HELP ME aid the Refugee Crisis in Greece

1. Welcome everyone and Thankyou for taking the time to read about the Refugee Crisis and the volunteer work I will be doing in Greece in February 2017. Over the years, I have been aware of political agendas, ISIS threat, the destruction left with the aftermath of war and the fight for peace. It is what we read about in the newspaper each day, on Facebook and see on our televisions. I am continuously frustrated and left thinking, this is catastrophic! But what can I do? How can I help? I am just a young woman in Adelaide who is a Naturopath and is studying to be a Counsellor. What experience do I have when it comes to working in the frontline? - Ambition and Compassion is a start!

I have been presented with the awesome opportunity to volunteer as a Naturopath/Nutritionist and undertake my Counselling placement in Greece, alongside a phenomenal team of Doctors, Nurses, Naturopaths, Nutritionists, Phsyiotherapists and Trauma Counsellors. This is a beautiful meld of allopathic and complementary practitioners working in unison. I have been granted this pleasure by Bioceuticals, The Ikon Institute of Australia and Involvement Volunteers International.

A huge inspiration to me is Sue Liu from Syndey who wrote and published her own book called ‘Accidental Aid Worker’. Others that inspire me are people who place the well being of others before themselves, human rights advocates, my clients for their belief and trust in me, friends, colleagues and family who work in Social Work, Youth Work, Counselling and Complementary Medicine.

Greece is dealing not only with its financial crisis, but with the daunting and logistical challenge to take care of 57,000 refugees. Living conditions are overcrowded. 30 people are crammed under make-shift tents and families are sleeping in shipping containers. These poor people are living in constant uncertainty, trapped in limbo, awaiting news of their asylum application.

They are traumatised and are stricken with grief and loss. They have witnessed death, murder, rape, kidnapping, torture, physical and mental abuse, imprisonment, sexual assault, solitary confinement, military assault, mock executions and are living in conflict and poverty. They face malnutrition and disease as well as trauma associated with being homeless, the loss of their vocations, education, status and households, food and water scarcity, racism and memories of escaping their war-torn countries.

My role will involve using my expertise to support malnourished pregnant women and distressed lactating mothers. Many of these women were raped in their countries and have given birth during war. It will be my job to share my wealth of knowledge about nutrition, hygiene and sanitation and use my counselling skills to help the women and children cope during their time in the camps. Supplying fresh fruit and vegetables while implementing nutritional programs as well as looking for deficiency signs and distributing herbs and supplements are a critical focus, among many others

I am looking to raise $5000 in donations to cover the cost of supplies for the camps as well as my own accommodation, transport and food. I will be buying all supplies from local Greek businesses and I welcome the supply of supplements such as vitamin C, protein and colostrum from vitamin companies and distributors. My Facebook community consists of over 900 people so if everyone could donate $5 or more and miss out on their daily mug of chai, protein ball or espresso you would be helping out the refugees immensely! I will be going to Greece in Winter and there will be no drinking Ouzo at Paradise Beach in Mykonos, partying with Greek gods. I can assure you this and you can track what I am doing as I will be updating my Facebook page so you can follow along and see where each dollar goes.

Follow me at http://facebook.com/daniellabelperio and http://facebook.com/frondescence

Thankyou ever so dearly for your support and generous contributions. Please share my fundraiser with your friends, so then they can share it with their friends and it goes viral.

If you would like to know more about the refugee crisis see the following website/links

data.unhcr.org

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/inthefield/2016/11/refugee-crisis-greeks-year-161110113307707.html

In Light and Love

Daniella Belperio