Médecins du Monde, over a period of 30 years, has played an important role in the provision of primary health care, psychosocial support and housing services, through all its activities.
At the same time, in difficult and critical times, they have taken important initiatives in the field of defending human rights, in particular the right to health, housing, social protection, education and employment for all. In 2019, we were able to provide health services to more than 26,000 beneficiaries across our projects in Greece. In these years of continuous action, we feel even stronger and ready to continue our work together. Always at the side of our fellow human beings, raising our voices for all those who need us.
• We continued our street medicine intervention. We remained close to those most in need, the homeless and the addicts who live in our neighborhood, the center of Athens.
We stayed on the front line in Lesvos. We looked after the new comers; we -once again- listened to their stories as part of our psychosocial intervention that takes into account the social determinants of health and which proves the obvious: poor living conditions create both physical and mental illness. Health is primarily a matter of social protection and safeguarding of human rights.
• We traveled to Albania. Like the old days, our mobile unit went up the Balkan route to provide emergency assistance and support to our earthquake-stricken neighbors
We stayed in the field, next to those who need us
• We bet on kids and hope. We instilled it for good at “33 Piraeus Str”, the new Center for Children and Adolescents at Risk of Social Exclusion. In a beautiful and humane environment that accepts children and their families, but also unprotected children, without discrimination in order to support their educational and psychosocial needs and improve their lives.
• For the women we created our own “Ramona”. A safe place to live and coexist, without labels and criticism. A quality accommodation facility focused on support and integration.
• When the sun set, our night shelter for the homeless was always full. And when temperatures dropped, all of our structures were open and available to accommodate those who needed it.
• Our Open Polyclinics continued to provide valuable primary healthcare services across the country. Our smaller missions to Chalki, Folegandros, Kastelorizo, Ai Stratis continued to substantially support our motto “wherever people are”.
• We continued to welcome newly arriving people in Skala Sykamias and we also set up a Christmas tree “on wheels” that reached the Roma communities of Thessaloniki, breaking the circle of exclusion and isolation.
• We joined hands and fought alongside the International Network for access to cheaper drugs; made public appeals and reports against injustice and human rights abuses. We offered testimonies, as always, in order for our advocacy to be based on our field experience, to be the voice of those we represent, not our own voice, not just a blank slate of content
• We demonstrated against climate change in solidarity with other Civil Society Organizations and actors.
• We co-signed open and closed documents addressing the Authorities and participated in the effort of creating a new legislative framework for volunteering.