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
Benyamin from Tehran – Thessaloniki has joined us as our new volunteer with the European Solidarity Corps. Welcome to the e.p.a. team!
Can you tell us a bit about who you are❓
My name is Benyamin and I come from Tehran. I have spent the last decade in Greece, Thessaloniki. I love languages and the culture behind them. I also love reading books, watching movies and travelling. Furthermore, I speak Persian, Greek, English, and I am learning German now (wünsch mir Glück). One of my dreams is to travel around the world and learn about people’s culture and history.
How did you get to know e.p.a.❓
My first contact with e.p.a. was four years ago in the seminar of “Our voice. Our choice, our community” in Hamburg. It was an offer from my working organisation ARSIS which is a partner of e.p.a. to join the seminar. It was a great opportunity to meet and exchange experiences with people from different backgrounds and countries.
What is your previous volunteering and work experience❓
- Working as a cultural mediator with vulnerable groups of people, especially youth, unaccompanied minors and children
- Interpretation and translation
- Teaching Persian and Greek to children
- Working as an animator with children and youth
Can tell us a little bit more about @arsis.gr and the projects that you were part of❓
ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth is a Non-Governmental Organization, specializing in the social support of youth that are in difficulty or danger and in the advocacy of their rights. The main target is the prevention of youth marginalisation, the elaboration of policies which defend youth rights and the active social support towards disadvantaged young people.
ARSIS was established in 1992 and since then it operates in Greece and Albania due to the active participation of members, volunteers and young people.
I was working with ARSIS from 2014 to 2019 in the following projects:
- Accommodation Facilities for unaccompanied refugee minors
- Providing social services to vulnerable groups of people
- Daily center for children and youth – Youth Support Center
- ESTIA – Accommodation program for refugee families, single parents and single men/women
What are your plans for the upcoming months❓
I am looking forward to participating in upcoming activities with e.p.a. I would like to meet new people and become a more creative playworker with children. Furthermore, I would like to learn German and other languages.
I hope to have a fun and a creative year with e.p.a.
