HELP MAZÍ SUPPORT DISPLACED YOUNG MEN
London, England, United Kingdom
“If you are a single young man, you will not be able to find accommodation.”
Mazí supports forcibly displaced homeless young men with housing, basic necessities and social aid. We work with this group because they are otherwise at the bottom of the list for housing and many other basic services. While minors are given a certain amount of support, after their 18th birthday many find themselves in a highly vulnerable position with housing and social services taken away. Housing in Greece is not only a question of shelter and security: without it you cannot access vital services such as a bank account, registered employment, financial support, public education, non-emergency health care or even get a public transport card.
Mazí residents live in safe, comfortable housing and have connections to legal support, psychosocial support, education and employment opportunities, facilitated by support workers. Our aim is to support residents to become independent and overcome barriers of social exclusion. With this support residents are empowered and have the opportunity to move on in their lives.
Who we are
Μαζί [mazí]
(Greek)
1 together adv
2 united adj
3 with prep
The Greek word μαζί speaks to the sense of community and support that we try to create with this project. Our approach is guided by respect, transparency, safety and independence. Mazí was formed in 2018 by a group of volunteers working in Athens in a number of grassroots organisations for displaced people. All of us had seen the consequences of the massive gaps in accommodation provision left by the government and larger NGOs, and the way in which the priorities of the asylum system, government policy and NGOs discriminate against young single men. This continues to leave many people homeless, destitute and exposed to violence, crime and exploitation. A team with experience of accommodation provision, legal support, case work, project management, social work and psychological support, our exclusive focus on young single men means that we are experienced with this demographic and dedicated to their specific needs.
The bigger picture
Since 2016, the “refugee crisis” has disappeared from our headlines. Meanwhile, the devastating conditions for the 121,000 displaced people in Greece continue and thousands more continue to arrive. In 2019 twice as many people arrived as in 2018. Awful living conditions have become normal in a European Union that puts border security before human lives channeled through an underfunded, mismanaged and discriminatory asylum system in Greece.
These conditions are exacerbated by a Greek government that maintains a hostile environment against people on the move. Asylum legislation has been made tougher and obstacles for many asylum seekers to basic services are high. Migrants are being illegally deported, and racism is rising. Unemployment, already a significant problem, is drastically higher for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Accommodation provided by the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the UNHCR caters to only 1 in 5 displaced people, leaving thousands homeless.
Single young men are particularly ignored by a system that says that young men are not vulnerable enough to be supported. But this fact creates vulnerability, leaving many homeless and exposed to violence, crime and exploitation.
We cannot wait for an inadequate system to change. Everyone has a right to safe housing, and by providing young men with supported accommodation, Mazí is one small step towards this. We ran one flat with space for six people from March 2019, and we opened a second flat in August 2020. Our year-long program gives opportunities for legal, psychological, educational and employability support to men between the ages of 18 and 30. Our programme helps to address the need for accommodation for young single men and is designed to provide a holistic approach for each individual, oriented to the future while supporting residents’ individual needs or desires. We are one of the only providers of housing in Athens for young single men.
How will your donation be used?
We are fundraising to continue our work and any money raised above our target will go to expanding the project to help us give this essential support to more vulnerable young men. Our annual operating budget for one flat is £29,500 (€32,967) which includes everything necessary to provide shelter and support for residents: rent, utilities, wifi, set up costs, translation and basic necessities, including warm clothes for the winter.
How can you help?
You can make a one-off or recurring donation to help us expand Mazí Housing Project. Monthly donations are vital to our work: our recurring donors give us the stability we need to keep providing our consistent, reliable service. A small recurring donation of any amount, even £3 per month, would really help us to help these guys build an independent life for themselves in the years ahead.
We thank you for your support and welcome any questions that you may have. You can contact us at our email address [email protected] or our facebook or find more information at www.mazihousingproject.org.
Benjamin Crawford-Sharpe
-
$29,500.00
Funding Goal -
$0.00
Funds Raised -
0
Days to go -
Campaign Never Ends
Campaign End Method
Product Description
London, England, United Kingdom
“If you are a single young man, you will not be able to find accommodation.”
Mazí supports forcibly displaced homeless young men with housing, basic necessities and social aid. We work with this group because they are otherwise at the bottom of the list for housing and many other basic services. While minors are given a certain amount of support, after their 18th birthday many find themselves in a highly vulnerable position with housing and social services taken away. Housing in Greece is not only a question of shelter and security: without it you cannot access vital services such as a bank account, registered employment, financial support, public education, non-emergency health care or even get a public transport card.
Mazí residents live in safe, comfortable housing and have connections to legal support, psychosocial support, education and employment opportunities, facilitated by support workers. Our aim is to support residents to become independent and overcome barriers of social exclusion. With this support residents are empowered and have the opportunity to move on in their lives.
Who we are
Μαζί [mazí]
(Greek)
1 together adv
2 united adj
3 with prep
The Greek word μαζί speaks to the sense of community and support that we try to create with this project. Our approach is guided by respect, transparency, safety and independence. Mazí was formed in 2018 by a group of volunteers working in Athens in a number of grassroots organisations for displaced people. All of us had seen the consequences of the massive gaps in accommodation provision left by the government and larger NGOs, and the way in which the priorities of the asylum system, government policy and NGOs discriminate against young single men. This continues to leave many people homeless, destitute and exposed to violence, crime and exploitation. A team with experience of accommodation provision, legal support, case work, project management, social work and psychological support, our exclusive focus on young single men means that we are experienced with this demographic and dedicated to their specific needs.
The bigger picture
Since 2016, the “refugee crisis” has disappeared from our headlines. Meanwhile, the devastating conditions for the 121,000 displaced people in Greece continue and thousands more continue to arrive. In 2019 twice as many people arrived as in 2018. Awful living conditions have become normal in a European Union that puts border security before human lives channeled through an underfunded, mismanaged and discriminatory asylum system in Greece.
These conditions are exacerbated by a Greek government that maintains a hostile environment against people on the move. Asylum legislation has been made tougher and obstacles for many asylum seekers to basic services are high. Migrants are being illegally deported, and racism is rising. Unemployment, already a significant problem, is drastically higher for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Accommodation provided by the Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum and the UNHCR caters to only 1 in 5 displaced people, leaving thousands homeless.
Single young men are particularly ignored by a system that says that young men are not vulnerable enough to be supported. But this fact creates vulnerability, leaving many homeless and exposed to violence, crime and exploitation.
We cannot wait for an inadequate system to change. Everyone has a right to safe housing, and by providing young men with supported accommodation, Mazí is one small step towards this. We ran one flat with space for six people from March 2019, and we opened a second flat in August 2020. Our year-long program gives opportunities for legal, psychological, educational and employability support to men between the ages of 18 and 30. Our programme helps to address the need for accommodation for young single men and is designed to provide a holistic approach for each individual, oriented to the future while supporting residents’ individual needs or desires. We are one of the only providers of housing in Athens for young single men.
How will your donation be used?
We are fundraising to continue our work and any money raised above our target will go to expanding the project to help us give this essential support to more vulnerable young men. Our annual operating budget for one flat is £29,500 (€32,967) which includes everything necessary to provide shelter and support for residents: rent, utilities, wifi, set up costs, translation and basic necessities, including warm clothes for the winter.
How can you help?
You can make a one-off or recurring donation to help us expand Mazí Housing Project. Monthly donations are vital to our work: our recurring donors give us the stability we need to keep providing our consistent, reliable service. A small recurring donation of any amount, even £3 per month, would really help us to help these guys build an independent life for themselves in the years ahead.
We thank you for your support and welcome any questions that you may have. You can contact us at our email address [email protected] or our facebook or find more information at www.mazihousingproject.org.
Benjamin Crawford-Sharpe
| ID | Name | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1244 | Listing Agent | [email protected] | |
| 1215 | Listing Agent | [email protected] |
