I think my last moment with the organization sums it up - as I was walking off campus, with the director yelling and stomping around because he didn't win the battle against me (instead of wasting more time fundraising for useless projects for him, I quit), a young Syrian girl ran up to me and asked, "what did that man do to you? Did he beat you?"

Ok, let's back up. First, for anyone who posts feedback for Latra, please note that they have created two profiles. After negative criticism was posted on one profile, they created another. So you may want to post in both places. On that note, i'm not sure my feedback is relevant anymore, as I heard that they have just, for the fourth time, had their program or volunteers reprimanded for work they were doing in the camp under LATRA's oversight. I've heard they have been at least temporarily removed from the camp (again). While I am not sure of the circumstances of this removal, I was there during three other reprimands from the camp director. Actually, 4 now that I think of it. And it's not that the volunteers are bad! But the volunteers are operating under LATRA's direction which routinely clashes with camp protocol. OK on with my review…

LATRA's responses to Eric Leland's criticism speak accurately of their organization - sarcastic, inappropriate, and ineffective. How professional is it for a staff member to respond with sarcasm and strange fake-gratitude for the negative press the first review brought? It shows their petty nature without anyone even needing to dig deep.

Their other response is more indicative of their nature. Naming me by first and last name in a public forum that I was not a part of was uncool and done out of retribution for my husband's post. I was going to stay out of this public disagreement as I filed my own complaint privately, but they forced my hand by attacking my character in a public forum. Second, they included quotes from volunteers that they collected while the volunteers still worked for them - written at the request of the director. If your boss asks you to write a positive review, and you have seen 4 people quit under duress in the last 2 weeks (5 if you count the LATRA volunteer who broke both her arms doing a construction job she had no training for), but you really want to keep access to the camp, are you really in a position to say no? The same people writing those reviews may be making fun of LATRA in private conversations but are unable to speak up for fear of retribution. You can see from LATRA's response what happens when you don't speak highly of them - they throw you under the bus. I certainly have had conversations with several active volunteers who say they are doing their work despite the obstacles put in place by the organization, not with their support. They paint a nice playground on the cement - the director tries to "help" and makes it so sloppy they have to add mess to the first part to make it match his; they raise money for a library the director tells them to build - they get in trouble with the camp and kicked out for a day because they didn't get permission first; they take initiative to improve the food program under LATRA's guidance - they get yelled at for thinking they have the power to make sweeping changes; they wait for LATRA's instructions on how to conduct workshops (for fear of getting in more trouble) - they get mocked behind their backs (I was there) at a dinner with another NGO for having no initiative.

One of the quotes defending LATRA speaks about events that happened when the person writing the review wasn't even there and even goes as far as to say that no one has felt threatened by the directors behavior - this alone invalidates its claims, as there is no way the author has been in everyone's heads and has been present at every interaction.

LATRA volunteers are doing a few neat projects, but most projects have been discontinued before they even get started. Most of the workshops that were planned during my one month were not successfully implemented and in fact an enormous amount of time was wasted trying to get around their disorganization, impulsive decision making, lack of strategic planning, and shortsighted yet unrealistic goals. For example, tech workshops were planned and canceled. No 3d models have been built, and the library that was fundraiser for? The volunteer in charge who raised the money quit a month before he planned with his own complaints.

There is no sign of architectural or technological innovation being used to improve the camp - shoot, they don't even use their own tent they designed because it couldn't withstand the wind. The volunteers have been verbally abused in several occasions by LATRA or the camp management while working for LATRA (conducting activities they were not allowed to do but did so under LATRA's direction). For example, the director pulled volunteers off of a strategic implementation of installing shade structures to paint flowers on the houses - when a volunteer complained that it's insensitive to be decorating houses when people are baking inside and we could be getting shade up quicker, she was scolded for questioning her assignment. Volunteers were also pulled off of that project, which implemented shade structures strategically to avoid conflict, to install special, individualized structures for the directors' favorite families, which put the volunteers in danger because other residents became angry at the unequal treatment. I myself halted a project one afternoon to bring a volunteer to the doctor, as he was told by the camp medical staff that he had a contagious skin fungus that needed medication before working with anyone else. LATRA knew this, told him to go to the doctor in front of another NGO, and then when that NGO left, allowed him to go back to work, putting volunteers and refugees at risk of contracting his fungus.

I could go on for pages about how dysfunctional this program is. One morning he arrived (late, typical) with a hoarse voice. I asked if he was getting sick and he said, "no. It's from a screaming match that lasted all night." What?!?!

So, back to the Syrian girl who asked, "what did that man do to you? Did he beat you?" ...Tell me no one has felt threatened by him.

Oh, and I paid him a mandatory 160euros for this. He said it was for his liability insurance, so that if I quit and sue him, he is insured. Who even says stuff like that? He gave one member the money back, calling it a donation. So where's my refund? It certainly was not a donation!

I think my last moment with the organization sums it up - as I was walking off campus, with the director yelling and stomping around because he didn't win the battle against me (instead of wasting more time fundraising for useless projects for him, I quit), a young Syrian girl ran up to me and asked, "what did that man do to you? Did he beat you?"

Ok, let's back up. First, for anyone who posts feedback for Latra, please note that they have created two profiles. After negative criticism was posted on one profile, they created another. So you may want to post in both places. On that note, i'm not sure my feedback is relevant anymore, as I heard that they have just, for the fourth time, had their program or volunteers reprimanded for work they were doing in the camp under LATRA's oversight. I've heard they have been at least temporarily removed from the camp (again). While I am not sure of the circumstances of this removal, I was there during three other reprimands from the camp director. Actually, 4 now that I think of it. And it's not that the volunteers are bad! But the volunteers are operating under LATRA's direction which routinely clashes with camp protocol. OK on with my review…

LATRA's responses to Eric Leland's criticism speak accurately of their organization - sarcastic, inappropriate, and ineffective. How professional is it for a staff member to respond with sarcasm and strange fake-gratitude for the negative press the first review brought? It shows their petty nature without anyone even needing to dig deep.

Their other response is more indicative of their nature. Naming me by first and last name in a public forum that I was not a part of was uncool and done out of retribution for my husband's post. I was going to stay out of this public disagreement as I filed my own complaint privately, but they forced my hand by attacking my character in a public forum. Second, they included quotes from volunteers that they collected while the volunteers still worked for them - written at the request of the director. If your boss asks you to write a positive review, and you have seen 4 people quit under duress in the last 2 weeks (5 if you count the LATRA volunteer who broke both her arms doing a construction job she had no training for), but you really want to keep access to the camp, are you really in a position to say no? The same people writing those reviews may be making fun of LATRA in private conversations but are unable to speak up for fear of retribution. You can see from LATRA's response what happens when you don't speak highly of them - they throw you under the bus. I certainly have had conversations with several active volunteers who say they are doing their work despite the obstacles put in place by the organization, not with their support. They paint a nice playground on the cement - the director tries to "help" and makes it so sloppy they have to add mess to the first part to make it match his; they raise money for a library the director tells them to build - they get in trouble with the camp and kicked out for a day because they didn't get permission first; they take initiative to improve the food program under LATRA's guidance - they get yelled at for thinking they have the power to make sweeping changes; they wait for LATRA's instructions on how to conduct workshops (for fear of getting in more trouble) - they get mocked behind their backs (I was there) at a dinner with another NGO for having no initiative.

One of the quotes defending LATRA speaks about events that happened when the person writing the review wasn't even there and even goes as far as to say that no one has felt threatened by the directors behavior - this alone invalidates its claims, as there is no way the author has been in everyone's heads and has been present at every interaction.

LATRA volunteers are doing a few neat projects, but most projects have been discontinued before they even get started. Most of the workshops that were planned during my one month were not successfully implemented and in fact an enormous amount of time was wasted trying to get around their disorganization, impulsive decision making, lack of strategic planning, and shortsighted yet unrealistic goals. For example, tech workshops were planned and canceled. No 3d models have been built, and the library that was fundraiser for? The volunteer in charge who raised the money quit a month before he planned with his own complaints.

There is no sign of architectural or technological innovation being used to improve the camp - shoot, they don't even use their own tent they designed because it couldn't withstand the wind. The volunteers have been verbally abused in several occasions by LATRA or the camp management while working for LATRA (conducting activities they were not allowed to do but did so under LATRA's direction). For example, the director pulled volunteers off of a strategic implementation of installing shade structures to paint flowers on the houses - when a volunteer complained that it's insensitive to be decorating houses when people are baking inside and we could be getting shade up quicker, she was scolded for questioning her assignment. Volunteers were also pulled off of that project, which implemented shade structures strategically to avoid conflict, to install special, individualized structures for the directors' favorite families, which put the volunteers in danger because other residents became angry at the unequal treatment. I myself halted a project one afternoon to bring a volunteer to the doctor, as he was told by the camp medical staff that he had a contagious skin fungus that needed medication before working with anyone else. LATRA knew this, told him to go to the doctor in front of another NGO, and then when that NGO left, allowed him to go back to work, putting volunteers and refugees at risk of contracting his fungus.

I could go on for pages about how dysfunctional this program is. One morning he arrived (late, typical) with a hoarse voice. I asked if he was getting sick and he said, "no. It's from a screaming match that lasted all night." What?!?!

So, back to the Syrian girl who asked, "what did that man do to you? Did he beat you?" ...Tell me no one has felt threatened by him.

Oh, and I paid him a mandatory 160euros for this. He said it was for his liability insurance, so that if I quit and sue him, he is insured. Who even says stuff like that? He gave one member the money back, calling it a donation. So where's my refund? It certainly was not a donation!