26 January 2016 | Belgrade, Serbia [Mirko Rudic and N’Deane Helajzen] What do you do when, even in the middle of winter, between one and four thousand refugees are passing through your borders every day? For some, it may be to turn a blind eye, to lock their front door – or even to protest and hold rallies, but for seventy highly motivated field workers across Serbia, their compassion leads them to try and make a difference, no matter how challenging the circumstances.
Comfort is one of the essentials hard to find in the midst of a refugee crisis fuelled by the deepening civil wars in Syria and Iraq, along with regional conflicts and crises in Afghanistan, the Middle East and in some African countries. Hearing harrowing stories helps you understand the desperation of families heading from their homes to join the million who risked a Mediterranean Sea crossing during 2015.
The bitter winter weather has not stopped that flow – and around a quarter of those making the hazardous journey are children. UNHCR data indicates that 577,995 refugees were registered in Serbia last year. Over 84% of them had fled conflict, widespread violence, insecurity or highly repressive governments in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea and Somalia.
“Basic human needs come first”, states ADRA Serbia country director”, Igor Mitrović. “Yes, we provide clothes, socks, food and water to refuges, but, that is not everything they need and definitely not all that they are getting from our team.” Igor emphasises that every individual has a profound need for understanding, compassion and care. “Psycho-social help is their necessity: getting practical and potentially life-saving informational assistance”, he states.
As a result, ADRA’s mobile protection response teams are made up of medical workers, psychologists, social workers, translators and cultural mediators. Between them they provide a unique set of refugee-protection services including communication and translation, identification of hidden basic needs, dissemination of key life-saving and practical information on things like legal issues, and assistance in the distribution of food, water and non-food items such as hygiene supplies. However, their support goes further. Beyond medical triage and referrals they provide mental health and psycho-social support, they mediate between beneficiaries and other service providers, they advocate for refugee and migrants rights, and monitor unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable individuals, referring them to the relevant protection agencies, and providing support to social care institutions and other agencies in managing these cases. Igor states, “Our teams are trained in identifying and monitoring needs and being able to adapt and respond to them in multi-faceted ways, depending on the situation.”
Compassion and genuine interest is a vital part of that package. Zoran Jovanovic says, “It is really necessary to keep the eye, ear and heart open when you find yourself in their company.” On one occasion, the father of a five-member family invited one of the ADRA volunteers to join him for lunch – a gift he had received from the Red Cross. He was willing to share a donated meal with someone in order to show his own hospitality. The two had lunch in a traditional way, with prayer. As they ate, the conversation grew livelier. “This kind of community and togetherness helps them to feel worthy and happy again, and it also made both sides feel honoured”, Zoran added. “These “small” attentions, but big gestures, bring them back to life again, and raise their dignity.”
ADRA Serbia mobile teams are located in Miratovac and Presevo, the key entry points into Serbia from Macedonia, Dimitrovgrad, Negotin, Zajecar, on the Eastern border with Bulgaria and in the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade.
What rapidly becomes clear is that for ADRA staff this is not just a job. They make no distinction between their personal and their professional lives. The staff are motivated and passionate about creating positive change in people’s lives. Perhaps this is due in part to the not too distant memory of the wars that split the former Yugoslavia, displacing millions – including 300,000 who still seek refuge in Serbia. This has led to praise for the way the government and civil society has tackled the current crisis.
Igor concludes, “We have a sentiment of solidarity, recognising in our own past what is happening now. ADRA Serbia is proud to contribute to upholding the dignity of others.” [tedNEWS]
tedNEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, director; Esti Pujic, editor
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