by the Athens Solidarity Center of SolidarityNow

Dimitris has every reason to be proud of himself. Not only today, April 8th, that along with the rest Roma people, he celebrates their international day, but because with his everyday actions for a long time, Dimitris overcomes stereotypes, either the ones derived from his origin or the ones caused by choices and experiences that left him weak, illegal, and trapped for a significant period of his adult life.

By the time he reached 29, Dimitris had lived many lives, as he says he feels.

“I was born and raised in Pyrgos. My mom is Greek, and my dad was Roma. He died in prison, regretful. I have two brothers and four sisters, all married. I don’t remember ever feeling comfortable anywhere, to say this is my place, my people, to feel safe. I remember going to school for a very short time. At first, I attended school and after a while, they created a class only with Roma children, and it was basically as if they forgot about us. I remember touching a kid from another class and I saw him panicking; then he said that he must wash his shirt now. Back then I couldn´t understand why.”

While growing up, Dimitris began to understand. The school forgot about him and so did he, until he dropped out and never learned to read and write. He then followed a path like the one of his father’s. Unlawfulness and drugs were in Dimitri’s life by the age of 14. He became the child doing illegal business for adults and finally he was led to prison. Prison sounds so terrible when said by such a smiley young man, but Dimitris has a different opinion.

“Prison was my chance to escape. I had been in the prisons of Nafplio, Larissa, and Patras and finally I arrived at Eleonas in Athens. During my imprisoned years, I entered the drug rehabilitation program, and I got well. Through this ‘journey’, I met my people. The program’s social workers who supported me very much, my fellow inmates with whom we managed to heal together. Thus, I decided to never go back – neither to my parental home, nor to see my mother, nor to drugs, nor to anything I had lived before. I know that if I go to see my mother it’s going to be a setback, I’m going to get in trouble. I just talk to her on the phone. After all, we don’t have much to say, mom can’t understand that I’m changing my life, she only understands that she misses me, but that’s not enough anymore.

In the program, I learned to speak. At first, I didn’t say anything to Eleonas, but finally, I spoke to a group! It was awesome for me, it did me so good and the more I talked the more I couldn’t stop. My therapists helped me a lot.

I insisted and I still do because I will succeed, and I will make my life better. I also go to classes organized by an NGO, and I learn to read and write. I’m already writing my name!

The life I have now is already better.”

While he was in the rehabilitation program, Dimitris was informed about the Athens Solidarity Center (ASC) of SolidarityNow and the operation of the Social and Employability Services. The next goal was to find a job. After a few meetings with the employment consultant, Dimitris got his first job. For the employment consultant, Dimitris was already a winner, because he was consistent, reliable and optimistic despite his constant struggle not to be afraid and to believe in himself.

“I thought the Centre was only for migrants, but I was wrong and now I am happy to come. They help me a lot. The first job I found was good. Of course, sometimes I heard comments about my origin, but I heard good things as well. I often feel that while I am trying to escape from the old life, others treat me in a way, a reserve, as if they anticipate my fate. I sometimes feel more condemned than when I was in prison.

The first job finished and the advisor from the Center supported me, so I got a second one. I had a schedule. Work, classes- twice a week-, taking care of the hostel I lived in with my two roommates.”

Dimitris completed the rehabilitation program and served his sentence. The extension he had received for staying at the hostel also passed and things did not turn out smoothly. He suddenly lost his job because as he finally realized, his employer could not keep a Roma in his job.

“I generally feel that making my life better is a cruel and lonely road. And I know that other Roma people feel the same – it’s like everyone is certain that we will fail and sometimes I wonder why I should try. But I’m not giving up.”

He was unemployed and homeless.

He immediately went back to the Athens Solidarity Center. He was registered in the Social service as a homeless person and after a series of medical tests which he carried out without wasting a minute, a hostel was found to accommodate him.

Dimitris is trying very hard. You see it in his eyes, you hear it in his voice. He does whatever it takes to move forward.

“I’m in the hostel now. And at the Center, everyone tried to help me. We made my resume and a few days ago I got picked up from a job and I already started. I hope everything goes well. I will collect money little by little to get a home and I will be good at my job. I’m going to keep learning to write and read because there’s no other way, I see everyone texting with their phones, and I want it too. Now I only speak with verbal messages.

And after I learn to read and write, maybe I will find a girl to love and have a family.

I am a Roma, yes, but I’m also a man. My friends in the program were all Greek. We looked alike, we had been through a lot, regardless of where we came from. That’s all I want to say. I make mistakes, but I also have dreams like everyone else. I hope I never forget that and never look at any of my fellow humans with that look; that look that makes me want to disappear when I feel it on me”.

* 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.