SAMOS ISLAND, GREECE
Project TEN Samos in Greece is on the shores of the Aegean sea. Our volunteers work with refugees and asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries from Africa and Asia. We try to create an educational island for the children and youth in the refugee camp.
Sadly, Due to Corona Virus, We have suspended our work in Project TEN Samos. We wish our partners and our beneficiaries health and luck in this difficult time. We hope to be back to our center in September 2021. Follow us on social media for more updates!
The Project TEN Center operates on the Greek Island located on the Aegean coast ,Samos.
Our Activity: At the TEN Center in Greece, young people from Israel and the Diaspora volunteer with the one of the most vulnerable communities of the 20th century. Refugees and Assylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan and African countries. The refugee community in Samos Island is continuously growing and now has approximately 6,000 people. As the refugee crisis continues, the community is growing, and more and more people are in need of assistance, from everything related to physical needs such as food, sanitation as well as formal and informal education that will help them later in life and in their future goals that they wish to achieve.
The asylum seekers and refugees originate from a variety of countries in Asia and Africa.
Project TEN volunteers will take part in volunteer activities for asylum seekers and refugees and are part of the dozens of young Europeans on the island who take responsibility and lend a helping hand to the community.
Our staff and volunteers focus on creating informal education options for the children and youth of the refugee community on the island. The activity takes place in full cooperation with Human Rights 360, a Greek civil society organization. Our volunteers help with running the dining room where community members receive a hot meal a day and leading enrichment and language acquisition programs.
Project Ten activities are mainly aimed at children and youth who speak different languages. Apart from this our aim is to open a center that will be an idyllic and calm place where the refugee community and asylum seekers get comfort and a friendly environment in which to spend time with their family, connect to the internet and more.
Enrichment program for volunteers: Project TEN volunteers undergo training before and after arrival at the Center. The training is designed to prepare participants for group life, the volunteering experience, and it enables a connection to the wider global context in which the Project TEN operates. The delegation opens with a week of orientation of in-depth familiarity with the Center. During this week, the volunteers meet the local staff, get to deeply know the work, visit volunteering locations and are exposed to the local culture and lifestyle.
During the three months of volunteering, there are regular weekly meetings that are lead led by the Center's Directors and Coordinators and in collaboration with local professionals. The meetings cover various topics such as international development, education and community, Sabbath and holiday activities, language and group time. The purpose of the meetings is to process the volunteering and group life experiences, to provide tools for the professional implementation of Project TEN’s educational and ethical model, to expose the volunteers to the culture and lifestyle of the community in which they live alongside their own identity as Jews, Israelis and citizens of the world.
Enrichment program for volunteers: Project TEN volunteers undergo training before and after arrival at the Center. The training is designed to prepare participants for group life, the volunteering experience, and it enables a connection to the wider global context in which the Project TEN operates. The delegation opens with a week of orientation of in-depth familiarity with the Center. During this week, the volunteers meet the local staff, get to deeply know the work, visit volunteering locations and are exposed to the local culture and lifestyle.
During the three months of volunteering, there are regular weekly meetings that are lead led by the Center's Directors and Coordinators and in collaboration with local professionals. The meetings cover various topics such as international development, education and community, Sabbath and holiday activities, language and group time. The purpose of the meetings is to process the volunteering and group life experiences, to provide tools for the professional implementation of Project TEN’s educational and ethical model, to expose the volunteers to the culture and lifestyle of the community in which they live alongside their own identity as Jews, Israelis and citizens of the world.
Residence: As part of the project, the volunteers live in an apartment building located in the town of Vathy located on the shores of Samos Island. It is a tourist area and is surrounded by seashores, Greek cafes, restaurants, taverns and mountains where you can hike.
Saturdays and Holidays:
Every second weekends, participants are free to go and travel around the country. The program welcomes religious and secular participants. All activities on Saturdays and Jewish holidays are suitable for traditional observers. However, every participant is free to keep the Sabbath as they see fit.
What can be found in our vicinity? The island of Samos is located close to the beaches of Turkey and apart from the nearby towns of Vathy and Samos, there are also the towns of Pythagoreio (the residence of the mathematician Pythagoras) and Karlovasi, which are also quiet and beautiful tourist towns. You can also take a ferry from the island and within just a few hours, reach other nearby islands.
Check out our volunteering dates to see when you can join us
Cost
5,000 Israeli shekel for the full 3-month cohort. The cost includes accommodation, three nutritious meals a day, clean water, transportation to volunteer sites, professional staff in the field, basic Wi-Fi and security. The cost does not include flights, health insurance, vaccines, visas and free weekends.