Moria White Helmets is a self-organized refugee group dedicated to empowering refugees living in the camp on Lesvos, Greece. Their mission is to enable these individuals to actively participate in improving their own living conditions and to foster a sense of normalcy for the approximately 7,000 to 2,300 asylum seekers—primarily families with children—expected to be in the camp by the end of 2024. Wadi is supporing he MWH since i’s creation in 2020
The project model of Moria White Helmets is straightforward:
- All members of Moria White Helmets must be current or former asylum seekers.
- All services provided through MWH projects are free and accessible to all asylum seekers.
- In exchange for their participation, MWH’s members receive food vouchers, cash cards and similar services that contribute to meeting basic needs. Everything donated will exclusively go towards enabling MWH to continue their projects!
Summary of MWH’s current projects in 2024
Moria White Helmets has prioritized climate protection and environmental sustainability since 2020. Their efforts in waste cleanup earned them formal recognition from local authorities, leading to a collaborative partnership. In January 2024, they launched a larger recycling initiative focused on plastic recycling. By June 2024, nearly 25 members were actively involved in this project.
In the new camp Mavrovouni/Kara Tepe, asylum seekers with professions such as electricians and engineers assisted the camp management’s technical team with electrical work. The collaboration was established at the end of November 2020, when winter was approaching and the refugees had not yet had their tents connected to electricity. This work still continues and the electrical team is out both night and day to ensure that all tents have power. The same applies to other types of engineers and craftsmen for other types of construction.
Many other workshops have formed and are active every day:
A barbershop for men for hair and beards. There are four Barbers ( two at morning & two at afternoon) working five days a week
A beauty shop for women for hair, nails etc .There is a friendly and competent women team consistent of two groups. Each group has four members working three days per week.
A tailor shop where skilled seamstresses repair and adjust garments and textiles. The team comprises four female and two male members, working five days a week.
A bicycle workshop to adjust and fix bicycles.
A workshop providing tools that are required for construction ..there are four members helping morning and afternoon
Good electricians working & helping at the work shop, too .There are three members helping refugees & welcoming them all.
MWH provides assistance to newly arrived refugees. This is a collaboration with other organizations, such as the Hope Project and other NGOs, to be able to assist newly arrived refugees in the camp with whatever they need in terms of clothing, advice and guidance.
(Pictures: Different classes given by MWH)
Informal education for children is provided every day. There are two classes consisting of two groups of children, each group has 15 students with a focus on music, culture and language. Here the children are introduced to both the Latin alphabet through English, Farsi and German language classes, but also the Arabic/Persian alphabet. For many parents, the latter is the most important, as their children can speak the language, but have not learned to read and write it. Adults are taught by four professional teachers, both male and female. Five days per week they have a class in the afternoon.
MWH has two coordinators for all teams members, in addition to a logistic team and two guards who take care of the places and work shops at night.
By the end of 2024, the Moria White Helmets had 32 members.
In the camp, team members receive a food card worth 10 Euros as a reward for their volunteer work and services to help others in the camp. They also receive a certificate of work and thanks and appreciation of their great efforts to those who worked with MWH and left for other countries.
The MWH team members support one another across various fields, sharing experiences to achieve success in their work and to plan for a happy and comfortable future after enduring hardships in their home countries. They seek a safe place to live, engage in integration with others, and exchange valuable experiences.
During the year of 2024 the number of refugees has reached more than 7000. Currently, the number of refugees has decreased to approximately 2,300 individuals from diverse nationalities, primarily Afghans, followed by those from African and Arab countries who have fled their homelands due to war and severe suffering. Life in the camp is extremely challenging, with limited services and difficulties in obtaining meals, which have been reduced from twice a day to just one. Additionally, there is a significant lack of medical services, particularly for patients and those requiring specialized care. Asylum services are also inadequate, with many applications being rejected.
Please consider supporting these important ongoing projects with a donation.
The work of the Moria White Helmets is supported by Solingen Hilft e.V., ShowerPower
Wadi 
