As Christmas approaches, this is a holiday message from our director of operations and fundraising, Christina Leijman:
“As a career humanitarian I am always struck by the dichotomy brought into focus by end-of-year messaging in the emergency response sector. This year, as we bring our 10-year anniversary campaign to an end, the contrast is more strongly felt than ever.
For many communities around the world the holiday season is now in full swing. This comes with celebration and commemoration in all its forms. As MOAS closes out its 10th year of operations, we do want to take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our field teams, the support of our donors, the strength of our partnerships and the dedication of our core team of humanitarian staff. It is a time to reflect on the impact our projects have had on our beneficiary communities across the years, to highlight success stories and to acknowledge the progress that has been made. It is vital that we convey our thanks to all those who have stood by us over the last decade, and applaud all those beneficiaries who have taken the resources and opportunities we’ve offered, and used them to make meaningful and sustainable changes in their own lives, and those of their families and communities.
However, it can also be an incredibly challenging time of year for many, with joy overshadowed by fear, conflict, poverty and displacement. The knowledge that, as we are all safely at home enjoying the comfort of family, the tradition of gifting, the satisfaction of a full belly, there are those who are still struggling to access basic needs such as nutrition, healthcare and security, is a truth which is difficult to comprehend. The savagery of war, food insecurity, persecution and inequality are in no way abated or reduced by the turning of the calendar page.
This is why it is more important now than ever to recommit ourselves to our operations, to reinvigorate our donors and supporters and to reassess the needs of the communities we serve. I know that the MOAS staff, myself included, and our senior leadership team, are determined to remain active as an innovator of humanitarian action and an implementer of high-impact programming in service of vulnerable and crisis-affected communities for another 10 years, and more.
The organization is at a critical period, with funding for Ukraine urgently needed to facilitate our life-saving critical care evacuation activities. We are asking those with any extra to spare to donate now and help us keep our ambulances on the roads. The expansion of our aid delivery program now means that more people than ever are relying on the MOAS deliveries of food and pharmaceutical supplies, and we are keen to meet those needs for as long as possible. The evolution of the ERP and DRR programs has culminated in our latest publication of best practices, which could mean new potential outreach communities, as long as resources become available.
All this, and much more, is possible for MOAS in coming months and years, the impact on which is immeasurable for those who rely on us for basic needs and survival. I call on the MOAS community to continue to support us in our mission, to donate what they can, to spread our message and share our campaigns. Every contribution and collaboration can change a life.”
Your support can make a difference. Please consider donating to help us continue our missions and save lives. Visit www.moas.eu/donate to contribute. For more updates on our work, follow us on social media, sign up for our newsletter, or contact us at [email protected].