Due to an increase of Covid-19 cases, Moria Refugee Camp is now under lockdown. A Drop in the Ocean fears for the mental health of the unaccompanied minors. Our team on the ground have, among other things, distributed activity packs to keep the children distracted.
During the summer, A Drop in the Ocean organised activities for unaccompanied minors in Section A, B and Safezone – where the children lives. The children were smiling, playing together, and listening to their favourite music. Now, there are several covid-19 positives (the number increasing day by day) in Moria Camp, and we fear what is going to happen next.
To keep the children distracted and activated, our team on the ground did several distributions.
We distributed 420 folders to keep the unaccompanied minors active. The folders include drawing lessons, breathing techniques to reduce stress and work out programs. Foto: Magnus Svensson
“We did a lot of donations to the unaccompanied minors in Moria camp, to help and support them from the outside when the camp is under lockdown because of Covid-19 and we cannot enter,” says Magnus Svensson, Lesvos Volunteer and Project Coordinator.
Every child living in the sections designated for unaccompanied minors – a total of 420 children – received a fun activity folder with different exercises, papers and pencils. The folder includes drawing lessons, geography tasks, breathing techniques to reduce stress and work out programs.
Even though A Drop in the Ocean cannot enter the camp with our team of volunteer field workers, we want to make sure the children have access to fun activities they can do together.
“We were so lucky that we managed to do this donation only two days before the camp went in complete lockdown,” Magnus explains.
Every room in Section A, B and Safezone – a total of 30 rooms – received a package including a football/volleyball, beach rackets/frisbees, cards, uno-cards, juggling balls and a puzzle/boardgame.
“Many of the children have been asking why we are not coming to visit them, and when are we coming back. Hopefully, the activity packs will keep them a little bit busy until we can meet them again,” says Magnus.
In the last couple of weeks, we have distributed the following to unaccompanied minors:
- Sunglasses to every child in Safezone, in total 80 pair.
- 30 Drop in the Ocean backpacks for the unaccompanied minors leaving for a new location in Athens.
- 75 packs of clothes that included shorts, t-shirts, socks, towels and a sweater for new arrivals who needed a new set of clothes, because of the scabies epidemic in the camp.
- 420 activity folders with different exercises, papers and pencils.
- 30 lockdown packages including a football/volleyball, beach rackets/frisbees, cards, uno-cards, juggling balls and a puzzle/boardgame.
