Protection Associate, Kos
How would you describe your work?
Definitely not monotonous or boring! For the past two years, I’ve been οn Kos island, coordinating a team that primarily supports Kos and Leros. We work on the front line, interacting with people who may have been on a boat just hours earlier, in search of safety and protection. Some have even swum to shore, which is something we have seen quite often lately on Kos.
The stories they share with us show their will and determination, as well as the dangers they have faced. Providing correct and accurate information, which is one of our core activities, is very important, as it dispels uncertainty and allows people to make the best possible decisions. The challenges are many and the reception conditions are not ideal. Our aim is, through our work, to ensure access to fair asylum procedures and improve living conditions. Μorerecently we have been focusing on the integration and inclusion of refugees in the labour market, in cooperation with the Greek authorities.
How did you decide to start working in the humanitarian sector?
I knew the role and importance of UNHCR, but I never thought I could work for them. In 2016, feeling very tired and frustrated with the circumstances at the time, I was basically seeking something new and different. When the opportunity to work with UNHCR arose, I didn’t hesitate.
I often reflect on my first day on the job and the journey that started then and continues to this day. I have worked alongside remarkable colleagues, from diverse cultures and with various perspectives and I have had the chance to work in different locations across Greece. The experiences I have gained are countless. Even more important is the moral satisfaction I feel when I know that I have played a part in supporting the people we serve. This makes me feel fulfilled and grateful, despite the daily challenges.
Share with us a story from your work in the field, that has been engraved on your mind forever.
It was winter 2017. I was in Athens, working with the housing team of ESTIA – a UNHCR programme accommodating vulnerable asylum-seekers in apartments. One afternoon, my coordinator contacted me, telling me that we would need to go early the next morning to welcome a vulnerable family arriving in Athens from a mainland accommodation site: two adult brothers – one blind, the other deaf and mute – accompanying their minor sister.
The reality of course was a little different: it was the 12-year-old sister who took charge and coordinated the family. She had control over everything, from keeping track of their luggage, to assisting her brother to go to the toilet and of course she actively participated in decisions about the family’s next steps. At the same time, she still managed to find time to feel her real age and play with other children she had just met.
A few months later, in the same place, while I was speaking to a family, I felt a pat on my back. I turned around to see the same girl, smiling and happily announcing that they had been accepted for relocation and were leaving for Germany. It is one of those moments that are etched in my memory and fill me with pride in our work.
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