CRIBS International started as an initiative by several independent volunteers who had been working in the woman and baby space in a camp near Chalkida, Greece.
The idea was born (quite literally) with baby Ahmed, whose mother required an emergency Cesarian section. Clearly, sleeping on the bare earth floor of a tent was out of the question for a woman recovering from major surgery, and alternatives needed to be found for this crucial recovery period.
While Ahmed and his mother were very kindly put up by a local family, the isolation from the rest of their family was difficult, and they returned to their tent earlier than was ideal because of this and suffered health complications as a result.
With approximately one in ten refugee women pregnant and the cesarian section rate in Greece at an astonishing 70%, it was obvious that pregnant women and their families needed more adequate housing.
About the images
The artwork on this website was created by Cedric Diyavova (DCR), Ayar Jalal (Iraqi Kurdistan), Cym D’Souza (UK) and Georgie Wellbrook-Millar (UK). These original works were made especially for CRIBS and appeared in the 2021 calendar which raised crucial funds to support our families.