Senior Protection Assistant, Evros
How would you describe your work?
I am a member of UNHCR’s Protection Team in the Evros region. Our work involves providing information to new arrivals in accordance with legislation, assisting with the early identification of people with special protection needs, safeguarding family unity, and protecting unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable cases. In addition, we implement actions and programmes to raise awareness in society about human rights and refugee issues.
My journey with UNHCR, spanning various locations such as Lesvos, Thessaloniki, Samos, and now Evros, reminds me of the importance of humanitarian work and its positive impact on the lives of dozens of people when they find themselves in need at a particular time in their life, seeking the universal human right to safety. What always impresses me is how strong people’s will to live and create is, despite all the difficulties they faced at home or while on the move. This strength grounds me and prompts me to reflect on life’s priorities. It is a constant reminder of the things we take for granted and how they can be lost in an instant due to war, persecution, or by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
How did you decide to start working in the humanitarian sector?
I was in high school when I decided to study law in order to work in human rights. I was given the opportunity to start working with UNHCR in December 2015 when the emergency refugee response to the Aegean islands due to the war in Syria had already started. I remember watching the humanitarian crisis unfold on TV that December, so close to me. I remember thinking how I would spend Christmas in the warmth of my home, when people in need were arriving on the shores of the Greek islands, just a few kilometres away.
As the saying goes, when you wish for something badly enough, something good will happen. That’s how I found myself working on Christmas Eve on Lesvos Island. My experience there was so powerful that I have continued to work in this field ever since. I am still moved, just as I was on that first day, by the courage and hope in the eyes of people who have recently faced death, pain and separation. My introduction to the UN Refugee Agency and the opportunity to provide challenging services with a focus on respect and dignity to fellow human beings, refugees, has been a milestone in my professional career to date.
Share with us a story from your work in the field, that has been engraved on your mind forever.
I can recall many stories, but unfortunately some are hard and difficult. I will share one story that really fills me with positive emotions. It was when the team in Evros and the asylum-seekers at the centre decided to organize an exhibition for World Refugee Day that was open to the public. When we asked them to prepare texts, drawings and select photos, I remember the joy, creativity and hard work they put into writing a few words on a piece of paper to share their feelings, describe the difficulties in their home countries, express their wishes, thanks, hopes and dreams.
They felt the need to introduce themselves, to contribute, to be included, to create, to show that they are not just a number but individuals with talents and abilities. I recall their enthusiasm in choosing photos to present their home: the desk where they studied, the table where they drank coffee, the pots of basil in the yard, their bicycle. They wanted to describe the images they first saw when they arrived, the blue sky and that feeling of freedom and security they experienced.
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