Receptionists, waiters, housekeepers… and evening school students. Life goes on with planning and support.
With the end of the school year, five former unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors who were not included in an accommodation program after turning 18 have managed to take a more stable step toward independence.
Four Egyptians and one Somali full of skills, motivation, and energy to work, but also facing many challenges, are now employed in roles as receptionists, waiters, and housekeeping staff.
Two months before they turned 18, in collaboration with the staff of their accommodation structures, they visited the Employability Service of SolidarityNow at the Athens Solidarity Center. During this time, they participated in individualized sessions focused on career orientation, job readiness, labor rights and responsibilities. Through a holistic approach, they received valuable information and empowerment to help them make the sudden leap into adulthood.
With the support of the Employability Service advisors, they secured jobs in the tourism sector on Greek islands with guaranteed housing and legal employment. As in all similar cases, the job placements are made through long-term partner businesses of the organization’s network, which comply with the terms set by the collective labor agreement for seasonal workers in the tourism sector.
The five young men remain in constant contact with the SolidarityNow advisors to receive ongoing remote support:
- as workers now,
- for their enrollment in evening high school,
- and in planning their return to Athens in September.
🔹 First step: independence.
🔹 Next step: education and stability.
The Athens Solidarity Center project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and funding from the Swiss-Greek Cooperation Programme in Greece (Embassy of Switzerland in Greece), for three years starting August 1st, 2023.
