The First 48 hours in Athens….

Here we go, 4 weeks of working in an unfamiliar country with 11 people you’ve only ever spoken to on the phone and with the knowledge that we can make a difference to so many lives. Many of my friends, family and colleagues, said I was completely crazy, but I knew this was an opportunity too good to miss.

So what can I tell you about my first 48 hours? Firstly we’re all in the same boat. Leaving friends, family and familiarity and heading to somewhere totally new. The team soon bonded over dinner and then to the first day of working together and really getting to know each other. Human bingo, architects & engineers Lego building, Myers Briggs discussion and introduce your “friend” — before you knew it, the jokes were flying.

On to the 2nd day, where the fun really starts. One of our NGO partners, HIGGS, were kind enough to host us at their offices where our team (Jane, Mahmoud & Lincy) met our client — Action Finance Initiative (AFI). AFI are the first organisation in Greece to provide access to financing, though microcredits, to those who have a business idea or project, but are not able to find access to the necessary funds. At the same time, it supports these businesses by providing free training and support.

This was our introduction into the world of micro financing and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Greece. A chance to discuss and understand their business opportunity and challenges — and we can help shape the future of their organisation and impact lives. So many questions, so many directions and so many notes (I wrote pages and pages…think I may need a new notebook within a week).

It was clear to see that AFI has tremendous passion and enthusiasm for everything they do. They have encountered some huge challenges and obstacles but at no point have they let it stop them, their passion for their organisation and making a difference in Greece was clear to see and very quickly we began to understand where we can help and where we’ll need to learn new skills to support their needs.

Well the first 48 hours have been a whirlwind of meeting new people, learning Greek culture and trying some really fantastic food (always on my mind for those who know me well).

Yassas!

#sap #sapsocialsabbatical #greece #athens #afi