Be Aware And Share (BAAS)

Being part of a close living volunteer team helps practice communication, acceptance, and serenity. One can grow close with great and extremely different people who can shape one through their thoughts and perspectives.

Furthermore, the direct insights into the structures and functioning of BAAS are inspiring. The members are very reflective, open to critical questions and discussions, and willing to rethink structures. In general, great importance is attached to keeping hierarchies as flat as possible between the people in the team and also the visitors of the center. Through these insights, one can start deconstructing the norms of hierarchical, exclusionary and power-based cultures of many institutions.

One of the most formative aspects was the contact and exchange with the visitors of the center. During the volunteering period at BAAS, one gets to know many great people who can teach from knitting and sewing to Afghan card games and how to cook Somali food.

One can also learn about Greek history and culture. In the town of Ioannina but also in the nearby surroundings, you can discover many historical places like the House of Matei Hussein or the Ottoman Mosque of Veli Pasha. In addition, there are countless cafes, bars, theaters, skate parks and Greek restaurants downtown, where local music is played and danced to. The area is also known for outdoor climbing and beautiful nature. Moreover, through leisure activities such as participation in Zumba, pottery, or painting classes and at the Community Center, one can get to know people from Ioannina and learn about their view of the country.

«Be Aware And Share” (BAAS) was founded in September 2015 in Basel (CH). We are a non-profit and politically independent organization supporting people on the move. BAAS aims to contribute to a peaceful and mutually inclusive society through an integrity-based approach. Our work is transparently funded and supported by donations. Since the summer of 2022, we have been running a Community Center in Ioannina, a small city located in the northwest of Greece and the capital of the administrative region Epirus. Our center is a meeting place for the refugees from the city and the nearby camps (Katsikas, Agia Eleni, and Filippiada), but also for the local population. The project aims to provide a safe space and to give access to legal advice, psychological help, language courses, IT lessons, and, above all, social and creative activities. In general, the work at the Community Center can vary significantly. We have tasks that every volunteer is expected to do from time to time and some specific positions that are tailored to your individual strengths, interests and wishes. During your participation in our project in Ioannina, you will live with 4-6 other volunteers in one of the two apartments provided by BAAS. The apartments are located in the center of Ioannina. They include a common room with a kitchen, a small courtyard, two bathrooms and two bedrooms. In general, the level of privacy and material comfort in the shared apartment is probably below what you are used to at home, which requires tolerance and respect. At the same time, it is very enriching to live with other people and to spend the evenings after work cooking, playing games, discussing, watching movies, dancing, making music, knitting (and much more) together. We are currently looking for new volunteers as of January 2024 in Ioannina.