Interview: Greek social worker's challenges in helping minor refugees

While governments are grappling with a huge surge of refugees flooding into Europe, humanitarian groups work hard to help people fleeing war countries and support them.

Social workers from non-governmental organizations and thousands of volunteers dispose themselves in the front line at the shores of the Greek islands, in the capital and other big cities across country to provide shelter, food and clothing supplies, medical care to these vulnerable groups.

Sissy Levanti, a young sociologist who works at the accommodation center called "StegiPlus" (Shelter Plus) for unaccompanied minors of the non-governmental organization PRAKSIS (Action) in the center of Athens told Xinhua the strength that someone must have to deal with the fate of the refugees.

"Stegi Plus", which started operating in January 2014, is one of the 18 accommodation centers providing housing, healthcare and other services to unaccompanied minors in Greece until the age of 18.

As Levanti said, it is not a typical nine to five job. She spends most of her time at the center, to cover the minors' needs. "We share our lives with these children. I spent more hours here than I am at my home. When a boy is sick or has an activity and needs to escort, I have to stay longer. I have spent the night also at hospital when a boy had to be nursed," she said.

When she returns home, her mind is also about minors in the accomodation center. "I find myself asking if a boy has done his studies, if the other who had stomachache is better. That also happens to other colleagues," she added.

To gain trust and confidence is one of the main challenges at the shelter. "It needs effort from both sides. After a long and very difficult journey, minors who come here are frightened, they need time to adjust and build trust," she said.

She tries to learn some words in different languages, like Farsi to communicate with the Afghan boys, or Urdu for the ones that come from Pakistan to make them feel more comfortable when they arrive. And, as many boys are teenagers, they try to solve their anxieties and problems with discussion.

Dealing with minors, as she pointed out, is not easy. Undoubtedly, people get emotional when they become closer. Balance is the key for their relationship.

At the beginning, she felt more vulnerable. After five years of working, she knows that she has a professional role. If the children consider her as a friend, she will lose the game. "You want to offer them many things, but when you do it you expose yourself a lot. Maybe that can be misunderstood," said Levanti.

They share things but there are always limits and barriers that need to be kept, she said.

How does she respond when she hears the children's hardships? "I feel scared and anxious of what they have experienced, but I am not shocked. I try to put myself to their position as far as I can, to help them and see what they need."

Her first experience with refugees and people in need was back in 2008, when she worked at Polyclinic, another social service of PRAKSIS, where they provide for free social and medical services.

"It was a shock for me. I did not have idea of what was going on," she recalled. At the beginning of Greek crisis, many people who had lost their job and did not have access to the medical system, attended polyclinics to get help.

The first shocking experience, as she remembered, was a migrant mother who came with her three babies in her hug asking for milk. "I gave her some bottles of milk and food, she instantly grabbed me and wanted to kiss my feet to thank me," she recalled.

There are times when she feels burn-out due to all the information she receives throughout her day. But how does she relax? "With my colleagues who are also my friends, we spend time after work discussing issues that come up at the shelter. I take a distance and try to have a clearer picture before I return back home," she explained.

Her family support her as well. "They ask me how the children are. My mother tries to find clothes and medicines for them," Levanti said.

And when being asked her if she wants to change her job or travel abroad to another country, as many of her peers choose to do due to economic crisis and limited career opportunities Greece has to offer, she is negative.

"I cannot think myself being somewhere else than here," said Levanti. Enditem