“Volunteering is not just about making a social contribution. It is a source of evolution, both on a personal and a social level”, says Matoula, METAdrasi’s volunteer.

Since the founding of METAdrasi and until today, more than 1,110 volunteers have been registered with the Organization. Activities such as Greek language courses or the educational programme for children and adolescents Step2School, have been established with the exclusive contribution of volunteers. Wanting to highlight their valuable help, but also the crucial role that volunteers play in METAdrasi’s educational programmes, we held on Thursday, May 13, a daily conference entitled “Education and Volunteering: Motivations, Challenges & Benefits”.

At the conference, the METAdrasi’s president, Lora Pappa warmly thanked the volunteers for their invaluable contribution, while vice-mayor Ms. Daskalaki, in the short greeting addressed on behalf of the Municipality of Athens, stressed the importance of the work of volunteers for all Civil Society organisations. Subsequently, METAdrasi’s volunteer and education departments presented quantitative and qualitative data.

Then it was the turn of the protagonists, our volunteers, with their moving, human stories: They talked about their experiences, METAdrasi’s contribution and support in their work, the challenges and difficulties, the positive impact of volunteering on a personal and a more collective level. But above all, they highlighted how important it is them to see the results of their efforts on theirs students. “To this day, it’s so moving for me watching my students not just “learn the language” but learn how to survive and cope with a reality unknown to them, the Greek reality. By offering such a gift, one can only be grateful for their contribution as a volunteer“, says Irini, a volunteer teacher.