Volunteers share their experience with us
“The warm and hospitable space, shelves with books, colored papers and markers, work tables and plates with cookies and fruit. The caring Christina and the organized Koula.
A meeting point every Tuesday afternoon. A space for non-formal education, with everything included: programmes, goals, activities. Mostly a space for communication, care and caring for all children who arrive at its door.
The children I met safely crossed the sea following adults heading to the heart of Europe. When the borders were closed, they stayed on its outskirts, spent several months in camps and now they live in the big city, waiting…
The first words in Greek, the smiles and the hugs, the first written words in a spelling lesson, all small victories. In an attempt to offer normality to the children that lost the normalcy of childhood, that rely on the kindness of strangers for warm clothes and shoes, they paint homes with longing and anticipation.”
Maria Fragoulaki
“Όταν γυρνάω πίσω το χρόνο και θυμάμαι την περίοδο που ήμουν στην Αθήνα, είναι αυτές οι φωτογραφίες που περιγράφουν για το πως πέρασα αυτό το διάστημα. Ο χρόνος μου στην Αθήνα χαρακτηρίστηκε από τη δουλειά μου με τα παιδιά, τον χρόνο με τους φίλους μου και τη ζωή που μου έδωσε αυτή η πόλη. Όταν αναφέρω δουλειά εννοώ τον χρόνο που πέρασα με τα παιδιά και τους εφήβους πραγματικά δεν ταιριάζει, γιατί ήταν τόσο διασκεδαστικό που μερικές φορές ξεχνούσα ότι αυτή ήταν η δουλειά μου. Οι περιπέτειες και οι εμπειρίες που είχα ήταν εκπληκτικές.
Είναι δύσκολο να περιγράψω με λόγια τι νιώθω για αυτούς τους ανθρώπους και αυτή την πόλη, αλλά αυτό που είναι εύκολο να το πω, είναι ότι είμαι ευγνώμων για κάθε δευτερόλεπτο που πέρασα κατά τη διάρκεια του εθελοντισμού μου.”
Jacob
“I came to Athens in September 2021 and stayed until May 2022 for 8 months at RFG in Athens.
To be a teacher was something I had never done before, but with the time I got used to it. I became relaxed, flexible and learned how to take responsibility. To see the institutional violence against minorities of the state in the daily life shaped my political awareness and politicized me. A lot of people are getting creative in art or music because of the difficult situation in Athens which inspired me to discover graffiti and painting as ways to express creativity. In the community I met people with infinite energy, people with great hope and huge self-sacrifice which showed me what it means to have a purpose in life.
Thank you for this big inspiration and opportunity!”
Ruben