UPDATE: Our First Days in Greece

Our arrival on the 4th of March coincided with a lockdown in Greece which began in November. Adhering with the local Covid-19 regulations, we were subjected to a seven day quarantine. During this time we prepared our adjusted pitch to ANKAA project, modifying our original mission into a new four part initiative within the bounds of pandemic restrictions. Our modified plan is as follows:    

1. Professional Network. We modified our professional network objective by creating a proposal that ANKAA could use in their communication with local enterprises. Geared towards businesses seeking opportunities in corporate responsibility, our proposal aims to create an apprenticeship program for students and volunteers at ANKAA in search of employment.
2. Skills & Development Workshops. Unable to offer in-person workshops during our stay, we opted for video lessons accompanied by downloadable brochures. The lessons build on the skills needed to create resumes and cover letters as well as to successfully complete the interview process. 
3. Survey. To obtain data for our report, analysis and future recommendations, we created a digital survey (available in English, French, Farsi and Arabic) evaluating the labor integration process for refugees working with ANKAA project. 
4. Volunteer / Donations. Our volunteer work shifted from hands on work with refugees to a more organizational and preparatory focus. We spent our time at ANKAA working hands on to organize and optimize the library and clothing donations. We contributed our initial donation plan (30 books) and used our fundraising donations to purchase organization materials online-- given that most shops were closed due to the lockdown.  

Despite unusual circumstances in Athens, we are grateful to enjoy the beautiful weather and views. Below we have shared some of our favorite images from our walks over the last few weeks: