cohen*, which is an important aspect of raising awareness and amplifying the voices of those we are supporting in Greece and Palestine.
Thank you!
We would like to thank all of you for your support this year and we hope you will continue to support us throughout 2024! We have achieved so much this year but there is always more we can all do. If you are stuck on how you can support RBB and those displaced in Gaza, Chios and Athens, here are a few ideas:
- Donate to our cause, big or small any contribution makes a big difference in keeping our organisation going.
- Advocate, and spread the word about our mission and the aid we provide.
- Fundraise – A fundraiser does not have to be an elaborate grand event, you could host a fun and inclusive fundraiser in your local community like a cake sale, or a sponsored run/ walk.
- There are many ways in which you can show your support!
