Campaign “Algarve pela Vida” (Algarve for Life)

People who supply weapons, sow the seeds of war. Those who sow war will reap refugees. But those who supply clothing, sow charity. The volunteer helpers from Aljezur and Lagos sent a shipping container full of clothing and other household goods by road from Lagos to Setúbal, and then from there by ship to Piraeus. The transport costs of around 1,400 euros were covered by donations to the Portuguese Red Cross in Lagos. The Greek logistics company Arkas Hellas S.A. is not charging anything for the final leg from Piraeus to Lesbos. In the container are 270 boxes of non-perishable foodstuffs, medical and hygiene supplies, blankets, clothing, shoes and sleeping bags. They are destined for the PIPKA refugee camp on Lesbos. Robert Hall of the Global Ecovillage Network – Europe and the RefuGEN team will take over the container in Greece.

The alliance between the project’s tenacious comrades-in-arms Teresa Teófilo, Michaela Preiss and Fernando Ildefonso from Lagos, Helena Boissel from Porto, Diana and Klaus Witzmann from Carrapateira, Karen Whitten and the International School in Aljezur, the sculptor Toin Adams, the beekeeper Walter T. Goebel from Monchique, Berenike Jacob, Dieter Karras and Raban von Mentzingen from Aljezur, the helping hands of the pupils at the Gil Eanes secondary school in Lagos, the volunteer fire brigade in Lagos and the São Gonçalo parish council, and many other donors and helpers succeeded in accomplishing this good deed. Those involved are at present discussing the future of the initiative, whether and in what form they can continue their work for the refugees, e.g. by establishing sponsorships. That would depend of course on continuing public support.