Helping Hands Needed in our Community Center in Greece

Location: Ioannina, Greece

«Be Aware And Share” (BAAS) was founded in September 2015 in Basel (CH). We are a non-profit and politically independent organization supporting people on the move. BAAS aims to contribute to a peaceful and mutually inclusive society through an integrity-based approach. Our work is transparently funded and supported by donations.

Since the summer of 2022, we have been running a Community Center in Ioannina, a small city located in the northwest of Greece and the capital of the administrative region Epirus. Our center is a meeting place for the refugees from the city and the nearby camps (Katsikas, Agia Eleni, and Filippiada), but also for the local population. The project aims to provide a safe space and to give access to legal advice, psychological help, language courses, IT lessons, and, above all, social and creative activities.

WORKING ARRANGEMENT

If you meet the following basic requirements, we would like to welcome you as part of our team. We are generally looking for a person…

… with experience in leading social activities/sociocultural animation (especially with people on the move).
… who enjoys being in contact with people, and who can relate to people.
… who can work independently, has a confident demeanor, and shows up with a lot of initiative and ideas.
… who is flexible at work.
… with a good command of English. Germany, French, Greek, Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Kurdish (and others) are a plus.
… who is physically and emotionally resilient.
(… who ideally has a driving license).

In general, the work at the Community Center is very varied. We have some tasks that every volunteer is expected to do from time to time and some specific positions that are tailored to your individual strengths, interests, and wishes.

General Tasks:

- Carry out social activities with people on the move in the Community Center
- Accompany people on the move throughout the day (greeting, explaining offers, recording new needs, …)
- Assist in working on technical solutions such as the layout of the Community Center.
- Assist in the Clothes Shop and the Free Market

Specific Positions

- Crafty Volunteer
- Volunteering Teaching IT
- Volunteer Teaching languages (German and/or English)
- PR volunteer
- Cooking Volunteer
- Caregiving volunteer

LIVING ARRANGEMENT

Accomodation

During your participation in our project in Ioannina, you will live with 4-6 other volunteers in accommodation provided by BAAS. The house is located in the center of Ioannina and is two minutes walk from the lake. It includes a common room with a kitchen, a small courtyard, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. In general, the level of privacy and material comfort in the shared apartment is probably below what you are used to at home, which requires tolerance and respect. At the same time, it is very enriching to live with other people and to spend the evenings after work cooking, playing games, discussing, watching movies, dancing, making music, knitting (and much more) together.

Ioannina City & Surrounding

Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, stretches around the beautiful Lake Pamvotida, around which the whole area lives and breathes. In the center, you can discover many secret places and admire historical buildings such as the House of Matei Hussein or the Ottoman Mosque of Veli Pasha. Despite its small size, Ioannina has a lot to offer, from countless cafes and bars to concerts, theater performances, art galleries, a cinema complex, a skate park, basketball and volleyball courts, and in summer, many festivals. The area is also known for outdoor climbing and beautiful nature.

Furthermore, there are numerous travel destinations around Ioannina within a 1-1.5h car ride. The closest beaches are around Syvota, while great mountain destinations can be found towards Zagori national park in places like Vikos, Konitsa, and Aristi. There is a lot to discover, which offers a good distraction from the otherwise often emotionally and physically challenging volunteer life.