“When numbers become faces” – The SAM.I. motto year on refugee aid

More than 1 million refugees entered the EU in 2015. Thousands of employees and volunteers of the Samaritan organisations render aid to refugees along their way across Europe and after their arrival.

Samaritan helpers are active on all stages of the refugees’ journeys: They render first aid to refugees arriving on the Mediterranean coast, they take care of people crossing the continent on the Balkan route and they operate refugee accommodations and integration services in the countries of destination.
This help of the Samaritan organisations is, for the most part, dependent on volunteers.

The huge numbers making up the refugee crisis have been dominating news coverage over the past year. But behind each number, there is a personal fate, a story and, most of all, the hope for a better life. To bring forward and introduce these faces behind the numbers, SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL has declared 2016 as the motto year “When Numbers Become Faces”.

Over the course of the year, SAM.I. will publish a series of short films on the work of the European Samaritans in refugee aid, showing refugees and their voluntary helpers. These films will be accompanied by additional activities aimed at raising awareness for the people and stories behind the statistics. On social media, these activities can be followed using the hashtag #sami4refugees. In addition, the Samaritan organisations are currently working on mutual practical support in their refugee aid activities.

Below you can watch the first two videos. One tells the stories of refugees and volunteers in a refugee accommodation of ASB in Germany. The second film was shot in in Serbia, where volunteers from Serbian Samaritan organisation IDC work hand in hand with colleagues from Danish SAM.I. member DPA.

Make sure to watch our YouTube channel for the next videos and like us on facebook for the quickest updates on our accompanying activities.