SUSAN (USA)

Volunteered From APRIL 2019 TO MAY 2019

2019 When I arrived in Athens on April 9, 2019, my expectations were very simple. I planned to substitute teach for five weeks while one of the full time teachers was away. I thought that I would be teaching beginner classes as I have always done. But I was surprised to see the level of English that is being taught here. They are being prepared to take the Cambridge exams to receive their English certification. I was challenged to step up my game, so to speak. I learned so much from Stephanie, my daughter. She is an incredible woman, with a very big heart. She has so much to give, and gives it all for these children, most of whom are unaccompanied minors. She has become a mother to many of them, and she demands excellence from each one of them. They all love her. Alex and Vagelis, who have also given of themselves to serve these children are amazing. They have all given sacrificially to see the children learn and grow, and be prepared to move on to a better life. During my time there, I fell in love with all of these children, and would have loved to bring them all home with me. I was so blessed to have had the privilege of spending time and learning so much. I would love to go back again, someday. MARIE CLAIRE (MALTA) VOLUNTEERING DURING SEPTEMBER 2017 I had met both Stephanie and Toby briefly when I volunteered in Katsikas camp in May 2016. Since then, I followed the journey of Habibi Center, how it developed from an idea to a life changing school for so many. In September 2017, I found out that Habibi Center needed volunteers and since I was unemployed I decided to go and give a helping hand. What Habibi Center has done is just inspiring. It is not just a school, it has been a second home for both the volunteers and most importantly the students. The impact on the students’ lives was not simply an academical one, they learned that life is not just how they have been taught it is, life is much more! They learned that even when things are very different, you can always find commonalities. They realised that the World is so much bigger than what they thought it was but also that it is all so connected in certain ways. I remember that I was quite anxious when I was going there, however, seeing the kids making the decision to attend class everyday pushed me in giving my very best during my time with them. Stephanie really managed to gather a diverse group of students with one common goal – education. Habibi Center has given me so much, both the students and Stephanie have taught me more than the knowledge I shared with them myself. I saw the difference one person can make on other peoples’ lives. I realised that we should not be waiting for the authorities to change the things we do not like; we should be the ones that work for the change we would like the see. This is exactly what I saw happening at the Habibi Center. Seeing an idea growing big enough to change so many peoples’ lives like Habibi Center should be a motivation to everyone. Thank you Stephanie for the opportunity. Thank you to all the students that I met there! You have given me a different perspective of life and showered me with motivation. BEGOÑA (SPAIN) VOLUNTEERING FROM MARCH TO JULY 2017 In February 2017, after volunteering for a few months in Katsikas and Faneromeni Refugee Camps, I had to say goodbye to the people that everday taught me something new and special: fathers that had to be strong and protect the rest of the family although they run out of energy; courageous mothers that travelled with their children and whose only dream was to reunite with their husbands; children that, despite all what they saw and lived, played and smiled constantly. I met Stephanie right before my departure. She told me about her educational project and about the educational needs the children had, as some of them could perfectly communicate in English but couldn’t read nor write a single word. I found it really interesting and I decided to stay. I had never thought that Habibi Center could be that magic gate for learning, for self-control, for motivation, and, the most important thing, for a better future! Every morning, with some laziness, we used to wake up and, as sharp as Swiss watches, the students used to show up with plenty of energy and joy. Children of different ages all with a special charm. They looked like any other children, although they had to live through something different. Despite that, they didn’t lose the smile, the energy to play, the energy for joking. All this is what makes them special. Special also because they are hungry, hungry for knowledge, hungry for becoming a better person, hungry for growing as human beings and helping others, hungry for justice, hungry for improving the World where they live in. That hunger is their motivation and engine which, together with that magic gate that Habibi Center has been for some of them, might help turn them into doctors, lawyers, teachers, interpreters, etc. Because those are their dreams. Dreams which, I’m sure, they won’t stop fighting for. My role was merely to support them in the learning of the different tasks, help them by solving any doubts and push them to be concentrated in class to be able to do the tasks properly because, as it happens with any child, they didn’t need so much to get distracted. My experience in Habibi Center was way more than positive. From the youth, I learnt the willingness of learning day after day, their eagerness for overcoming everything and their ability and strength to face any issue. From their families, I learnt the value that life truly has. From Habibi Center, I learnt to realise that everything is possible if you really believe in it. Also, that help is not only to give a fishing rod or a fish to eat, but to learn how to build the fishing rods, show which are their best bait, and, of course, how to properly fish. Thanks to everybody over there because, once again, I took more than I left. Also, thanks to Stephie and Habibi Center for improving and strengthing the future of the lovely youth. Thanks because you all made me believe again that a better world is possible!!!