Hope, dreams & dignity through marketplace training
The Skills Training Center (STC) is not just a marketplace; it is a place where refugees acquire valuable skills such as sewing, hairdressing, and making homemade cosmetics, paving the way for professional rehabilitation and financial independence. However, it is much more than a training center. It is a place where wounds heal, dreams are reborn, and--through social integration-- dignity and self-confidence flourish once again.
According to the coordinator and chemist Lili Ball, what our students experience is "occupational therapy."
What does hope look like when you’ve lost everything?
When Iana hastily left Ukraine, trying to escape the horrors of war, she couldn't imagine it would be the last time she saw her homeland. The place where she built her life was taken over by the opposing front, and now returning seems impossible. "I am left without a homeland, I have nowhere to go..." says Iana, an accountant by profession.
In Greece, where she has distant roots, she is trying to build a new life. However, because she has only refugee papers, her future remains uncertain.
"In Ukraine, I was always active, and it is unbearably difficult for me to stay at home. Finally, at the STC, I feel productive again and meet new people."
Iana
Through the eyes of refugees
Liliya was a lawyer in Ukraine. In Greece, she has faced many bureaucratic obstacles—yet she has fallen in love with the country!
"I believe that a person can achieve anything as long as they have the will to learn. When I first arrived, I thought the classes would only help me psychologically. But now, I feel capable of anything—even starting my own business!"
Liliya
How you can help
We need four sewing machines and four sets of sewing accessories to help our students practice and start their own small businesses.
- Cost per sewing machine: $150
- Cost per set of accessories: $20
Total needed: $700
Support Our Hairdressing Class:
Our hairdressing class is thriving, but we need essential tools to continue our work.
- 3 salon chairs: $465
- 5 tripods for mannequins: $325
- 5 mannequin heads: $135
- 4 professional scissors for graduates: $200
Total needed: $1,125
Total Fundraising Goal: $1,825