Author: Habibi Center team

It’s been a few months since last time we posted some updates about life in Athens, once again not because the activity of the centre has decreased but all the contrary.

The summer was packed with the usual English lessons in the afternoons as well as different interesting short-term workshops in the mornings.

First, thanks to the donation of several laptops from the USA and the collaboration of Rick, a volunteer from the same country, we were able to plan a 2-week workshop about the basic use of a laptop and the introduction to MS Word, Google tools, and typing.

Without any time to breathe, Anne, a volunteer from Finland who has already collaborated with Habibi Center in other occasions, came to carry out a new art project. This time, the students created 2 self-portraits with the collage technique. One of them represented their inside, showing their fears, goals, skills, life experiences, and personal views of their daily life in Greece. The second one showed their external appearance. Alongside the 2 self-portraits, they expressed with words some of their personal information as well as the reasons why they composed the inside portrait in that way. After 2 weeks of intense work, we exhibited the work in a café, so that everybody could have a better idea of the thoughts of this youth.

Right after the successful art project, Rick turned the laptops on one more time to help carry out his second workshop with a new group of students. In addition, Stephanie helped others create their own CVs.

Next, it was Anahí’s turn, a photographer and volunteer from Spain who helped carry out a pinhole camera workshop. Several students made their own camera with a shoebox and played with them for 1 week as well as learning about the classic developing process. Although there wasn’t enough time to do as much as was planned, the students were able to experiment and enjoy this distinctive technique.

Finally, Javier, a Spanish friend who has supported Habibi Center since its beginnings, brought his experience to Athens and carried out a science workshop for 1 week. Two groups of students enjoyed learning about different aspects of science, such as the Universe, the Biosphere, the Hydrosphere, life and cells, the properties of the light, and the basics of electricity.

After a long summer, the regular course of Greek schools started again and all the students eventually came back to routine. At the same time, teachers in Habibi Center had again the difficult task of trying to accommodate to each student’s schedule as much as possible. Now that the groups have been finally set, around 40 students are able to continue attending regular lessons in the centre. Moreover, 2 of those groups have already started preparing for the following Cambridge exams, KET and PET, expected for next December 2019.

Once again, all these achievements are not only thanks to the volunteers who share their time here in Athens but equally important thanks to the help of many people spread all over the world, either with material and financial donations or simply spreading the word about us.

Hace aproximadamente dos años y dos meses nació Habibi Center. Entró al mundo cargado de ilusión, fuerza y energía, pero también con cierto miedo e incertidumbre.

Una pareja de amigos de Madrid se interesaron por el proyecto y decidieron ayudar a amamantarlo. Pronto se sumaron a esa ayuda varias personas más de su círculo, posiblemente a causa de la curiosidad por conocer a ese frágil Habibi.

A día de hoy, el proyecto está más sano y fuerte que nunca, ha crecido y madurado a pasos agigantados desde sus primeros días de vida y, por lo que se siente y se escucha directamente desde sus estudiantes, está consiguiendo los objetivos para los cuales dio a luz – proporcionar educación e ilusión a una juventud que atraviesa por momentos duros de inestabilidad y vulnerabilidad.

Solamente unos pocos de vosotros ha experimentado la magia de compartir tiempo y espacio con nuestra juventud, pero no por ello habéis dejado de mimarlos y apoyarlos desde la distancia. Todos vosotros tenéis una parte esencial de culpa de que este pequeño pero ambicioso bebé esté donde está.

Gracias de corazón por todo lo que aportasteis en sus primeros días de vida, y mil gracias más por lo mucho que seguís apoyándolo para que continúe siendo una realidad.

Gracias por confiar en Habibi Center.

Querida familia de Salamanca,

No existen palabras para agradecer vuestro apoyo a Habibi Center. Aunque, en realidad, en esta pequeña gran familia estamos acostumbrados a pocas palabras. Por el contrario, preferimos hablar con gestos, con hechos y con esfuerzo y trabajo.

Unos días atrás nos visitaron físicamente dos de vosotros. Físicamente, ya que con la energía y amor que desprendieron estamos seguros que una parte de todos vosotros también se desplazó a Atenas. Esperamos que cuando os crucéis con ellos en los próximos días también podáis sentirnos a nosotros, los que permanecemos por tierras helenas.

Desde esta esquina de Europa solo os podemos prometer trabajo, trabajo y trabajo para conseguir que nuestros jóvenes estudiantes adquieran valores y educación desde el amor y el respeto, y no desde el odio, la rabia y el miedo. Vosotros transmitís lo mismo y por esa razón os seguimos necesitando.

Un fuerte abrazo y, de nuevo, mil gracias desde Atenas a todos.

Imprisoned identity, harassed dignity, vulnerable soul, it is time to wake up and fly free. It is time to shine bright. You now possess the right tools and know how to do it.

Some Wild things can be seen at the school. Luckily, they aren’t planning a wild rumpus anytime soon. They are special and positive creatures for all those who want a better World, unlike many powerful characters determined to keep creating numb sheep, unable to think and live independently and freely. Instead, these ones are determined to stand up for themselves, willing to face their future with optimism and joy. Wild things who want to have a voice in this endangered planet. Wild things who don’t want anybody to look at them as a victim anymore, but as a respectable human being.

To share a common and safe space where EVERYBODY has the freedom to express what they truly believe, where EVERY opinion and EVERY person is respected, where a funny comment or a silly mistake can be followed by healthy laughs, and where EVERYBODY feels empathy for each other – This is just what they need. It’s just what Habibi Center provided them.

It is difficult for the teachers to express what they feel with all that magic evolution. Imagine how anybody would feel if a scared girl started her ‘A, B, C classes’ five months ago and now she is able to recite profound poems about herself. Imagine how anybody would feel when a fifteen-year-old vulnerable boy started his classes seven months ago learning ‘to be’ and ‘to have’ and now he is going to start a new stage in his life in another adopted country as a well-rounded human being, able to make decisions by himself.

These Wild things were tired of feeling like a living death. They felt useless and underestimated by the society and themselves. NOT anymore. We are extemely proud of our beloved Wild things.

Thank you very much for continuing to support Habibi Center. We need more Wild things. We need less victims.

Habibi Center is close to its 2nd anniversary. During all this time, it has worked as an independent educational project. When it started, it needed total freedom of action as the situation with the youth was critical and chaotic. It couldn’t wait for any OK from third parts and leave this collective without education and integration for a single second more.

1. That long-term independency, though, also brings some uncertainty in many areas of the project. Among others, the most important ones being:European and local agreements are amended and updated constantly while this humanitarian crisis moves on.
2. Inability of long-term planning: It seems not true but, since Habibi Center’s birth, the longest planning has only been three or four months ahead. This short term planning affects in many different aspects:

• Financial stability: Habibi Center would be nothing without the unvaluable financial help from its family. The donations, though, could have been more consistent sometimes but, mainly due to the sort-term decisions, the project decided to stop some of those.
• Volunteering schedule difficulties: one of the main aims of Habibi Center is to provide the students with long-term teachers in order to increase their confidence. That planification is also continually disrupted.

All that uncertainty has made the members of the project think over the idea of setting up Habibi Center as an official and legally registered association.

Nothing major is going to change with this decision. Habibi Center’s priority is not to massively but staying as a cozy and close family for a long time and continue taking actions as independently as possible. As informed above, the main reason is to give more stability and be able to carry out better and more appropriate decisions in the future. The entire family deserves it.

Further information about this decision will be shortly announced.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for keeping supporting these lovely students

Our students want to THANK everyone who supports Habibi Center in a special way.

 

(Click the photo to see the VIDEO)

 

We present to you ON THE SHORE, a book written by Fernando Del Berro:

“What is the line after which a refugee who flees from war feels safe for first time?

Here is my book ON THE SHORE: photos and an extensive report with testimonies and texts collected in the Greek island of Lesvos.

100% of the profit from the sale will go to the rescue NGO Proactiva Open Arms, which is one of the few organizations that continue saving lives every day in the Mediterranean.

Price: 25 euros (£22 – $30) + shipping costs

Language: English (the book showed in video is Spanish version, but an English version is available)

Interested contact me by personal message or e-mail: fernandodelberro@gmail.com”

Fernando del Berro

– – –

Os presentamos EN LA ORILLA, un libro escrito por Fernando del Berro:

“¿Cuál es esa línea tras la cual un refugiado que huye de la guerra se siente a salvo por primera vez?

EN LA ORILLA, un libro con fotografías, textos y testimonios recogidos en la isla griega de Lesbos

El 100% de beneficios de venta irán para la ONG de salvamento marítimo Proactiva Open Arms, que es de las pocas organizaciones que continúan salvando vidas diariamente en el Mediterráneo.

Precio: 20 euros + gastos envío

Idioma: castellano (o inglés -25 euros-)

Interesad@s contactadme por mensaje personal o vía e-mail: fernandodelberro@gmail.com”

Fernando del Berro

It’s been a few months since the last update. The reason is not because Habibi Center is vanishing. On the contrary, the teachers in the centre keep working as hard as usual preparing new lessons and different activities so that our hard-working students can enjoy their learning.

As always, the team is so pleased to see that students who have grown alongside Habibi Center from the very beginning are already in their next stage of this process of gaining a safer and prosperous present and future in Europe. All the best Sally, Genar, Sana, Janan, Raeda, Layla M. Mona, Ahlam M., Maher A., Saher, Nizar, Nazdar, Mazin M., Nawzad, Raid, Rana, Hannah Y., Berzo, Nahla, Layla, Shirin, Mayada, Esma, Maher M., and all their families in your new countries. We miss you so much!

The Habibi Center hasn’t stopped there, though! Although some of the students named above set the bar high, the current ones are pushing even harder. We’d also like to use these lines to congratulate Jasmine, Nargis, Maher M., Xiao Song, Mahmood B., Nashaat, Layla M., Ahlam M. and Raid who took KET and PET exams last November. You guys worked hard and your effort was rewarded with very good scores and certifications. One A1, six A2, and two B1 CEFR level in English language were achieved.

We also send tones of positive energy as 6 students have some tough weeks ahead before attending the PET and KET exams in March. The immeasurable effort of this youth is the reason why Habibi Center keeps being a reality.

Once again, a big THANK you to all Habibi Family for your massive support.

The Telegraph: Habibi Center, “The online school in Greece hoping to empower refugee children“

One of the phrases that has affectionately imprinted in the memory of the majority of our volunteers after their experience in Habibi Center is “THANK YOU MY TEACHER!”

What the students could never imagine is that this magic relationship that we volunteers have with them might just be because we also consider them our teachers. We have come to realise that they are also teaching us good things in life. It’s impossible for volunteers not to be infected by their determination to learn new things every day, with their hunger for achieving their aspirations of becoming a professional, and their ability to overcome difficult situations.

Maybe the key to this successful relationship is that both parts work at the same level of humbleness. Inside the school everyone is aware that one of us can be better at doing one thing but weaker at others. This is not something negative. Our strengths keep us ready to help another person with their difficulties and our weaknesses keep us teachable and willing to listen to the explanation about that which we struggle to grasp. Regarding extra scholar situations, we all, as a family, support each other when anyone of us is experiencing happy and optimistic news or has rough and difficult days.

In Habibi Center, our essential interpretation of the word EDUCATION is everybody pushing each other to become better, happier, and remaining calm by knowing that you have many caring friends (habibis) around you to lean on. We will support you and encourage you whenever you need it, even when you think we won’t. This type of education should be spread worldwide, but this is not something taught from a book, it can only be learnt from experience, and we, the volunteers, have learnt it from being here with you habibis.

This time, we, the volunteers, want to say something to our students:

THANK YOU MY TEACHER!