"I want to offer help to anyone who needs it!"
16-year-old Maria from Egypt is making great progress in the courses she attends at SolidarityNow's "Education and Creative Activities Centre" in Athens and aspires to become a pharmacist.
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Maria arrived from Egypt in Greece in August 2022 along with her family. Less than a month later, she was enrolled in school and began her studies in the 1st grade of Lyceum in Athens.
Her parents made sure that no time was wasted for their children's education because they value school and education greatly.
The fact that Maria didn’t know the Greek language did not prevent her from adjusting to the Greek school in a smooth way. She quickly made friends, among who are Kosmina from Romania, Syrma from Pakistan, and Eirini from Greece! Today, these four girls make a wonderful multicultural group of best friends!
"I started studying Greek as soon as I arrived in Greece. I like it very much! I think it can be a bit of a difficult language, but I don't mind at all because I spend many hours studying", says Maria, smiling widely.
Having set goals, Maria has already decided what to do next, with a lot of determination, and motivation: "Next year I will follow the field of science. I love Maths, Physics, and English", she says, as confirmed by her teachers at the "Homework and Creative Activities Centre" (HCAC) of SolidarityNow in Athens, which operates within the framework of the "All Children in Education" programme*.
Maria doesn’t go to the Center alone. She is joined by her three younger siblings, and the four of them are pursuing the same goal – to acquire knowledge and skills. Through the courses and other activities, organized in the Center’s premises as well as outside, children of all school grades and ages are supported in integrating smoothly into the Greek public school, in socializing and gaining confidence in an environment which embraces diversity and enhances its advantages.
At the “Homework and Creative Activities Centre", the children, in addition to Greek and English, study almost every school subject such as history, chemistry, and biology, while technology also facilitates their educational process. Children get acquainted with the use of tablets, and other interactive learning methods.
When we asked Maria how she imagines the future, she said:
"My dream is to become a pharmacist and open my own pharmacy in Athens. I want to offer help to anyone who needs it!"
Maria's progress is admirable. In less than a year she has managed to speak, write, and read in Greek!
She concluded by adding: "I want to thank our teachers who help us to study, and have fun at the same time, going on trips, walks, and taking part in many other activities! All these give me and my siblings great joy!
By the time I become a pharmacist, I will speak Greek fluently and know Athens perfectly!"
"The programme "All Children in Education" is a UNICEF initiative co-funded by the European Union and implemented by a number of partners, including SolidarityNow.
