Our day to day Work
Our day to day work is carried out in our workshop, a short walk from the Kara Tempe refugee camp. Refugees living inside the camp can come visit us to gain access to our services.
Bicycle Repairs
The camp is located 5km from the city and bicycles are the main means of transport for refugees. At the bike station, we repair and distribute them. Around 200 bikes are repaired per month. Bicycles are the most efficient and widespread means of transport among the refugees on the island. Bicycles allow for more freedom and autonomy; this transport is indispensable for important legal and medical appointments.
Electronic Repairs
The electronic repair station is one of the most impactful work-station for refugees visiting the Makerspace. Here we repair all kinds of small electronics, from fans to mobile phones. These repairs are invaluable as they allow refugees to find data that could be crucial in their asylum application. It also allows them to connect to relatives they have likely not seen in a long time.
The Sewing Centre
With over 150 items of clothing repaired per month, the sewing workshop has the strongest investment to impact ratio. The sewing centre enable visitors to the community centre to have clothes in good condition and ready to face the different weather conditions. It is also an opportunity for some to learn how to sew or make simple alterations.
Carpentry
this is the most versatile part of the project. In our fully equipped carpentry workshop, our volunteers work on all kinds of wooden constructions and repairs. Woodworking has a direct impact on the lives of the refugees. One of our latest projects, the construction of wooden carts, allows for the transportation of groceries, which are otherwise carried several kilometers. Carpentry is also very valuable for the different charitable associations with which we cooperate. Beyond the construction of shelves or small furniture, we have also helped our different partners repair or fit out their makeshift homes.
Projects
In parallel to our consistent, day to day work at our workshop and the women's centre, we engage in a number of projects. We are always looking for ways we can use our skills, knowledge and tools to help on the island, often partnering or supporting other NGOs to run these projects. Below you can find some of the projects our team has worked on.
A new shower centre.
In recent months, our carpentry team has been supporting LeaveNoOneBehind to build a new shower centre and washing machine centre, a short distance from the camp.
Supporting Boat theatre project
We helped out a community driven theatre production with stagebuilding and special effects. Check out the result at https://www.instagram.com/theboat_theater/
Education Bus Project
We supported Stand By Me Lesvos , and worked alongside One Happy Family with a project to repurpose two old touring busses into classrooms in the camp. We worked on furnishing the busses, adding electricity and internet connectivity. The busses are are used to host educational classes for children and adults, and we continue to support the project through maintenance work. The educational partners using the busses are: Metadrasi (UNICEF partner), Moria Academia (affiliated with Stand By Me Lesvos) and Elix (UNICEF partner, previously used the busses, not active there anymore).