Cribs International - Greece
Real homes in times of real need.
CRIBS' mission is to empower women who are heavily pregnant or have a new-born baby and have fled conflict or exploitation. By providing shelter, safety and support they get them off the streets of Athens and give them the chance to begin to recover from trauma, rebuild their lives and regain their independence.
The women they support are often travelling alone, and have fled from various regions including the DRC, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Syria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. Many are survivors of exploitation, including sexual exploitation, rape and labour exploitation. Having fled violence in their home countries, they have endured long and traumatic journeys and on reaching Europe they find themselves homeless on the streets of Athens. With little or no support from the Greek authorities they are in desperate situations and are at risk of further exploitation.
Now that the Greek government funded housing programme has closed, along with urban camps, the only option they may be given by the authorities is to move to a rural closed camp. These camps are far away from support structures and offer no chance of a normal life. There is little or no access to vital healthcare, psychological support or education, and camps are recognised by the UNHCR to be highly dangerous for women and children.
CRIBS was created to prevent babies of refugee mothers from spending the first months of their lives on the streets, in the Greek 'care' system, in parks, on the ground in tents, squats or churches. They house up to 15 families at one time, and their case managers support the new moms to navigate the healthcare system, and provide advocacy around birth to ensure women have choice and dignity. They also provide perinatal support, give advice and support with breastfeeding, assist with the complex asylum system, and with accessing psychological support, education opportunities and employment.
Additionally, their Free Shop serves the wider refugee community in Athens, specialising in providing the essentials for women, babies and children. Every month they provide over 250 families with hygiene and nappy packs, and over 100 families visit their free shop for an appointment for clothes and essentials.
We're so thrilled to be partnering with such an amazing new project. While based in Greece, CRIBS is a UK registered charity & you can find out more on them here:
