Three professional clowns will join A Drop in the Ocean at Greek refugee camps close to the Macedonian border to spread joy among children and adolescents.
A Drop in the Ocean will, in co-operation with The Norwegian Hospital Clowns, send three representatives of the group to two refugee camps near the Macedonian border on May 19th. Travel and accommodation cost is covered by A Drop in the Ocean. The Norwegian aid organisation is already actively contributing to several refugee camps in Greece.
The NGO, A Drop in the Ocean, has since September 2015 been a visible and serious participant dealing with refugees, both in the Greek islands and on the mainland. At any time there has been 50 to 60 volunteer workers participating in distribution of food, water, clothes, children equipment and hygiene articles.
The Norwegian Hospital Clowns is a group of professional artists specialised in working with hospitalised children. The clowns contribute to positive experiences and respite for children and young people in otherwise challenging circumstances.
The two camps, where the clowns will work, houses respectively 11 000 and 4 000 refugees; approximately 40% of these are children. Many of them have stayed in the camps since the borders to Europe closed earlier this year.
– Waiting time and uncertainty for the refugees at the Greek-FYROM border is difficult. Many of them have stayed there for nearly three months. We constantly see that people are getting more and more depressed and despondent. By sending The Hospital Clowns to Greece, we hope to spread a little joy among the youngest. These clowns are professional and used to working with children in crisis, which is a big advantage in this setting, says DitO Secretary General Trude Jacobsen.
For more information, contact the Secretary General of A Drop in the Ocean Trude Jacobsen, phone: + 47 481 72 718, email: trude@drapenihavet.no
Eirik Skarsbø, Project manager The Norwegian Hospital Clowns, phone: +47 909 40 249, eirik@sykehusklovnene.no
Drop in the ocean is a voluntary organisation with the purpose to assist refugees – mostly children and their mothers. We make an effort to help those who need it most by providing specific help and the necessary equipment to where it is needed.
A Drop in the Ocean has been present in Greece since September 2015; more than 1 200 volunteers have contributed under the auspices of the organisation.
The Norwegian hospital clowns is a non-profit organisation with 30 specially trained clowns. They have more than 15 years of experience with hospital clowning, and is part of an international network. Today they are present in 11 hospitals across Norway. In 2016 they are planning to add more hospitals to their projects and have already more than 1000 visits days booked around hospital around the country. The Norwegian Hospital Clowns run on applications and grants.
