What is Global Brigades?
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Global Brigades (GB) is an international nonprofit that works to improve healthcare and economic stability for vulnerable communities.
GB was founded in 2018 through a partnership with the UN and the Greek Health Department. Its work is focused on helping people who don’t have easy access to healthcare and economic support for refugees and other disadvantaged groups in Greece.
Global Brigades' doctors primarily serve children and women from refugee backgrounds, as well as other socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, including single parents, chronic patients, and the unemployed.
In 2021, a Polyclinic opened in the center of Athens, which provides free healthcare to people in need, especially refugees and asylum seekers.
The clinic specializes in pediatrics, ophthalmology, and gynecology, but they do more than just healthcare-they also help refugees start small businesses through financial and economic development programs.
Our Work at Global Brigades - 5 days
Global Impact Volunteering Program: July 2024, Athens
In July 2024, we spent five days volunteering at the Polyclinic. Every day was a new experience that allowed us to learn, give back, and connect with the community.
Day 1: July 4, 2024
Our week started with an orientation at the Polyclinic, where we learned about Global Brigades and their mission. We helped by distributing hygiene bags and organizing paperwork for appointments.
We also learned about the challenges refugees face in Greece, and got an introduction to the business program, where we’d be working with a local entrepreneur.
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Day 2: July 5, 2024
We went on a Kipseli walk to visit refugee-owned businesses and local NGOs.
It was inspiring to hear the stories of these business owners.
After that, we worked on a social media project to help one of the businesses gain more visibility in the community.
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Day 3: July 6, 2024
We prepared a disability awareness workshop for children, creating fun materials for them. We prepared different visual elements to help them understand concepts despite the language barrier.
In the afternoon, we helped at a soup kitchen, preparing and serving meals to people in need.
This was a powerful experience for us, showing how small actions can have a big impact.
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Day 4: July 7, 2024
We finalized our social media project and got it ready for presentation.
Later, we hosted our disability workshop for kids aged 6-12 at a local NGO. Even though there was a language barrier, we were able to connect with the kids through activities and games.
At the end of the day, we presented our social media project to the business owner we’d been helping.
Day 5: July 8, 2024
Our last day was spent volunteering with Humanity Greece, where we focused on supporting people impacted by climate change.
It was an amazing way to end the week, knowing that we were helping make the world a little better.
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