January 29, 2021

Healthy Food for Kids on Samos

by Amber Ritson

A group of children gathers around an open yellow car, with an adult nearby, in an outdoor setting with tents and trees in the background. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans

Jamal left Syria with her family, fleeing through Turkey and making the dangerous crossing via boat to reach Greece. Like many people on Samos, her family lack the basic resources to easily prepare food with no kitchen or facilities to cook. But waiting in the long line for food every day, and attending crowded distributions, are intimidating for young children like Jamal. In Samos, over 400 children aged between 3 and 9 live in the makeshift Vathy Refugee Camp (RIC).

Fortunately, our partners on the ground We For Kids are providing healthy and nutritious home-cooked food to each of those children, like Jamal, on Samos. Their aim is to ensure that all children are able to access food in a quick and safe way and do not have to attend large-scale distributions. Their focus is on ensuring all children get the requisite vitamins and minerals they need to aid their development.

Here at forRefugees we've recently provided We for Kids with €7000 to buy a van. This is incredibly necessary to help the association continue its vital work volunteers are limited to using a small

Spaghetti topped with a mixed vegetable and ground meat sauce, served in a clear plastic container, makes for a healthy food option. Perfect for kids and suitable for those who love tastes inspired by the island of Samos. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans

private car, or to walk. as, without a van, volunteers are limited to using a small private car, or to walk. Catering boxes (thermal boxes licensed for catering transfers) don't fit in the car and so the association had to use plastic bags. With a van larger quantities of food can be transported into the camps in a food safer manner. It also means that the team can pick up bulk supplies from the supermarket more easily.

A hillside area with makeshift shelters made from tarps and various materials, surrounded by trees and bushes. A shopping cart filled with odds and ends, including some healthy food options for kids, sits alongside a tire in the foreground. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans

We believe that children have the right to healthy food and will continue to support our partners who provide this, especially as the effects of COVID-19 shake the world.

We continue to ask you to please never doubt that YOUR kindness and generosity is making a real difference to someone's life. Every day 🧡🧡.

Names changed. Photo Credits: We For Kids

Four people stroll down a street on Samos, each carrying two white plastic bags, likely filled with healthy food. The backdrop of charming buildings and a distant hill adds to the picturesque scene. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
Two men stroll along a dirt path in a wooded area on the island of Samos, each carrying large black bags in both hands. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
Several people interact outdoors; some wear yellow vests and red masks, with kids standing nearby. A blue tarp covers a fence in the background. The lively scene unfolds in Samos, where laughter mingles with the aroma of healthy food wafting through the air. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
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