Since September, I have been working as a teacher with Second Tree, an NGO based in northern Greece that supports people living in refugee camps.

Every week, I teach children and adults who have been forced to leave their homes and rebuild their lives in a new country. For many of my students, Greece is just one stop on a much longer journey. Some will stay here, while others hope to continue to other European countries. Whatever their future holds, education gives them tools, confidence and opportunities that can travel with them wherever they go.

Second Tree is the only organisation authorised to provide classes inside the refugee camps where we work. Through English lessons, language certification programmes, rights awareness sessions and community activities, we help create opportunities for people to learn, connect and take greater control of their futures.

What makes Second Tree special is not only what we do, but how we do it. Too often, refugees are viewed through simplistic narratives: either as helpless victims or as inspirational heroes. Both perspectives can strip people of their individuality.

At Second Tree, we believe something much simpler: refugees are people. They are unique individuals with their own strengths, challenges, ambitions and responsibilities. Through our work, we aim to promote dignity, autonomy and genuine human connection, both within the camps and beyond them.

On World Refugee Day, I’m asking for your support. Your donation helps us continue providing education, community activities and opportunities for people who are too often excluded from them.