METAdrasi’s summer educational activity “Step2School” was held this year for the first time, with the aim of preparing children refugees and immigrants for the next school year.
Upon completion, all participants (students, teachers, volunteers) prepared a celebration in order to show proudly what they accomplished within 3 months of team effort, including an exhibition of paintings and crafts, children’s presentations of poems and texts, students awarding symbolic flowers to teachers. Some students presented their dreams and their aspirations for the future in different languages that they learned (Greek, English, German), thanking their teachers.
A little student moved us by writing spontaneously a note with the following words:
“…I want to say that I’m happy to be in Greece. I’m happy to live with you, because you’re all very kind to all of us… I want to thank all my teachers. Each one individually. The Maths teacher, the Greek language teacher, the English language teacher, the Computers Science teacher and the Gym teacher. Because they tried so hard so that I could learn how to read and write. I want to thank all my classmates for walking this road with me. I’m happy because, although I left my country, I found here a country that embraced me so warmly, that often I would forget how much I miss my family and especially my mother. I will never forget this country and its people, because they gave me precious knowledge for the rest of my life.”
We wish everyone great progress in this school year, during which METAdrasi will continue to support them, with extra classes in the evenings. The extra courses will continue during September and in October we will announce the new teaching program in more neighborhoods round Athens.
“Step2School” began in June 2017 under the “Open Schools” programme of the Municipality of Athens, which was carried out with Stavros Niarchos Foundation as exclusive contributor and since the end of July 2017 continues with support from the Open Schools of the Municipality of Athens and UNICEF and funding by the European Union – Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid.
UNICEF Greece #UNICEF Δήμος Αθηναίων Stavros Niarchos Foundation #refugees #education #LearnGreek #CityofAthens #ThisisAthens #volunteers
