“Until they find their own Ithaca, let’s open our hands and embrace them”, Georgia, retired from Thessaloniki, hosts the 12-member family from Syria.

A beautiful story of solidarity and smooth coexistence among 13 people, unfolds in Thessaloniki. This story began when Georgia decided to open her paternal house for the 12-member family of Souliman from the Daraa Governorate of Syria.

Parents and their ten children began together the long journey from Syria to flee away from the war, that destroyed their dreams for the future and ended up threatening their lives. The first stop of the trip was Turkey. Then, they managed to reach Lesvos island by a small boat along with many compatriots of them. After remaining for a short time there, the next stop for the family was the northern border of Idomeni and the last, the accommodation structure in Oreokastro.

The 43-year-old mother, Naima narrates the difficult conditions she lived together with her ten children and her husband in Idomeni and ends up saying that “we cried because we were feeling sorry for ourselves”.  Today, she lives a different reality with happy moments, full of gratitude and safety and feels very happy that “someone who does not know me opened her home for me”.

Naima, mother of ten children, both juvenile and adult, manages to always smile, while at home she takes care of everyone! Of course, Georgia supports the household of Naima and helped the family to create a garden, where the family cultivates their own fruits and vegetables and they have also their own eggs. The two women share identical worries as all mothers around the world and they find in that too, similarities that exceed every other difference between them – religion, nationality, language. Naima’s dream is to provide her children with a beautiful and safe life as well as with the opportunity to study.

Georgia does not regret for the decision to open her parental house and host the 12-member family, while expressing what she felt as an observer of the refugee crisis – “the living conditions in the camps were terrible and inhuman leading these people a life of misery“.

This act of solidarity by Georgia is an example of generosity and peaceful coexistence among many and different people, while she encourages others to do the same; “open their hands and hug the ones in need“.

Let us introduce the members of this family via the #WeAreFamily project, here.

*The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.

A prospective economist and an amateur poet, Adel decided at his 18 years to change country and life refusing to accept war as his everyday life.

His attitude is enclosed in the phrase “I was afraid because of the conditions, but at the same time, confident I would make it“; with no fear but full of courage, as a privilege of his age but character also, he began his adventure from Syria stopping at first in Turkey.

It took several days for him to arrive to Turkey, making the longest distance of the route on foot and less by bus, like most of his compatriots.  He succeeded, keeping strong the faith for a better life already seem to be ahead. However, Adel had left behind anymore his parents and his five siblings.

He spent some time in Turkey by working to raise money and thus buy a place in a boat to Mytilene. Adel eloquently describes his time in Turkey, having only unpleasant memories both by people’s behavior toward refugees as well as because of the extremely difficult working conditions.

Adel’s next station was Mytilene, after an overnight journey in the Aegean Sea. A trip that included a forced break due to boat damage, intense moments of people crying, be afraid and separated from their belongings which had managed to save and overexertion of men passengers like Adel, for all’s rescue.

The attempt to continue his trip to Europe led him to Idomeni, but the closed borders led him finally to Athens. In Athens, he joined UNHCR’s relocation program being registered as an asylum seeker. Shortly after, he denied his relocation to Romania; Adel preferred to stay in Greece.

Today, Adel is a young man who makes gradually steps ahead. He works in SolidarityNow as an intercultural mediator, helping this way his compatriots, whereas he soon expects to begin his studies again; although he has not chosen yet among his preferences – biotechnology, philosophy and economics. In the meantime, he writes poems in Arabic and English, he learns Greek and he is always eager to participate in the organization’s actions.

Recently, Adel was the tour guide for SolidarityNow guests at the event entitled “Migration flows and SolidarityNow activities”, held at the Museum of Cycladic Art on October 20th. Adel talked about his own journey and guided the guests in the photographic exhibition about the refugee crisis of the Chinese artist Ai WeiWei, hosted at the Museum until the end of October.

Watch Adel’s video here:

“A meal is enough for two. And it is enough for five”, Hamad, migrant from Syria who hosts Narin and her three children

Narin and Hamad are countrymen.

Both were born and raised in Syria. For each one of them, life in their country evolved differently – Hamad worked for many years, whereas in another geographical point of Syria, Narin, Syrian of Kurdish origin, got married and gave birth to three children.

Hamad and Narin narrate an ordinary life which was flowing smoothly for several years, with love, work, friends, a rich life with its everyday problems. Such problems brought Hamad in Greece in 2003, to claim better work opportunities. It didn’t take long for Narin to do the same; however not because she chose it, but because she was forced. The war changed the daily routine for her and her family ending up threatening their lives.

Narin with her husband and their three children left from Syria for the long trip to Europe. They walked for many hours, traveled by bus also for many hours and arrived at Attalia, Turkey. Unfortunately, not all family members continued the trip to Europe – family’s finances could support the trip only for Narin and the kids. Therefore, the father stayed in Turkey to work so as to be able in the near future to follow Narin and his children in Europe.

The sea trip for Narin and her children was made by boat, a boat normally intended for 20 passengers; however, in this boat there were 65 refugees who luckily arrived safe at Lesvos. Next stations, Thessaloniki and Idomeni, where Narin found the borders closed.

The return to Athens was inevitable. Narin spent many nights in Victoria Square in the center of Athens, feeling desperate “with no hope”, considering the future of her children. Narin, describes the terrible conditions they faced without shelter, food, water. Dignity.

Hamad never forgot that he had been a migrant, trying his best for a better future in a foreign country. Hence, he visited the refugees living in Victoria square, trying to help in any way he could. This is where he met Narin. Hamad, without a second thought “saved” Narin and her children, as she says, and opened his home to host them.

As Hamad says “a meal is enough for two and is enough for five…” and he is the example of solidarity in action by opening his home and his heart to Narin and her children.

Let us introduce the members of this family via the #WeAreFamily project, here.

*The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.

When entering the apartment, which starting today will host the 4-member family from Syria, our eyes fell on two large stuffed animals on the couch. It was the gifts of the Mr. D to their two children, 8 year-old M. and 5 year-old K. It took some time until the children -who until today lived in an abandoned ruin in Victoria square- felt comfortable and safe to approach and take into their arms their new toys.
Mr. D is retired with older children, and offered the house to accommodate refugees. His old age or health problems did not prevent him from opening his home; it was his warm heart and the images of homeless and exhausted people that led him to this kind act.
The mother sat on the couch relieved and we discussed about the fact that she will finally be able to have a home to give birth to their third child, as every mother and every newborn deserve. The father showed us photos of their demolished home in Syria, and spoke about the responsibility and agony to keep his family alive and safe.
“My parents came as refugees to Greece, crossing the same sea you did,” said Mr. D, and with the help of an interpreter, they shared their stories. Later, as emotions subsided, we began discussions about the house, we saw the rooms and the stuff, went out on the porch, and the family started to make plans: how they will sleep, what they will cook, where they will put their stuff…. until they leave for another country under the relocation scheme, they will lead a safe and dignified life in this house. They will always remember that this is where their new family member was born.”

If you also want to host a refugee in your home, call us at 3233 210 816 or send us an email at filoxenia@solidaritynow.org.
The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR and EU funding.

Z.S. arrived in Samos last March, along with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter. They were not traveling alone. During the trip, the mother, H., was already pregnant on their second baby, which was born on the 2nd of May in a birthing center in Athens. It was the first baby born within the framework of the SolidarityNow housing program!
The first to have shelter, a bed and all the necessities to embark on a new life. The parents were happy and relieved, and while we were with them, we were so moved we couldn’t get enough of holding the baby in our arms. Since then, we have seen it grow up, its sister being jealous and craving for the attention to return to her, the mother breastfeeding and taking care of her children, the father with a permanent smile on his face and constantly helping out. That is to say, common family moments but for a family which, although violently uprooted from its land, strives to stand on its feet with the instinctual force of life and the will to press on.
Today they are awaiting an answer on their application for relocation to another European country that will enable them to take the next step.

If you also want to host a refugee in your home, call us at 3233 210 816 or send us an email at filoxenia@solidaritynow.org.
The Hosting Scheme project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR and EU funding.

“I could never imagine that I’d become a ‪‎refugee. Even if they’ve told me so, I wouldn’t believe it. So keep in mind, refugees are just like you. Imagine that we might have left behind a nice life, a beautiful house with modern furniture and all that we have loved. I am just like you”.
With these words, the 45-year Alramahi Bushra, a refugee from Iraq and mother of three, welcomed the visitors of the Museum of Cycladic Art at the Ai Wei Wei exhibition.
Within the context of SolidarityNow’s support of the exhibition and its partnership with the Museum of Cycladic Art, Bushra will welcome and guide the audience through the exhibition’s photography section (27/07). And she will offer her own personal testimony about what she has been through and what she still goes through today as a refugee.

Bushra, a doctor in Iraq, was forced to flee her country due to widespread persecutions. Today, a Greek family opened its home and extended its hospitality to her until her asylum application for France – where she dreams of continuing her life – is approved.
A surprise for everyone to be guided in an exhibition inspired by refugees, from a refugee. A concrete example of acceptance, integration and human coexistence.

*The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.

The children rushed into the #museum -with the familiar longing of children- and adults felt proud experiencing the ancient Greek civilization. Where – when? Today at the Museum of Cycladic Art that opened its doors and welcomed refugees. A meeting of different cultures and people.
At SolidarityNow we held the first of three scheduled visits of our Home for Hope Hosting Scheme. In the context of our partnership with the museum, we organized this group tour where the refugees awaiting to be relocated to another European country, had the opportunity to learn more about ancient Greek history and culture.
Today’s visitors immersed themselves in ancient Greek culture and surely seemed to enjoy themselves while doing so!

*The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.

“We are one now; Karim’s children are ours too”, Maria Patsikou, retired teacher, mother of three

A family consisted of seven members, with different religion and language, but full of love, understanding and acceptance.

Maria, Vasilis, Karim, Hanan and the six-year-old Jana, the four-year-old Ahmad and little Lana, just two years old, are a newly established family, different, but yet so similar to the others. Besides, a family does not consist only of people who are relatives by blood, but of those who are connected by love, acceptance and respect for the others.

Driven by love and respect, Maria and Vasilis, retired teachers, opened their heart and their home to Karim’s family from Syria. As Maria states, “the decision was not made lighthearted …”, but came as a result of thought and experience acquired by her during her involvement to the Panpeiraiki Initiative for the refugees; “I saw the plight of these people very closely and I decided to host a family in my home”.

Karim also, took the decision to accept Maria’s offer for hosting his family after thorough consideration and this is why he was afraid too. His hesitant and worries derived from the different language, customs and religion – “…how will we communicate? What is like to be hosted by people who are strange to you …”, but as he says now “… we are so well! I will never forget what Maria and Vasilis did for us “.

“They made me feel vivid again; I felt as a mother once again because the kids are so young and they are in my arms all the time”, Maria says. Having “new kids” in her arms, Maria felt obliged to write the 6-year-old Jana to school. Today, Jana has already learnt to speak Greek and communicate with Maria and Vasilis! According to Maria, education has no boundaries; education is not related to language and it is an inalienable human right. It is indeed a right of all children – the children who “belong to the world not to us“.

Maria, Vasilis, Karim, Hanan and the three kids, cook and eat together, go out, discuss, having developed their own language, and enjoy the children’s liveliness who every day invent new games in order to play with everyone – not only with Maria but even with the wonderful grandma Alexandra.

Today, all of them think of the day that the next journey will begin, the one of Karim’s family to Romania which is the country of their relocation. There, they will have the opportunity to start their life again, aiming at a more secure present as well as future, far away from the war. Karim and Hanan already are thinking of the time when they will be able to open their new home and welcome Maria and Vasilis, who promise to visit them! Until then however, in a small neighborhood of Piraeus, there is a home full of warmth, that any visitor can feel.

Let us introduce the members of this family via the #WeAreFamily project, here.

*The Hosting Scheme Project Home for Hope is implemented by SolidarityNow with the support of UNHCR GREECE and EU funding.