Services offered
A supporting space for displaced women
At the Amina Day Centre in Athens, vulnerable displaced women find free professional help from women they can trust and a community that empowers them. They are welcomed into a child-friendly space where they can address urgent and long-term needs with respect, and work towards their goals for an independent life.
Here they are treated with respect, find useful and reliable information, learn useful new skills and receive emotional support. Through our participatory approach, women are actively involved in shaping the assistance they receive, ensuring it reflects their priorities and aspirations. Our psychosocial programme helps them regain their strength and confidence and enables them to plan their next steps and improve their lives.
Two displaced women participate in the Informal Greek Programme.
A warm mean is offered once a week at Amina
Women participate in an event at Amina
Two displaced women participate in the Informal Greek Programme.
Professional assistance brings change
Our team of professional women work together to provide high-quality services to displaced mothers, women travelling alone, elderly or disabled women, who have been traumatised by experiences in their homelands, the perilous journey to find safety in Europe and the harsh living conditions in Greece. These women face new challenges that may prove insurmountable, without professional support.
Displaced women find in SAO a well-rounded programme that addresses many of their needs and empowers them to take the necessary steps to improve their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They also find a team that invests the time necessary for meaningful change to take place. Our services are offered in Arabic, Farsi, French, Greek and English.
Our staff adhere to the “Do no Harm” Framework and other IASC guidelines.
Services offered
Assistance with essential needs
Poverty is one of the many barriers displaced women face. Without meeting their basic needs, it is very hard to achieve their goals for the future. This is why women participating in our programme have access to items such as SAO-funded supermarket coupons, clothing, underwear, personal hygiene products, school supplies, children’s clothes and diapers as well as the use of washing and sewing machines and a fully accessible shower and toilet at our premises.
Empowerment through psychosocial services
Stress and anxiety are keeping displaced women trapped in a vicious circle of despair. In Amina, they find a caring team of experienced professionals, who support them to develop an individualised plan to achieve their goals, such as personal growth or financial independence. In interactive participatory workshops, they receive the tools to adapt to their new reality, learn about their rights and obligations and make informed decisions about their futures.
Additionally, they find trauma-informed psychosocial support through individual counselling for women dealing with abuse, discrimination, violence, trauma, chronic stress and anxiety resulting from their circumstances and experiences. Parent counselling also supports mothers in helping their children navigate challenges. This process allows them to build confidence and create meaningful improvements in their lives. Wellness activities, such as beauty salon services, creative expression workshops and active recreation opportunities, also enhance their emotional well-being.
Inclusion through education
Displaced women often find themselves lost in a maze of disinformation and complicated bureaucratic processes in a language they don’t understand. In Amina, they receive verified information and guidance that enable them to access medical and legal services, free transportation and school registration for their children. Legal and health issues are explained in workshops and are addressed in collaboration with specialised organisations through a referral system. Guided focus groups provide women with a platform to discuss the challenges they face, share experiences and support one another through mutual understanding and encouragement.
Our informal Greek language programme and preparation for the Examinations for the Certification of Attainment in Greek give women the opportunities to find employment. Additionally, women can participate in workshops for conversational English and transferable skills such as sewing and using computers, the internet and other technologies, as well as CV writing and interview preparation.
Situation in Athens
The women participating in Amina's programmes are determined to build better futures for themselves, their children and their communities. They fled their home countries to escape violence, danger and the violation of their rights. Their journey to Greece was perilous, and they seek safety in Europe. These women have endured hardship and trauma, yet they continue to strive for a life of security and peace.
Still, their hopes are often shattered by the barriers and obstacles that they face every day once they move to Athens. Many live isolated in state-run refugee camps, far from essential services, as all Athens area camps are situated in remote locations. These camps are understaffed and women are left without guidance, lost in the bureaucratic processes oftentimes without interpretation in languages they understand. Women who are sole heads of households report feeling unsafe in the camps, [1] but they have little choice until they earn enough to become independent.
The precarious living conditions both in the camps and the city, along with extreme poverty and financial insecurity, take a significant toll on women’s mental health. In April 2024, the modest monthly state assistance was suspended due to a lack of funds, leaving asylum seekers in an even direr situation.[2] At the same time, recognised refugees are not entitled to special financial assistance because of their status. This instability, combined with the fact that most displaced women don’t work (82%) [3] creates immense pressure in an already vulnerable population. Many women report having to skip meals to cope (70%) and some households have to rely on child labour (7%). [4]
Displaced people in Greece also face discrimination and racism. Greeks themselves acknowledge this, citing discrimination (80%) and negative media portrayals (72%) as two of the main obstacles to integration, while they also believe that immigrants’ limited efforts cause lack of integration. [5] It is no surprise, therefore, that the Racist Violence Recording Network recorded 158 incidents of racist violence in 2023, an increase from the previous year. Displaced people face racism in their daily lives, at work, at school and when dealing with the authorities. Due to fear and mistrust, many incidents of racist violence go unreported, suggesting that the true number is much higher. [6]
So even though each woman has her own story, it is not surprising that 86% of displaced women living in Greece for more than two years report severe or moderate psychological distress. [7] And yet, despite all these barriers, these women continue to find the strength to dream of a better life. At the Amina Day Centre, they discover support, solutions and a warm, welcoming environment that helps them keep moving forward.