Vangelis is a 51 year old person, who has been struggling to make ends meet for the past six years. His story has as a starting point the rise of the economic crisis and whatever came as negative results of it for him and a vast majority of people. Specifically, Vangelis during the recession lost his two businesses (restaurants), after went bankrupt. In the meantime, he made the decision to immigrate to Germany, Netherlands and Austria, in search of a decent job and better living conditions. He spent most of his time abroad in Dusseldorf, having worked there as kitchen staff at local Greek restaurants. However, a few unpaid salaries from one of his employers in Dusseldorf forced him to return to Greece.
Upon his arrival, Vangelis has been hosted for more than a year to a friend’s house at Fyli in Attica. Also, along with it and in effort to increase the possibilities of finding a job, he tried in vain to be registered to OAED programme, so as to get an unemployment card. Vangelis was informed that he couldn’t obtain the card, due to a pending case of his former business’ book of account. As a result, Vangelis visited Solidarity Centre in Athens and asked for advice and help of the accountant provided by ARSIS.
Regardless of all the difficulties that Vangelis came across, he worked only a few times as a plumber. Thus, he left his friend’s house and rented a small flat close to Omonoia, where he lives these days. Vangelis says that he has been supported a lot as for food for the last months by the monks of the monastery of Saint Cyprianus and the Fylis’ municipality.
Vangelis is still looking for job. Actually, he is in contact with an employment agency and he has been informed that he might be able to find work at Varna in Bulgaria.

Panagiotis Bourgazas
Social Scientist, Intern