We leave for Greece tomorrow. Truly into the belly of the beast. It is beyond comprehension - the violence, the politics, the devastation. These refugees are suffering so much. We are going to deliver healthcare, a drop in an ocean of misery. We are being strong, not brave, we are scared. We vacillated for a [...]
Homeno one leaves home unlesshome is the mouth of a sharkyou only run for the borderwhen you see the whole city running as wellyour neighbors running faster than youbreath bloody in their throatsthe boy you went to school withwho kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factoryis holding a gun bigger than his bodyyou only leave [...]
Today was day 5 in Matamoros. Courtnay arrived! Our Hands on Global team is all here, and so excited to be partnering with Global Response Management. Hands on Global facilitated our members to be here, and donated much needed medications, supplies, toys for the kiddos, and an open-sided replacement tent to shield from the sun and [...]
Today was day 4 in Matamoros. Lauren is here! Our Hands on Global team grew to two! Busy clinic day, our gynecologist was in and saw many women, both pregnant and trying not to be. A delegation from the UN High Council for Refugees is here, doing a camp survey and also met with us to [...]
Today was day 3 in Matamoros. Busier day today, lots of sick babies, several pregnant mothers, people with heart conditions and the ever pressing need for better birth control options. Our team is phenomenal. Providers, nurses, medics, pharmacy, interpreters, support staff, all volunteers, all here for different reasons but same mission. It’s important to be flexible [...]
Today was day 2 in Matamoros. Sundays are days of rest, family, and the sacred in Latin America and that was palpable today. There was a sense of calm. The clinic was not very busy, and we used the downtime to organize, organize, organize. Sustained clinics like this one are constantly evolving, growing, incorporating new [...]
Today was day one in Matamoros!I crossed the border with Global Response Management team members and we got right to work. Hands on Global is partnering with GRM to help staff their clinic in Matamoros, Mexico. The clinic is right in the middle of camp. It’s flu season, we saw lots of coughs and colds and [...]
It’s go time! Crossing the border into Matamoros. Thank you all for supporting this important project. I’m excited to get to work! Post by: Leslie Gibbs
This morning Charlotte, Alex, and I went to the Jungle and had tea and conversation with some of our friends. The hospitality was so sweet as we drank their very diluted tea. Then to visit the Ghana camp, deep inside the Jungle, where most of our translators live. They have made a cozy spot with chairs [...]
Our last clinic. From our end, time flew by. Many days, exhausted at the end, with tears flowing over evening wine. I would stay longer if I could. I have learned about perseverance, the extreme challenges to just survive, and I have deep admiration for these refugees. They have only hope to keep them going. [...]
