March 2021 was a crucial month for Watershed, as we undertook a lot of brand-new activities as part of a handover with the German Red Cross (GRC), due to them concluding their emergency mission on Lesvos.

The location of Mavrovouni RIC is on a peninsula just North of the old Kara Tepe camp. The area was previously a grassy, open expanse; formerly used for military purposes. Being surrounded by higher ground, the issue of rain water drainage is one that concerned us from the beginning.

Providing solutions to multiple issues in one practical intervention is the kind of efficient project that Watershed loves. Our “WASHpad” project has been repeated in many problematic areas around Moria camp and follows a simple concept that can be easily replicated in a diversity of contexts.

Whilst focussing on WASH has always been our main priority, the knowledge and skills of our team also lend themself to supporting people’s shelter needs. Over the course of nearly three years in Moria, our shelter work has spanned from small repairs and simple fixes that support individual families, to collaborative build projects that address the needs of entire communities.

After the Barracks were evicted in May 2017, Watershed started to focus more intensely on WASH and shelter. Firstly, we provided labour for an emergency response shelter project, erecting tents and installing floors in Kikinda TC, in order to prepare the camp for the arrival of residents coming from the Barracks, with our partners Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).