Elena is 43 years old and lives in Athens. A few months ago, she offered foster care to 16-year-old Anousheh from Afghanistan. Anousheh had found herself alone in Greece, having lost her family in the sea passage from Turkey. Elena recounts:

“At first, Anousheh was very sad. She would spend hours alone in her room, not feeling like eating or talking. I took her for a walk in the park. Another day, we went to the mountain. I tried to communicate with her. I showed her pictures from when I was at her age. I asked her to teach me some words in her language and for the first time I saw her laughing! I suggested that we cooked together a new recipe. I introduced her my little niece, who gave her, as a small present, her bracelet. As time went by, we discovered many things in common. Gradually, her joy of life was reborn and a smile returned to her face…”

Today, Anousheh is reunited with her uncle and lives in another EU country. She keeps in touch with Elena, the woman who stood by her side as a mother, at the hardest moment of her life.

METAdrasi’s activity “Foster Care for Unaccompanied Children” is supported by UNHCR, with co-funding by the European Commission.