Stories of Hope
Discover our ‘Stories of Hope’: Real-life accounts from our Teachers that inspire unity, resilience, and optimism for the future.
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ISRAE (FRANCE)
in TeachersISRAE (FRANCE) Volunteered From OCTOBER 2020 TO DECEMBER 2020 2020 I had the opportunity to have three free months during my studies, and I knew I wanted to use them to contribute to a social project. I contacted lots of non-profit organizations around the world. But as soon as I had my interview with Steph…
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EDWARD (U.K.)
in TeachersEDWARD (U.K.) Volunteered From AUGUST 2020 TO DECEMBER 2020 2020 I feel very grateful for the opportunity to volunteer at the Habibi Center – and I maintain such admiration for the wonderful organisation that Stephanie and Alex have developed over the past few years. The school is exceptionally well-organised and maintains an extremely friendly and…
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CAROL (U.S.A.)
in TeachersCAROL (U.S.A.) Volunteered From APRIL TO MAY 2018 AND FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 2020 2020 I have had the joy of volunteering twice at Habibi Center. There is nothing ordinary about this place. It shines! No one is left out! The walls speak with poignant refugee self-portraits and the hallway echoes with laughter. Students and…
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ADRIELLE (U.S.A.)
in TeachersADRIELLE (U.S.A.) Volunteered From MARCH TO JUNE 2020 2020 I interacted with a few non-profits in Greece before I found Habibi Center. Right away, I was impressed with how organized and purposeful this organization is. It is a wonderful teaching space full of resources and materials, and the main coordinators Steph and Alex were always…
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SUSAN (USA)
in TeachersSUSAN (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.…
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EVANGELOS (GREECE)
in TeachersEVANGELOS (GREECE) Volunteered From FEBRUARY 2019 TO SEPTEMBER 2019 2019 I met Stephany when I was doing my CELTA course in Athens. As I got to know her better, I learned about the amazing work that she had been doing at Habibi Center. I was truly touched and astonished by her drive and sense of…
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ALEX (SPAIN)
in TeachersALEX (SPAIN) Volunteered From JANUARY 2018 TO APRIL 2022 2022 After 2 short but intense stays in the Habibi Center in December 2016 and August 2017, I decided to leave everything behind in Scotland, where I used to live, and come permanently to Athens to help in the coordination of the project in January 2018.…
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EVIJA (LATVIA)
in TeachersEVIJA (LATVIA) Volunteered From JANUARY TO MARCH AND FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER 2018 2018 “Hello, my teacher! How are you? I miss you!” Hello, my Habibi. I miss you too. In fact, I miss you all so much that since I left, a day has not passed by without me thinking of you and remembering…
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MARK (ENGLAND)
in TeachersMARK (ENGLAND) Volunteered From NOVEMBER 2017 TO DECEMBER 2017 I’d never volunteered for anything like the Habibi Centre before and so I was at a total loss on what to expect. The things that really struck and stayed with me were the following: It’s hard work. Despite being a native English speaker to be engaged…
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KATY (ENGLAND)
in TeachersKATY (ENGLAND) Volunteered From MAY 2017 TO JUNE 2017 2017 I volunteered at the Habibi Centre from May-June 2017 and assisted the children at the school with their English, Maths and Science. Steph, who runs it, asked me to write a testimony about my time teaching there; and my initial response was to write about…
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LAURA (SPAIN)
in TeachersLAURA (SPAIN) Volunteered From FEBRUARY 2017 TO DECEMBER 2017 2017 I first heard about Habibi Center in December 2016 when my brother travelled to the north west of Greece for volunteering in the area. At the time, I was in Spain and it was difficult for me to travel over there. However, his testimony stirred…
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KATERINA (GREECE)
in TeachersKATERINA (GREECE) Volunteered From AUGUST 2016 TO OCTOBER 2016 2016 All the goals and the dreams of one year, fitted in two months of ‘fast forward’ teach and learn procedure. I remember myself being in a multicultural environment one year ago, then suddenly deciding I want to keep that feeling of interaction with people from…
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MAGDALENA (USA)
in TeachersMAGDALENA (USA) Volunteered From DECEMBER 2015 TO JANUARY 2016 2017 In December of 2016 I had the opportunity to volunteer as an English teacher for Habibi Center, when it was located in Eleousa, Greece. Having very little experience with victims of war, I really didn’t know what to expect. What was revealed during my time…