PRESS RELEASE: Launch of Empower YOUth, the new project by SolidarityNow


SolidarityNow organized yesterday the launch event of its new program entitled “Empower YOUth” 

The program aims to empower young people, especially those from different vulnerable groups, such as Roma, migrants/asylum seekers, refugees, young people with disabilities, people living in remote areas and below the poverty line, LGBTQI+, in order to take the lead and bring positive change to their communities.

Through the targeted actions of the program – workshops, small-scale interventions activities at community level, education -, the aim is for young people to acquire the skills and confidence needed to take initiatives and influence their communities, on the road to a society without discrimination and exclusion.

Empower YOUth was presented by Thodoris Bogeas and George Tsitiridis  from SolidarityNow, while Maria Tsene from  the Bodossaki Foundation underlined the importance of developing initiatives for young people and highlighted them as a priority of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA Grants).

The meeting was attended by Babis Papaioannou, National Youth Expert at the European Commission, who stressed: “In 2023, the European Commission with the participation of all civil society actors aims to take action for the benefit of young people, focusing on their new needs as they are dynamically shaped across Europe.”

Representatives and people working for the social groups to which the program is addressed took the floor at the event, emphasizing the need to implement such actions for young people.

Stavros Giouvannis, from the Lighthouse of the World, stated: “It is an honor and a great pleasure for me to participate in this meeting, because we cannot talk about the future of young people without us, the young people themselves, participating.” Then, Dimitra Adamantidou, from the Association  for the Care of Minors & Youth (SMAN) pointed out that “The need to continue the protection and care of young refugees after the age of 18 is essential,  especially for unaccompanied minors who come of age and are without a protection network”, while Alexandra Panagiotakopoulou, from Colour Youth, highlighted the critical issue of supporting the LGBTQI+ community: “It is particularly important to support the LGBTQI+ community, as it has the highest rates of depression, due to a lack of a supportive framework. The daily hostility experienced by LGBTQI+ people both at school and in their family environment dramatically burdens their daily lives”.

Finally, Vedat Sevincer, representative of the Norwegian organization Norsensus Mediaforum, with which SolidarityNow collaborates on the project, concluded: “It is a very interesting program and we are glad to be part of it. The stories that will emerge from this and social media will give a voice to the young people they lack.”

*The “Empower YOUth” project is implemented in the framework of  the Active citizens fund program, implemented by SolidarityNow and partnered by  the Norwegian organization NorSensus Mediaforum.

The Active Citizens Fund in Greece is supported through a € 13.5m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014 – 2021. The program aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active Citizens Fund in Greece is Bodossaki Foundation in consortium with SolidarityNow.

Legal support by the Athens Solidarity Center to restore what is rightfully

Copyright Lambros Papanikolatos

by the Athens Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow

Mrs. A.R. is a young Greek woman, a part-time worker, who lives with her partner in a rented residence in Athens. A sudden health problem of her partner – loss of vision – led them to a dire financial situation. The debts along with the constant pressures from their creditors, caused mental health problems for the couple. Under these circumstances, they turned from one day to another, from decent tenants to victims of their landlady, who did not hesitate to send them threatening messages, insult and slander them, and even enter their home, completely illegally. In fact, she tried to humiliate them by shouting in a shared area of ​​the apartment building. The reason why she did all these illegal acts was a slight delay of a few days in the payment of the monthly rent.

Therefore, A.R. visited the Athens Solidarity Center (ASC) of SolidarityNow to receive legal support and put an end to the long-term, highly offensive behavior of the landlady.

Initially, the couple was given legal advice and detailed explanations about their legal rights as tenants. Then, the mediation with the landlady and her attorney stopped her illegal behavior. After many efforts and many months of providing legal services, the beneficiary’s case was finally resolved with the smooth and extrajudicial solution of the lease.

 * Since August 2022, the Athens Solidarity Center is financed by EEA Grants, with ΣΟΛ Crowe and HumanRights360 as the fund operator.

**The Center is also supported by the Municipality of Athens.

EMPOWER YOU(TH): Kick-off Meeting


SolidarityNow organizes the online kick-off meeting of the EmpowerYOU(th) program, on Wednesday, December 7th, 14.00-15.30.

The program is implemented in collaboration with the Norwegian organization Norsensus Mediaforum and aims to empower young people from different social groups to lead the change they want in their community! To register for the event, please follow the link.

Agenda:

  • the Need for Youth Empowerment today

George Tsitiridis, SolidarityNow

  • Welcome

Maria Chené, Assistant Program Director, Active citizens fund

  • Empower YOUth

Theo Bogeas, SolidarityNow

  • The role of stakeholders in supporting youth initiatives

Babis Papaioannou, General Secretariat for Youth, European Commission

  • Sharing experiences from empowering practices with youngsters

Vedat Sevincer, Norsensus Mediaforum, Norway

  • Young Roma in Greece today

Stavros Giouvannis, Lighthouse of the World

  • Supporting young refugees

Dimitra Adamantidou, Association for the Care of Minors and Youth

  • The needs and empowerment of the voice of LGBTQI+ young people

Alexandra Panagiotakopoulou, Colour Youth

Questions – Closing

ACCOUNTANT (THESSALONIKI)

Submit until: 30/11/2022
Location: Thessaloniki

Starting Date: ASAP

Status:  Part Time

Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 1 – The job holder does not have regular contact with children

Job purpose

The post holder is expected to ensure provision of brief counselling on Accountancy Issues and support/guidance as for the beneficiaries to accomplish key tasks such as issuing Taxation Number In addition, should be able to contribute to the identification of most vulnerable in cooperation with Professional Aid Workers (Psychologists, Lawyers, Social Workers)

Lines of Hierarchy and reporting:                                    

(S)he reports to the Regional Coordinator of North Greece.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Provision of Accountancy Support and Guidance

  • Conduct Sessions with beneficiaries requiring advice and support on very basic accountancy issues
  • Guide beneficiaries for issuing Tax Related Certificates of Taxation Numbers Registration
  • Mediate with relevant authorities (in exceptional cases)

 Data base and Case related info management

  • Filling and registering all cases and actions to the DataBase upon instructions of the supervisor (Welfare Service Coordinator)
  • Maintain hard and electronic files archive updated
  • Perform entries in the data base system as required by the above mentioned tasks

Other Duties

  • Collaborate with appointed persons for CASH Support, Accommodation, in kind aid or any other additional provision available
  • Brief and debrief beneficiaries for running programs availability and inform for any relevant change
  • Contribute to the identification of vulnerabilities and facilitate their access to available aid

Qualifications:

Required qualifications and skills

Essential

  • Degree in Accountancy or extended experience (+ 3 Years) in an accountancy office
  • At least 1 year of Previous Experience in providing accountancy support
  • Briefly familiar with Refugee and Migration Taxation Issues
  • Cross Cultural Awareness and flexibility
  • Computer literate & numerate
  • Well organized and efficient
  • Good interpersonal & communications skills
  • Fluent in Greek and English

Desired

  • Experience in NGO Providing Humanitarian Aid or relevant volunteer or professional Service in the Social Services
  • French Speaking

If you are interested in applying, please send your CV and motivation letter to: thes-recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “Part-Time Accountant_ Thessaloniki’’

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 a suitable candidate has been identified. Interested candidates should submit their applications (CV and motivation letter) no later than by November 30th, 2022.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.


Remarks: Before submitting your CV, please read carefully the employees’ privacy notice on the processing of personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the respective Greek legislation.

For roles that will have regular contact with vulnerable populations SolidarityNow is obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences, and selected candidates will be requested to provide a recent copy of criminal record.

Following the preventive measures against COVID-19, holding a vaccination certificate or undergoing Covid-19 antigen tests as per government directions is mandatory.

Cleaner

Submit until: 06/12/2022
Location: Athens

Starting Date: ASAP

Status: Part Time

Child Safeguarding Policy: Level 1 – The job holder does not have contact with children

Job Overview

The cleaner will provide the SN accommodation with cleaning services as required and ensure that the shelter spaces are clean and reflect a good image of living space. The Cleaner is expected to adhere to Hellas rules and regulations and show a high level integrity and commitment.

Responsibilities

  • Cleaning and maintaining the shelter, including desks, floors, glass, kitchens and toilets, living room etc
  • Occasionally preparing tea/coffee to the employees and guests
  • Drafting a list of required kitchen and cleaning supplies on bi-weekly basis and submit to Accommodation supervisor. Assist with procurement, when necessary
  • Other duties as required

Requirements

  • Relevant experience preferred
  • Clean record
  • Sense of judgment
  • Clean and organized
  • Good time management
  • Reliable and trustworthy
  • All Cleaners are required to adhere to the SN Standards for Professional Conduct and the national employment policies.
  • Adhere to the Code of Conduct every day – in the site and in the community.
  • Maintain confidentiality

 

Interested candidates should submit in a single document their Resume/CV with an introductory text in English to: recruitment@solidaritynow.org mentioning in the email subject “Cleaner”.

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 December 06th, 2022.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.


Remarks: Before submitting your CV, please read carefully the employees’ privacy notice on the processing of personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the respective Greek legislation.

For roles that will have regular contact with vulnerable populations SolidarityNow is obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences, and selected candidates will be requested to provide a recent copy of criminal record.

Following the preventive measures against COVID-19, holding a vaccination certificate or undergoing Covid-19 antigen tests as per government directions is mandatory.

APE-MPE: 4.215 refugees from Ukraine have registered to HELIOS integration project


“Each person registered to HELIOS Project and take lessons at the Integration Learning Center (ILC) of SolidarityNow in Athens is provided with holistic support”, Dimitra Koutsoumba, ILC Coordinator, pointed out.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Greece organized the visit of the journalist Maria Kouzinopoulou to the SolidarityNow Integration Learning Center, focusing on the support provided there to refugees from Ukraine.

Olena and Sofia from Ukraine narrated their story from the moment the war broke out until they joined, HELIOS and started their new life in Athens.

The article in Greek: https://www.amna.gr/eu/article/689470/4215-Oukranoi-prosfuges-echoun-eggrafei-sto-entaxiako-programma-Helios

———-

*SolidarityNow is a key implementing partner of the International Organization for Migration (IOM Greece), in the framework of the HELIOS project which is funded by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.

An LGBTQI+ refugee woman found peace and safety, when got the right support


by the Athens Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow

S.M., is a transgender woman, originally from Pakistan. She is 26 years old and lives in Greece since December 2019. She was forced to leave her country because her life was at risk, both by her family but also by the social environment.

Before Christmas 2020, S.M. visited the Athens Solidarity Center (ASC), following a referral, initially seeking support to get her legal documents. For this reason, she started meeting with the ASC professionals in Legal and Social Services, being helped by an interpreter.

Her asylum application as a vulnerable person was accepted in priority since she had also been a victim of violence during her first stay in Greece. Subsequently, the legal service assisted her during the stage of submitting her application for international protection; during the preparation stage for her interview as well as during the interview itself which took place in the examination of her application in the first instance, where the service’s lawyers represented her.

Also, the social service tried to find safe housing for the beneficiary by submitting a request to the Ministry of Migration & Asylum so that S.M. could be housed in a protected environment. The result was positive!

Finally, she got asylum status by the Asylum Service. First, her application was examined in terms of the “Safe Third Country” concept, as she had passed through Turkey, but it was considered that the link within the meaning of the provisions of Law 4939/2022 cannot be considered sufficient and therefore her application was deemed admissible. Subsequently, the service examined the merits of her case, and it was decided that, even though her country of origin, Pakistan, is included in the national list of safe countries, the applicant nonetheless has a well-founded fear of persecution in her country, because she belongs to a certain social group.

S.M.’s case is one of the many cases of LGBTQI+ people that ASC deals with every day and an excellent example of the efficient collaboration among the different services which function complementary within the Centre.

S.M. thanked the whole team: “I feel that I love you, you helped me like no one else, I am very happy”.

 * Since August 2022, the Athens Solidarity Center is financed by EEA Grants, with ΣΟΛ Crowe and HumanRights360 as the fund operator.

**The Center is also supported by the Municipality of Athens.