Context and background of the action

Last winter, a volunteer and member of ASL visited the towns of Sid (Serbia) and Velika Kladusa (Bosnia) to produce a photo report exposing human rights violations in this area of the Balkans.

During his stay, he identified the main need to be addressed: providing warm clothing to the refugee population living in poor conditions in the Velika Kladusa camp and surrounding areas. All the testimonies he collected reported brutal attacks by the Croatian police during their failed attempts to cross the border into Croatia.

A few months later, our volunteer made another trip in a van, filled with clothing and supplies to help these migrants cope with the winter, but it was insufficient given the size of the migrant population settled in this area.

In addition, when refugees attempt to cross, their shoes and clothes are often torn due to the difficulties of the journey itself and the nets and obstacles they encounter.

Given these circumstances, refugees are forced to remain at the borders for months, in deplorable conditions, which intensify and become even more difficult to cope with during the cold months.

Given that around 900 people are currently trapped in the Velika Kladusa refugee camp and that the flow of migrants in this area is increasing, ASL wants to help meet some of these families’ basic needs by providing materials, clothing, and basic foodstuffs to make their wait a little more dignified.

The project

To address this issue, Acción Solidaria y Logística launched a clothing drive to send items to the field, with the aim of providing these families with enough supplies to protect themselves and better withstand the harsh weather conditions.

First phase

The first phase of this project was the result of detecting a lack of clothing, footwear, and basic hygiene supplies among young people who are temporarily living in the city of Velika Kladuša, Bosnia.

In early July, ASL called on its NGO partners to collect, organize, and pack these clothes.

This action was carried out in cooperation with the NGO No Name Kitchen, which was mainly requesting summer clothing and footwear.

In this way, ASL obtained donations, mainly clothing, from its partners as well as from various collaborating entities dedicated to collecting used clothing.

In addition, ASL received a donation of 2,000 doses of children’s vitamins and minerals from Nutrigen (part of the company Belleza Estética y Salud S.L), which will be used to supplement the nutritional deficiencies of young people and children in the countryside.

The two volunteers’ intervention lasted a total of six days, of which they spent three traveling and three working in the field.

The tasks carried out by the volunteers generally consisted of sorting and distributing clothing in conjunction with the organization No Name Kitchen, which works to provide basic and legal assistance to migrants.

The two volunteers reported on the harsh conditions in which these people find themselves. Not only do migrants suffer from the helplessness of not being able to cross the border after more than 10 days of trying, but those inside the camp complain about the conditions in which they live: they live in very small spaces, without adequate medical care and without anyone giving them the attention they deserve.

Second phase

The second phase of the project consisted of a food collection and awareness campaign in different schools in the province of Girona, complemented by a second trip to the field, with the aim of carrying out improvement works on the No Name Kitchen volunteers’ house.

 

Food collection and awareness-raising in schools

Acción Solidaria y Logística held various talks and workshops in a total of five schools: La Noria and Levantino schools in Mar de Sant Antoni de Calonge, Escuela de la Villa de Palamós, Fornells school in La Selva and Vall-llobrega school.

Some of the schools decided to collaborate in the food collection, such as the Fornells school in La Selva and the Vall-llobrega school.

In addition, ASL visited the Palamós Municipal Library, the Mes Gavarres gym and the Quitxalla nursery (Vall-llobrega).

Improvement works at the No Name Kitchen volunteer house

In October, ASL organised a second trip to Velika Kladusa to carry out work on the house of the volunteers of the No Name Kitchen organisation, with the aim of improving conditions before the arrival of winter.

The improvements consisted of closing the openings in one of the floors and installing doors to keep out the cold. Windows were also installed to make the most of natural light.