From the 30th of August to the 5th of September, I took part in a humanitarian trip to Chania, Crete, focused on a non-governmental organization called Orizondas ( Horizons in English) , whose aim is to support patients with cancer and their families which face financial issues and, hence, would not be able to afford the treatment. Besides, as there are no cancer cure centres in Chania, Orizondas also provides accommodation for the patient and for one member of the family  in Athens.

I would consider the strongest moment in our trip when we visited the patient’s house for many reasons. Firstly, it showed the real social-economical condition of the patients and their families, demonstrating the harsh life that the current Greek crisis has led to and the real necessity for help provided by  Orizondas. Secondly, as an aspiring med student, I found it truly interesting to see the daily life of a patient that has suffered from cancer and the difficulties they have due to the disease. These difficulties vary from economical issues, unemployment, loss of governmental health insurance, to more personal problems. Such as the fact that cancer patients who are not able to work may not receive a full Greek government’s financial support as happens with Effy, a lady diagnosed with a tumor, whose support was of just 70%, considered a good rate if analysed all the cases nowadays in Greece.

Furthermore, this trip was extremely profitable owing to the fact that it demostrated the hard task taken by volunteers of a NGO and the nobility of this task because, apart from not being paid, these volunteers devote time and energy to the cause. One day we confronted the troubles of a volunteer job by trying to distribute leaflets to tourists concerning the donation of bone marrow. This was difficult owing to the fact that the tourists were either uninterested or did not want to engage on a project while travelling.

Lastly, we visited the Pediatric Clinic of the General Hospital of Chania. This visit was particularly special to me as I could see how a hospital works and how hospitals in Greece are coping with the economic crisis. The conditions of the hospital were fairly good and, talking with patients and their families, it seemed that they were quite happy with the service provided. However, the lack of material and personel was shoking. There were not even termometers and neddles for the staff to use and, hence, we bought them a few.

In conclusion, this trip contributed to my personal grownth as it increased my awareness on how important small initiatives, as Orizondas was back in 2004, can have a huge impact on the local community, helping sectors that, otherwise, would be forgotten or passed behind. Just in a matter of numbers, since the creation of Orizondas in 2004, more than 5000 people were given aid and support, showing the true commitment of this non-governmental organization to Chania and cancer patients all over Greece.

By Matteo