Costanza s. f. [dal lat. constantia]:
“Perseveranza nell’azione, tenacia di sentimenti, fermezza di propositi, coerenza di idee”
In the picture above, on the left, you can see the humanitarian aid of the “hit and run” type – help once and never again. On the right is the style of operation that best represents us: the long-term mission.
As the migration situation is constantly evolving, it is particularly difficult to predict the future and to imagine an improvement in living conditions for the thousands of people who are forced to live in refugee camps in precarious conditions every day.
QRT’s mission is to provide them with direct and concrete help directly in the camps with their basic and essential needs. The functions covered by the QRT team are varied and differ according to the needs that arise on a daily basis. For these reasons, the composition of the team is simple and dynamic. Alongside a coordinator who has been involved in the management of the mission on a daily basis for many years, the volunteers themselves form the core of the QRT and enable all its activities to continue. The number of volunteers varies depending on the time of year, but never exceeds ten, as do their qualifications. Although there are special requirements for joining the team, the desire to get things done, determination and initiative are primary characteristics that volunteers should not (and do not) lack.
We are active in several refugee camps in the area surrounding Thessaloniki with daily help and in first emergency situations our intervention is quick and effective. In addition, in order to offer another kind of support, QRT has transformed a forgotten industrial warehouse of 1000 m2 into a shelter, which we have decided to call ‘Casa Base’, and which welcomes refugee girls and women on a daily basis by offering them educational and recreational activities.
Bringing dignity, self-esteem and happiness back to the people living in the refugee camps is the most important of our main objectives and only by being there for a long time, consistently, can we change people’s lives.