KATHIMERINI: Tribute to the “All Children in Education” program: “People are nice and I like it here”
The journalist Maria Kouzinopoulou interviewed Mustafa and Benji who lived in Greece as unaccompanied minors and now they have to face life all by themselves without the previous provided supportive network because they are turning 18. Mustafa and Benji are two out of the six protagonists of the short movie titled “I Woke Up 18” directed by Vera-Iona Papadopoulou and produced by SolidarityNow.
Six children. Six unaccompanied children. One word, one world of difference. Six people talk about life in the new country, Greece, a life that changes abruptly turning incredibly difficult at 18. Dreams, disillusionment, fear and hope of six young people.
The short movie will be presented for the first time on Friday, September 30th, 2022, during the Athens International Film Festival.
You can read more here. (in Greek)
Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Full Time
Child Safeguarding Policy Level 2 – The job holder will have sporadic contact with children
Reports To: ILC Coordinator
Job overview
The ILC Assistant supports the Coordinator of the Center in the smooth and effective operation of the day-to-day operations, supporting in various ways, including communications, scheduling, data entry and secretarial services. The role of the ILC Assistant involves a great deal of multitasking.
Responsibilities
Qualifications
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to thes-recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “ILC Assistant_ Ioannina”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Recruitment processes reflect SN’s commitment to keeping children safe from harm and abuse. Employment is subject to SN Child protection standards, including background checks and adherence to SN Child Safeguarding Policy.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by October 12th, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will receive a written reply.
Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Full-Time
Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 3 – The job holder will have regular contact with children
Generic responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential:
Desired:
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “Interpreter Lingala”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Recruitment processes reflect SN’s commitment to keeping children safe from harm and abuse. Employment is subject to SN Child protection standards, including background checks and adherence to SN Child Safeguarding Policy.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by November 10th, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will receive a written reply.
Breakfast briefing titled: “Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood”
SolidarityNow organized today, within the framework of the annual Athens Democracy Forum, a discussion on the topic of unaccompanied children becoming 18 years old in Greece and the challenges they face deprived of any previous supporting framework.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Mr. Stelios Zavvos welcomed the participants stating: “It is important to strengthen democracy, especially in today’s geopolitical situation, with the continuous crises including the climate one, notably in a Europe plagued by populism and the aging of population. We speak for and experience democracy when we take care of everyone, let alone young people, the most active part of the population, which with its dynamic and diversity can push all sectors of our society forward”.
Afterwards, the Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, Mr. Heraclus Moskoff, spoke about the work of the Special Secretariat and its impact on the lives of unaccompanied children living in the country, recognizing the importance of substantial support for unaccompanied children coming of age. “To date, the Secretariat has supported the relocation of 1,271 children in 13 European countries. The main priority of the SSPUAM is the integration of the children who remain in our country, offering them opportunities for education and employment”.
The Head of the Unit for Integration and Support of UAMs of the Special Secretariat, Ms. Gelly Aroni, emphasized on the importance of education, the exchange of good practices, and the participation of the children themselves in the decisions that concern them while underlining that: “Today, we are working on integration practices of the children but essentially what we need to do is to draw up a policy”.
The discussion was honored by the presence of the internationally renowned economist, academic and political analyst, Jeffrey Sachs. In his presentation, Mr. Sachs referred to the global challenges and their consequences on migration, to the imperative need to plan policies, while criticizing the West and especially his birthplace and global superpower America, for its stance on current geopolitical issues with reference to the war in Syria and Russia from 2008 onwards.
In addition, the academic Ms. Jennifer Cavounidis, a member of the Board of SolidarityNow, emphasized the importance of education for integration, stating that: “24% of students attending Greek schools are first or second-generation migrants. We need to support them for their well-being and development, but also for the society”. Marilyn Polena, General Manager of SolidarityNow, summarized the work of the organization for unaccompanied children and the need for further support, especially in the first years of adulthood, with the aim not allowing marginalization to be an option for any child.
The conclusions from the discussion highlighted the gap that arises in the care of unaccompanied children once they turn 18 and the need for further initiatives. It was particularly pointed out that investing in the future needs to be done on children’s potential and not on their vulnerability. The aim is to bring out the children’s talents, through the provision of opportunities for education and skill development, to create a two-way benefit relationship- both for the young people and the society in their new country.
In the context of the meeting, a short video-testimony of an 18-year-old from Gambia was presented, through which the difficulties, anxiety, and impasse experienced by children when they turn 18 were expressed. The issue of the transition of unaccompanied children to adulthood is also addressed by a short film entitled “I Woke Up 18” directed by Vera-Iona Papadopoulou and produced by SolidarityNow which will be shown for the first time tomorrow September 30th at 17:00 at the Danaos cinema, as part of the Athens International Film Festival.


Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Full-Time
Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 3 – The job holder will have regular contact with children
Generic responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential:
Desired:
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to
thes-recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “Interpreter Farsi Full-Time Ioannina”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Recruitment processes reflect SN’s commitment to keeping children safe from harm and abuse. Employment is subject to SN Child protection standards, including background checks and adherence to SN Child Safeguarding Policy.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by October 10th, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will receive a written reply.
Dreams, disillusionment, fear and hope of six young people
SolidarityNow invites the public in the premiere of the short film “I Woke up at 18”, on Friday, September 30th at 5:00 p.m., at the Danaos cinema (109 Kifissias Avenue).
The film “I Woke up 18” presents through the stories of its six young protagonists, the difficulties that unaccompanied children face as soon as they turn 18 and is hosted at the 28th Athens International Film Festival.
According to the data of the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors-Ministry of Migration and Asylum, on September 1st, 2022, the estimated number of unaccompanied children in Greece was 2,224. Greece takes care of them, by providing accommodation in suitable structures, psychosocial and legal aid and access to education. When children “turn 18” however, they are asked to leave the structures, regardless of their legal status, and make the transition to independent adult life. They thereby lose the care, security and the supportive framework provided so far. Consequently, previous social integration efforts are interrupted, and children are often deprived access to fundamental human rights such as health, work and education, pushed to the edge of society.
Director and script writer: Vera-Iona Papadopoulou
Directors of Photography: Nikos Palaiologos and Thodoris Nikolaou.
Trailer link: https://youtu.be/EE7-V8ZSo4I.
*The short movie was produced in the context of the European project “Building Futures, Sharing Good Practices: Supporting Migrant Children’s Transition to Adulthood” implemented by 5 partners: the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors-Ministry of Asylum and Migration and SolidarityNow from Greece, Convive – Fundación Cepaim from Spain and NIDOS, guardianship for refugees from the Netherlands, under the coordination of the Council of Europe. The project is funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Council of Europe.
Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Part-Time
Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 3 – The job holder will have regular contact with children
Generic responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential:
Desired:
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to
thes-recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “Interpreter Farsi Part-Time Ioannina”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Recruitment processes reflect SN’s commitment to keeping children safe from harm and abuse. Employment is subject to SN Child protection standards, including background checks and adherence to SN Child Safeguarding Policy.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by September 25th, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will receive a written reply.
Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Full-Time
Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 3-The job holder will have regular contact with children
Reports to: Senior Teacher
Main Duties & Responsibilities
Required qualifications & skills
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “SN Social Scientist_Thiva”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by September 28st, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Starting Date: ASAP
Status: Full Time
Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 3 – The job holder will have regular contact with children
Reports To: Team Leader
Job Overview
The Female Friendly Space Facilitator acts as the coordinator of the space for women and girls. She facilitates access and ensures overall smooth functioning of the space; she conducts tailored psychosocial activities, identifies protection needs and works with other team members in providing support (including counseling and referrals); she encourages the participation of women and girls in group and individual activities (including awareness-raising on SGBV issues, among other themes, and skills-building sessions), so as to facilitate their overall integration and wellbeing in Greece.
Generic responsibilities
Qualifications
Essential
Desired
If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “FFS Facilitator_Oinofyta”.
SN is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with disabilities and from vulnerable and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Recruitment processes reflect SN’s commitment to keeping children safe from harm and abuse. Employment is subject to SN Child protection standards, including background checks and adherence to SN Child Safeguarding Policy.
Due to the urgency of recruitment, SN reserves the right to complete the process as soon as the suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) not later than by September 19th, 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.