On Chios island, Greece, communities came together to welcome little Amal while she shared back the love & solidarity she received with refugee children living on the island. Amal will continue her walk symbolizing the struggle of so many children forced to flee their home. You can see more about her journey here.
Part of my photos for UNHCR, published “K” magazine” of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
A few days ago I visited Volos and photographed a young athlete named Ahmad Nadeem. Nadeem is a 25-year-old refugee from Pakistan, who arrived in Greece at the age of 13, as an unaccompanied child. Nadeem spent his teenage years in a shelter for unaccompanied children in Makrinitsa village near Volos. Like many unaccompanied children arriving in Greece, Nadeem had to overcome many challenges since 2008 when he reached the country after a frightening trip across the sea to Samos, before finding himself at the ARSIS shelter. This is the place where he learned the Greek language and discovered his talent in sports as well.
Since 2014, Nadeem’s training became more intensive, while at the same time he started working as an interpreter for the shelter he grew up in.“My days began at around 5 am, I started work at 7:30 am in Makrinitsa, until I finished at 15:30 and then went to Volos where I trained until 18:30. Then I ran with my backpack to catch the bus because I had to go to the evening school. Usually, I was running late for the first session! I finished school at 22:30 and by the time I got home I did not have the strength to even change my clothes.”His next goal is the Pan-Hellenic Athletics Championship for persons with disabilities that will be held over 9 – 11 July in Thessaloniki, but his big goal and dream is to compete in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
“I would like to lower my time by about 3 seconds in the 400m distance”, says Nadeem. “My best time is 56.29 seconds. I am happy, but I am trying to reach my dream, the Paralympics.”
I had the pleasure to spend almost a day with Nadeem, at the shelter and afterwards at the Panthessaliko stadium where he had his training session and what struck me the most was his determination, strong will and above all, his great kindness. Gifts pointed out by his coach, Eleni Manouka which turned out to be absolutely true.
*You can see and read more of this story here.
Happy to receive the second place in the News category at the “dpa pictures of the year 2020 awards”. Congrats to all the winners and a big thank you to the dpa team for the support!
It was two years ago, the December of 2018, that I was fortunate enough to be invited as a participant to the Addis Foto Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was an eye opened five days for me, spend in the capital of Ethiopia, not only because it was my first time visiting Africa, but Also for having the chance to meet several remarkable photographers of African origin. Real talented photographers, which we often overlook in the West…
Bellow I am shearing some pictures I took during my time in Addis Ababa, even though I din’t have the time I wanted to explore the city, due to the intense but very interesting program of the festival.
One month still to go for the outdoor exhibition in Vamvakou village.
The “Athenians” are going to the mountains and specifically to Vamvakou!
For two months - September / October - part of my series “the Athenians” will be shown for the first time in the form of an outdoor exhibition in the rocky alleys of the village.
A village that is trying to revive not only itself but at the same time a way of life that has long been lost in large urban centers, such as that of Athens.
Many thanks to Vamvakou Revival, Athens Photo World and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation for their support!
