No Name Kitchen is an independent movement working alongside the Balkans and Mediterranean routes to promote humanitarian aid and political action for those who suffer the hardships of extreme travel and violent rejections. 

This is a real phrase that a member of the NNK field team said in 2021 talking about a person on the move: we don't help, we decide to fight injustices and empathize with those who suffer the illegalities of an unjust system. After a field experience is much more what we learned as volunteers than what we gave to those who suffer conditions of vulnerability. NNK teams are looking for those who are able to understand that we are not saviors, but simply willing to make our contribution when possible, without feeding any false expectations about the importance of what we can do (and more importantly what we cannot do). People on the move have crossed all of Europe from Iran to the border of Europe and NNK is in only 7 cities out of thousands along the Balkan route: people must rely on their resilience and not on humanitarian projects. We provide aid and human closeness as much as possible, we do not save lives.

Between 2022 and 2023 we witness another change in the Balkan route. Although people still pass through Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach Central Europe, there seems to be a steady decline in the number of people who choose to enter through Bosnia and reach Europe. They now prefer to enter through Serbia and settle in Croatia and Italy. 

The route from Serbia to Croatia and then to other western EU countries is relatively new and more frequented since winter 2022/2023. NNK has been in Ventimiglia since 2023 supporting people on the move with basic needs and to denounce border and internal violence. In parallel, we also support other groups such as the local and gypsy community. 

Having such a constant presence in the field is not easy. We have suffered the criminalization of our work. Once you are on the ground, representing NNK 24/7, there is no time off in the perception of the local community (which doesn't mean you can't take time off from NNK work). However, the local community will still perceive you as NNK: low profile, respecting national law and behavior is an obligation throughout your stay.

What are we going to do?

The main activity of all the teams is represented by the distributions, which are composed of a chain of sub-activities (direct line, packaging, purchasing, distribution) in which the team has to move and act as a single body.

In addition to the daily rounds that are an essential part of the job, each person has specific tasks. In this project this is the position needed and the dates to be covered (to be selected you must secure two months in the field):

1 PLACE : PROTECTION FOCAL POINT

• Legal information session: liaise with Legal Clinics in other countries (e.g. Italy, Germany) to develop online information sessions for PoM to ask questions about the asylum application process, steps to be taken upon arrival and other related issues. Gather people on the move, prepare them before the session, collect questions and systematize the information.

• Identify push backs and write reports in accordance with the NNK Testimony Collection Guidelines. Report writing follows a specific methodology, sometimes volunteers get a wonderful interview that cannot be uploaded to our database because key information is missing. Inaccuracies jeopardize our ability to advocate.

• Strategic litigation: seeking justice for those cases that can be supported with relevant documentation in case of illegal and violent retaliation.

• NNK collects testimonies from those abused at the borders and publishes monthly reports with other partners in the Border Violence Monitoring Network to call for change in policymaking. In addition, we launch advocacy campaigns with visual testimonies of violence and try to connect people on the move with lawyers who can initiate a lawsuit against the perpetrators who committed the abuses.

There is a lot more information about the organization, the places where you work, the responsibilities of each position, etc., for those who want to participate in No Name Kitchen projects. Please ask your university references before the selection interview if you are interested.

Migrant refugees and asylum seekers at the border of Croacia and Italy.

All students selected for the VUELA program will receive common training for participation in volunteer activities. 

Consult YOUR UNIVERSITY in the following links for training dates, location and conditions.  Don't forget to mark them in your calendar. This training is mandatory and is part of the project. 

Field accompaniment will be provided by the organization itself. NNK has established a system of personal and professional support that includes:

✔ Free legal protection in case of abuse of power perpetrated by the authorities. In case a volunteer acts against national law and/or NNK policies, this service will not be provided.

✔ Continuous monitoring and training in the field.

✔ Free access to supervision and psychological support.

✔ A great experience to get in touch with people on the move and local communities.

This accompaniment is carried out through different people who act as referents:

1.CREW REF: for the validation process and volunteer agreements, always reachable in the field;

2. COUNTRY REF: main reference to deal with during the whole experience. This person meets with the team every week during the Assembly, where the main decisions are taken. The whole team is guided by this person, who represents a kind of human hard disk of the base (knows the past, the current situation and the long-term strategy of NNK).

3. TECHNICAL REF: specialized in the specific focal point that the volunteer will cover. It is the reference to contact in case of doubts about the position covered and the tasks foreseen.

4. CARE TEAM: The NNK team provides PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT to all focal points. The Care Team is reachable before, during and after any field experience.

5. ADDITIONAL SERVICES: Translators (former displaced persons, who facilitate communication between the migrant community and the focal points) and lawyers for free legal protection.

The cost of this project is 170 euros/month. This amount covers the following items that will be provided by the organization:

• Lodging

• Free Wi-Fi.

• Free transportation for activities.

• Cleaning products (broom, mop, sponge, bleach, dishwasher soap).

• Toilet paper, kitchen napkins, garbage bags (150 liters).

• Basket of basic foodstuffs. It is not intended to fully cover the needs of each team member, but to contribute to them. Eventually, the teams could decide to integrate the purchases collectively on a weekly basis; the amount of the contribution depends on the agreement taken by the team in the field and may vary according to the context; the range could go from 20 to 50 euros per week, depending on the teams and people's habits.

• PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT: Free legal protection in case of abuse of power by the authorities. Continuous monitoring and training in the field. Free access to supervision and psychological support. Free translation services, provided by former displaced persons who are still associated with the Organization.

Information on the possibility and conditions of financial support for these concepts can be found below, by consulting YOUR UNIVERSITY:

The student is responsible for arranging and paying for transportation to the intervention site, and must inform the project's reference university of the date and time of arrival at least 15 days in advance.

Comillas Pontifical University (María Iglesias Martínez)