Youthnet Hellas
Greece
Youth-net Hellas is a non-governmental and nonprofit organization that aims to engage young people at local, national, European and international level through activities and interventions.
Youth-net Hellas started as a Youth Network 15 years ago, evolved into a Confederation of Local Youth Councils countrywide, and eventually from 2009 onwards developed into its current form, that of a flexible and modern NGO with members from all over Greece.
Youthnet Hellas aims to promote young people’s participation, information, social inclusion, voluntarism and active citizenship in community life in National, European and International level (in compliance to the European Commission’s 2001 White Paper on Youth).
Andreas Krassas
Biography
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I am undergraduate student of environmental engineering at the technical university of crete which is in the city of Chania. I am 20 years old, at my sophomore year and I am interested in getting hands-on working experience in the fields of engineering, technology and entrepreneurship. I lived 3 years in Italy ( the first 3 years of primary school) and later in Athens until i graduated school. In high school i participated in a debate club and in a cinematographic club, that taught me critical thinking and attention to detail. I love travelling, reading books, attending events (like ted talks) and watching films. The phrase that inspires me the most is :
' Dream big, start small, but most of all start ' .
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Do you have any experience in similar project?
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Over the past 2 years as a volunteer in the Youth Entrepreurship Club (YEC), I have been attending meetups and meet founders who have developed their own ventures.
I have participated in the Mindspace Challenge as a member of team with our own idea. Mindspace Challenge is free 3-day Workshop, where the participants who are accepted work on their project with special instructors and mentors from the field of entrepreneurship and in the end they present their idea to a panel of judges
In addition i have participated in the Engineering Competition 2017 by BEST where i faced and tackled theoretical and practical engineering problems and i cooperated with team to deliver in-depth analysis to provide results.
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What's your motivation in taking part to this TC (Training Course)?
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In our society a simply degree is not the key to find a job. I see so many people, especially young who have a degree but are unemployed, I want to attend this Training Course because i don't want to end up having a degree without a job. In addition, with the help of Youthnet i want to organize workshops or events to reduce youth unemployment.
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What are your main expectations regarding your participation in this training course? How do you envisage to incorporate what you have learnt during the TC in your work?
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My mainly purpose from every training course or event, that i attend is to develop my buisness thinking. From thos specific training course i expect to learn how to find and take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities, how to develop my business thinking and how can i help other people to fight unemployment. In addition, i expect to learn the business environment and model that exists in the other coutries so i could undestand the problems that must be fixed in my coutry and the opportunities that exist in europe.
i believe after the Training Course i would be more open-minded in the options that i have, i could communicate with other people, that i have met from the training course, to advise me when i am facing crucial problems and i would know more ways to fight unemploymet if i don't work.
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Please describe your knowledge and experience on entrepreneurship.
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I have never worked in a company or a shop. As i said before i have been avolunteer in the Youth Entrepreurship Club and also, i have attended many workshops, events, ted-talks and competitions that are refereed to entrepreneurship.
Sotiria Asanaki
Biography
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I am a photographer and also a graphic designer, I am into graphic art, silk printing and music production as well.
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Do you have any experience in similar project?
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Yes, once in Izmir, Turkey. The project' s name was ENTER: Youth Entrepreneurship Training Course. I participated as a member of EKOgreece, a non governmental organisation with interest in increasing employment and employability, promoting social inclusion and foster innovation in the educational sector. That' s why I am interested in another training program that will be based in learning by doing.
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What's your motivation in taking part to this TC (Training Course)?
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First of all, I want to go deeper in intercultural education and communication, academically as well as practically. Secondly, I adore meeting people from all over the world, who have fresh ideas and work for a better society and to increase youth employment. On top of that I want to obtain experience and knowledge that I will channel to my organisation Youthnet Hellas arranging workshops in Greece.
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What are your main expectations regarding your participation in this training course? How do you envisage to incorporate what you have learnt during the TC in your work?
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I am very enthousiastic about travelling to Yerevan and meet Armenian as well as international entrepreneurs. This Training Course will be definitely useful to me and I intend to contribute presenting my previous experience about children while volunteering or working to the University, Kindergarten and Scouts. I also am an active member of Imvrians Association of Athens managing different cultural issues concerning Greek-Turkish relations. This will add up to conversations about entrepreneurship and career opportunities.
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Please describe your knowledge and experience on entrepreneurship.
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I am a graduate student of the Department of Educational Science and Early Childhood Education at the University of Patras and i have worked as animatrice and other jobs concerning children. I also am a Sea Scout for 18 years and a volunteer in different conferences.
Konstantinos-Loukianos Maragkos
Biography
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Konstantinos Maragkos is the Co-Founder of WE AfriHug project which takes place in Eastern and Western Africa during 2018 and aims at the Empowerment of the Youth through Education, Sports and Research. He is now living in Cape Coast, Ghana for the last semester of his Master at the Erasmus Mundus European Master in Tourism Management. He is the Representative of Greece for the Erasmus Mundus Association and holds the Golden Laissez-Passer for the Best Erasmus Talent in 2017 awarded by the garagErasmus Foundation. He is an activist and marathon runner, having currently completed the Sahara Marathon in the Refugee Camps of Western Sahara.
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Do you have any experience in similar project?
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I have participated in several similar projects with the following organizations:
USB (https://www.usbngo.gr/en), AMFI (http://www.amfinternational.org/), Inter Alia (http://www.interaliaproject.com/), Concordia France (https://www.concordia.fr/), Afrika Youth Movement (http://afrikayouthmovement.org/), Sedarvp - Ghana (http://sedarvpghana.org/), Afrinype - Nigeria (http://www.afrinype.org/), Acet - Togo (http://www.acet-togo.org/new/), UNiTED - Ghana (https://www.unitedprojects.org/). The most similar project in terms of the topic is the project "The grapes of Wrath". It aims at enabling contact between migrants and hosting communities within the EU and to foster informed decisions of potential migrants in African countries regarding the trip and life in Europe. The specific objectives of the project are to raise awareness of communities in partner countries about migrants’ stories and perceptions, foster deeper understanding about the process, reasons and psychological impact of migration, tackle needs of origin communities, thus, contributing to containing irregular migration and encourage socioeconomic development at both origin and destination countries.
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What's your motivation in taking part to this TC (Training Course)?
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I am an experienced youth worker with a great passion, dedication and consciousness to make the world a better place. I have designed, developed and implemented volunteering and educating projects mostly in Africa but also in Europe. I have been nominated as the Best Erasmus Talent 2017 for my initiative in Africa, the project WE AfriHug (https://www.weafrihug.com/) and I represent the whole Erasmus generation. My main motivation to participate in this project is my intense interest in minority groups around the world, including immigrants and refugees. During the last month, I have been involved in the project "The grapes of Wrath" in Tamale, Northern Ghana (https://web.facebook.com/GoWproject/?_rdc=1&_rdr). The project aims at enabling contact between migrants and hosting communities within the EU and to foster informed decisions of potential migrants in African countries regarding the trip and life in Europe. I had direct interaction and discussion with legal ad illegal immigrants who left their lives in Africa to move to Europe for "a better future". Moreover, I have been volunteering in the refugee camps of Western Sahara, running the 42 km solidarity marathon for the Saharawi and empowering young refugees with life skills (http://www.em-a.eu/en/home/newsdetail-ema-members-report/we-afrihug-in-western-sahara-2255.html). I am therefore extremely interested in both topics of immigrants and refugees for two reasons. First, to contribute and offer as much as I can for a safer and faster integration in their new communities and their empowerment through entrepreneurship and second to educate the ones who are afraid or are negatively influenced by the media about immigrants. Especially Greece needs this.
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What are your main expectations regarding your participation in this training course? How do you envisage to incorporate what you have learnt during the TC in your work?
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I expect to build new network and meet inspiring youth workers who share the same vision with me and are passionate about empowering less privileged people. I expect to learn new methods and enhance non-formal education practices but also to contribute with my knowledge and experience, especially from Africa. I also expect to receive knowledge in the field of youth empowerment and come up with ideas for my future plans (social entrepreneurship). Coming from a country with a massive refugee crisis, I will be able to share my knowledge with NGOs and policy makers and give my input after the end of the programme. Moreover, I plan to share the knowledge with the organization Youthnet Hellas, host workshops together and create meaningful and sustainable projects in the future.
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Please describe your knowledge and experience on entrepreneurship.
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Despite the fact that I have not set yet any business, I have shown high entrepreneurial spirit during my projects. For example, I needed to develop a crowdfunding campaign and collect money to implement the project and I was able to raise 12,000$ within 5 months. In Africa, I have helped new social enterprises to boost their products and services by giving my innovative ideas and contributions.