DANIEL (THE NETHERLANDS)

Volunteered From SEPTEMBER 2022 TO MARCH 2022

2023 It was after finishing my first half of medical school that I decided to take a gap year and spend it teaching at Habibi Center in Athens. Anticipating the well-known challenges and difficulties of teaching and having little prior experience with teaching, I felt at first somewhat unsure and even a little intimidated. But now, looking back, I would not do anything different. My experiences in Athens have been some of my best and most inspiring. The mission and vision of the school, the motivation of the students, the exhilarating feeling that comes with seeing undeniable progress in my students and the whole life in Athens mixed perfectly into a wonderful cocktail that was hard to put down. Indeed, little convincing was needed for me to extend my stay an extra two months. Teaching students how to read and write in English formed a large part of my daily lessons. Expecting the opposite, I was surprised at the enthusiasm, cheerfulness and motivation the students showed. This giving also energy to me, we were every day again ready to tackle the formidable and unpredictable opponent that is the English language. The most rewarding moments were when the students’ eyes twinkled with the joy of knowing and understanding the words they were reading. I also gave IT lessons at Habibi Center which aimed at giving students the tools and skills to be independent computer users. Here I also learned how important digital literacy is in today’s world and that possessing digital skills opens numerous doors for the futures of refugee youth. Besides teaching, I learned a lot at Habibi Center. The experienced full-time volunteers revealed to me the importance of teaching how to learn, as opposed to only teaching what to learn. In this way the students learn to be more independent learners and thus gain more control over their lives. I could go on for a while about these things I learned, but, just like my time in Athens, the time has come to wrap up. All in all, my time in Athens will always be a gem among my life’s experiences and I thank all who helped make this time so unforgettable. To all who are contemplating: I would highly recommend it!