By Esther | Communications, Advocacy & Partnerships Lead
Habibi.Works turns seven!
Habibi.Works first opened its doors in August of 2016. That means that the month of August marked our seventh anniversary of being present in Katsikas, working and creating alongside a community of people on the move and building connections to local society.
As in the rest of Europe, this summer in Greece was marked by high temperatures and unrelenting heat. All eyes were on the wildfires which affected several regions of Greece this summer. Fortunately, Ioannina remained unaffected by fires; however, the unrelenting heat led to several cases of heatstroke within the camp community and made our outreach efforts more challenging. As summer comes to a close, we are glad to see the temperatures starting to drop again!
A makeover for our makerspace
Maintaining a continued presence in this context requires the ability and willingness to adaptto changing needs. In our last newsletter we mentioned two strategy sessions held in April, during which important discussions took place regarding the structure and mission of Habibi.Works. Informed by feedback from our community, the outcome of these sessions included the decision to clear some of our less frequented working areas in order to make space and resources available for initiatives called for by the community.
One key change which has taken place in the last months is the merging of our metal and bike repair areas into a single workshop, which has in turn made it possible for a room to be dedicated to our newest community-led and women-led initiative: the beauty salon. The idea to create a beauty salon came out of feedback from women participating in our makerspace, who voiced a desire to have a dedicated space wherein they could engage in activities they feel most comfortable doing in a more private setting (i.e. behind a closed door) such as haircutting, styling and makeup. The initiative has been brought to life by one of our community team members, Negin, who is an experienced beautician and hair stylist; she is now leading workshops in the space ranging from nail art to makeup to hair cutting. We hope this change can provide a safe space for women in our community to express themselves, and we are excited to see how this develops further!
Our makerspace has also benefited from its own small makeover, including a new picnic area, spruces of new colour inside the building, a new screen door at the entrance, upcycled furniture for our veranda, and a new Habibi.Works sign (pictured below)!
Meet the Coordinators
One of the realities of life in Habibi.Works is that team members and participants alike are often coming and going. As we often say: our team members, both short- and long-term, are the backbone of this project. Today we want to put the spotlight on our current project coordinators: Marina and Stella. Amidst constant waves of change, the coordinators (who commit to be here for at least one year, from the start) provide the stability, support and overview of the project’s needs and activities. Their importance cannot be overstated!
Marina joined the coordination team in September of last year, and is spearheading the difficult job of fundraising, aka making sure we have enough money to keep the lights on and the doors open! She brings boundless energy, a creative spirit and a love for the garden.
Stella is the first Greek project coordinator! She joined us in May of this year. A trained accountant, she has taken on the big responsibility of keeping track of the project’s finances. She brings a wealth of experience in other self-organised / grassroots initiatives, sharp humour and a special passion for the kitchen.
In order to run the project smoothly and efficiently, we aim to always have 3 coordinators on the ground. That is why we are currently recruiting for a third coordinator to join our team. This role will have a focus on Recruiting and Team Well-being. Applications are open until 10 September. The role description is accessible here. Please share this in your networks and pass it along to any individuals you think would make a good addition to our team in Katsikas!
Shining Bright in Summer
We kicked off the month of June with a “Habibi’s Got Talent” show inviting all members of our community to take the stage and wow us with their skills! The performances ranged from music to martial arts, and included a dance performance courtesy of the Habibi and Sports team. Check out this short video on our Instagram to get a taste of the magic.
Habibi on the Air
The city of Ioannina was transformed over six weeks in June-July with digital art exhibitions, concerts, a DJ truck and various special events - all part of the Plasmata Exhibition put on by the Onassis Foundation. Stella (who you met earlier in this newsletter) participated in a panel discussion within the event, focused on the topic of “Social Ecologies.” Habibi.Works also got a special feature on Movement Radio - an affiliate of the Onassis Foundation and co-organisers of the festival. Several tracks recorded in our Music Dome were aired on the radio; you can listen to the full stream here! These tracks are also now on our new Soundcloud.
New Initiatives: Podcasts from Habibi.Works
Movement Radio also put together a podcast series throughout Plasmata. Team members Marina and Esther, alongside former team member Effie and project cofounder Mimi, put together a podcast episode introducing Habibi.Worksto a new audience.
And speaking of podcasts, we also saw the launch of a very exciting new initiative by project cofounder Mimi Hapig: a new podcast providing insightful expert commentary on issues related to human rights, and social and environmental justice, in Greece and beyond. You can listen to the podcast - Let That Sink In - on Spotify and give it a follow on Instagram @podcast_letthatsinkin. Advocacy and raising awareness have always been explicit parts of Habibi.Works mission and vision, and we are excited for this to take a new form.
Habibi.Works and Let That Sink In will closely collaborate on some of the issues. The first episode deals withthe shipwreck off the Greek island of Pylos in June. 600 people were on board, and 82 people lost their lives. The episode features three people who have all been part of our intercultural makerspace in the past years.
Refugee Week 2023
The week of 19-26 June marked Refugee Week, an annual event which aims to shed (positive) light on people on the move as well as spark meaningful conversations around the topic of migration and asylum. This is the 25th year running since the event started. Here in Ioannina, the event was marked by a panel discussion in the city centre, with Habibi.Works represented by team member Athina, alongside other actors in the region. This was a great opportunity to raise awareness about the situation for people on the move, particularly in the local society.
B1 Level English Exams
Last week, two of our dedicated language students took official B1 English exams. This certificate can open up opportunities in further education and employment, and is a huge achievement in itself - we are so proud of these students! A huge thank you to our wonderful partners at @elnor.education who made this happen!
We are now in the process of starting a new exam class for students to take the B2 level English exam. However, due to the high exam fees, we can’t do this without your help. If you would like to contribute towards these costs, check out our microproject.
What’s next?
Mark your calendars for the upcoming Little by Little campaign will take place from 18-23 September. All donations made via our GlobalGiving crowdfunder will be matched at 50% (up to $50 per unique donor). We need your support to ensure we can secure funding for the project to continue - together we can make it to our 8th birthday!
As always, make sure to follow us on social media (links below) to stay up to date on our activities.
Lots of love from Katsikas,
Esther and the Habibi.Works team
Links:
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