“Everything happens for a reason. All this fight, the good and the bad moments have led me to this point. Fortunately, I always think positively, otherwise what’s the point?”

It is 18:30 in the afternoon and the office is almost empty. We sit in a small room where the social workers and psychologists of the organization usually hold their sessions with the beneficiaries of the Thessaloniki Solidarity Center. We are waiting for Kamel, an old colleague who is late for our appointment. Kamel’s story is very different from what we’re used to listen to. Within 3 years’ time, from a refugee he has managed not only to find a job, finance himself, rent his own apartment, but also get a scholarship from the US Embassy to study at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki.

It’s 19:00 and our friend arrived just out of breath. He apologizes for the delay, but he has just finished his work. What characterizes Kamel, beyond his huge smile, is his positive mood towards life. Stable, persistent, professional, independent, are some of the characteristics that define him as a person. He is only 26 years old and he comes from Syria. He has studied agricultural engineering and has worked for 5 years as a cultural mediator. Theater, football, swimming, movie screenings and “Cinema Paradiso”, excursions to his village were some of his hobbies when living back in Homs. He speaks with love and admiration for his parents, who despite the difficulties, managed and raised 4 boys. But his life changed because of the war.

He arrived in Greece in March 2016. His main goal was to go to the Netherlands, but like other asylum seekers, he was trapped in Eidomeni’s “favela”. There he began to help his compatriots by working as a volunteer interpreter for various organizations. When, he ran out of money he started looking for a job and luck brought him to SolidarityNow, where he worked as an interpreter. “I learned a lot professionally and personal wise. After SolidarityNow, all the organizations wanted me for work”, he says. Kamel has so far worked for various international and Greek organizations, in different posts: “I was eager to grab every opportunity, in order to improve myself and my skills, so I applied and won the scholarship at Perrotis College”, he points out.

The deadlocks and obstacles in Kamel’s life were many, but he learned to create and find his own gateways and headways. Optimism and positive way of thinking are things he has conquered. His parents and their personal stories influenced him very much in his way of thinking. Last year he won a scholarship to study at the Perrotis College-American Farm School for the academic year 2017-2018, as part of the “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus” program by the United States Embassy. Due to his good performance he was given the opportunity to continue his studies at the BSc International Business program. “As a single man it wasn’t easy for me to be included in an accommodation program, so I stayed at friends and then I rented my own apartment. Very soon I found a job. Honestly, I was privileged. I had my freedom, I was not restricted. If I stayed in another part of the city, I would not learn about the scholarship or about other opportunities. Everything happens for a reason. All this fight, the good and the bad moments have led me to this point. Fortunately, I always think positively, otherwise what’s the point?”, he underlines.

Going back to University is something that pleases him and something that brings him closer to his goals. “I want to grab this opportunity, because I want to do something. It has not to do with finding a better job or getting paid more; I want to create something bigger. I hope that one day I will return to Syria and help to rebuild my country”, that is his big dream. He confesses that he has decided to leave his job so that he can dedicate himself 100% to his studies. It is a difficult decision, but he believes that at this stage of his life he must invest in his future. “Education is the most important thing”, he says. Kamel has organized a crowdfunding campaign to raise some money to help him meet some of his basic needs during his studies.

Kamel no longer considers himself as a refugee. He is now an active member of the Greek society, has many Greek friends and all he has to do is to improve his Greek. What he wants to advise people who have been in his shoes is to “not give up, grab all the opportunities you are given; you never know where will lead you!”  

* Kamel was working in SolidarityNow’s Educational program, which is supported by UNICEF, with funding from the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department (ECHO)]

*Thessaloniki Solidarity Center was established and is supported by Open Society Foundations.