Supporter / Facilitator / Youth worker
Social Pedagogue at Athirma
Description of your role
Provides integration and empowerment opportunities to members of vulnerable groups utilizing individuals’ and community’s resources.
Previous experience in enterprise development
Involved in collective enterprise development initiatives via Athirma.
Entrepreneur
Nikos A. is a young person with a lived experience of a severe mental health difficulty. Nikos A. had a limited support network and he was always keen to set up his own enterprise. After experimenting with the family business he realized that he wanted to create a path of his own. Nikos A. turned into the tourism industry with the dream of setting up his own boutique hotel. Nikos has strong IT skills and can communicate in 3 languages.
Field of Business
Nikos A. turned into the tourism industry with the dream of setting up his own boutique hotel in a rural territory of the mainland of Greece in the near future.
Support Needs
Nikos having no knowledge of the specific industry, he decided to invest in getting acquainted with the business by receiving training in the specific field and gaining working experience in the field.
Nikos finds it difficult to cope with the constant changes of the tax system in Greece and dealing with the tax services is also self-regarded as a stress factor so he would need the support of an accountant.
Case Study:
KETHEA STROFI – REHABILITATION UNIT
Nikos started his journey right before the beginning of the pandemic with a great sense of enthusiasm, attending training courses in hospitality and tourism industry. At the same time, he was preparing his business plan with his family network. The first lockdown had an emotional impact on him due to the unpredictable future and the possible cancelation of his plans. Standing back on his feet, he managed to get working experience in hotels for two summers in a row, getting a clearer picture of the needs, requirements and challenges of his future dream. At the moment Nikos has just finished a training course in software needed for hotel booking and explores a hotel position with more managerial responsibilities during the summer season. Nikos has decided to wait and see if the pandemic will de-escalate and how the after-COVID era will develop before proceeding into the development of his business idea.
The business idea is still on the early stages.
The most crucial challenge was the unpredictability of the days of our time due to the pandemic. The experience of the first lockdown was crucial for Nikos, visualizing his dreams crumble in front of him.
The Values and Reflection parts of the e-learning were very helpful in addressing these challenges as they enriched Nikos’s resources to overcome these challenges.
What are your plans for the future ?
We decided to proceed with caution taking into consideration the pandemic. In the meantime, until a more promising future appears for the tourism industry, Nikos has decided to invest on himself by gaining experience on the field and participating in training courses while at the same time he raises his initial investment capital.
Country
Greece.
