Sara and Gina
Sara and Gina from Spain joined ESC voluntarism project in Ioannina, at our organisation Youth Center of Epirus. Their main activities were to implement recreational and non-formal educational activities for asylum seeker children and teenagers, and to work on digital content creation on asylum seeker integration related themes. Below, you can read some of their testimonies and see photos of their experience in Ioannina!
Their activity was part of the project "Asylum seeker integration in Epirus society" which is supported by the European Commission and is under the European Solidarity Corps programme.
Sara:
Agios Athanasios, a center for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, where every day is an adventure. Run, dance, play, create and learn. Everything is possible in the imagination of these teenagers because although their feet are anchored and they suffer the wait without being able to move, their imagination is enthusiastic and young.
The role as a volunteer is precious because you accompany and promote with distraction and entertainment; It's fundamental. Help them to have their minds in the clouds, to stay busy and get a running start; so that one day they can fly with all their strength: free, determined and without fear. It is enriching to be with them in that imagination and in that game, to be present and get involved body and soul.
Make a more humane and more beautiful world with social involvement. Thanks for what I learned, I hope I have left a grain of myself there. Good luck on the way.
Gina:
Gina was a volunteer from Spain who joined this European Solidarity Corps voluntarism project in Ioannina for 2 months.
Her main responsibility was to plan and facilitate non formal educational activities with 12-18 year old unacompanied asylum seekers at Agios Athanasios facility, located in Zagori area of Epirus.
She also worked on a large photography exhibition project called LIMBO, about unacompanied asylum seekers time of waiting here in Greece. Her exhibition was shown at the youth center of our organisation and later on exhibited online and on street exhibition.
This project was co-funded by the European Commission.