Idomeni is a small village in Greece, close to the Macedonian border. The refugee camp located here is home to 10.000 displaced daughters and sons, mothers and fathers who arrived here after an arduous journey from their home country; forced to flee due to war, conflict and persecution. They left their homes, belongings and often even family members behind, in search of safety.
However, the standard of living in this refugee camp is way below acceptable. The people don’t have enough food to eat, there are no sufficient water sources to wash themselves and most areas of the camp have no electricity at night. This leads to pitch black and danger, night after night. Light is crucial for safety and security among displaced communities, especially women and children, who are most vulnerable in the dark. To provide safety for the women and children in the camp, light is essential.
Five volunteers, Frans Bastiaens, Mirjam Kemp and Imre van der Linden from the Netherlands and Anne O’Rourke and Lisa Hughes Kelly, from Ireland, took the initiative to help even more. They raised money to be able to provide displaced families in Idomeni with WakaWakas.
With their efforts and a donation from the HIT Foundation, Cordaid and the WakaWaka Foundation, they were able to give 1.000 displaced families safe light and power. The WakaWakas have arrived at the Idomeni camp, helping women and children to feel safer with brighter nights.