"I wanted to become someone the children could look up to".
Till-Oke, Intern at The HOME Project
Enthusiastic, energetic, and rarely seen without a football, basketball, or a new game in mind, Till-Oke quickly became a familiar face at one of The HOME Project shelters for teenage boys. Having first discovered his passion for working with children as a swimming coach, he joined The HOME Project to support unaccompanied refugee children while experiencing life in a new country.
"Engaging with children who had arrived to Greece alone made me realize how important positive role models can be. I wanted to become someone they could trust, look up to, and have a positive impact on their lives", he shares.
Till-Oke is currently studying International Social Work at HAN University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, a field he chose because it combined his desire to support others with the opportunity to work across a wide range of settings and communities. "Helping people has always given me a sense of purpose", he says.
When Till-Oke began his first internship with The HOME Project, he quickly discovered that meaningful relationships could not be rushed. "As a swimming coach, children naturally came to me", he explains. "At The HOME Project, I was entering their home. That meant it was my responsibility to earn their trust patiently".
Like many people, Till-Oke arrived expecting daily life to revolve around hardship. Instead, he found teenagers who wanted to laugh, play basketball, spend time together, and simply enjoy being kids. "They're simply kids. They want to play, laugh, and connect with people just like any other children", he says. "The main challenge was discovering how to motivate them. I had to become much more creative, and that changed the way I approached social work", he explains.
Entering the shelter meant becoming part of the children's everyday lives, where trust is built through consistency rather than grand gestures. "You have to be present. If you only appear once in a while, you will never really become a familiar face. Some of the most meaningful connections happened through sports, shared activities, and simply spending time together regularly", he says.
When it was time to begin his second internship, returning to The HOME Project felt like the natural choice. Reflecting on his first placement, Till-Oke realized he didn't want to start over somewhere new. More importantly, he wanted the children to know that sometimes people do come back. "The trust was already there. Instead of spending the first months earning it again, I could immediately focus on supporting the children in a more meaningful way", he admits.
Having completed two placements with us and remaining involved as a volunteer, Till-Oke reflects on how much he has grown professionally. "During my first internship, I struggled to find the balance between being a friendly figure and being a social worker. Today, I'm still someone the children can trust, but I've learned that caring for someone also means setting professional boundaries and supporting them in the right way", he emphasizes.
As Till-Oke prepares to return to the Netherlands to complete his studies, he reflects on everything he will take with him from his time at The HOME Project. "Meeting people from so many different backgrounds taught me how little you can understand about someone based on first impressions. The children's resilience, dreams, and determination have changed the way I see people", he says.
And if there is one thing he hopes people will take away from his experience, it is simple:
"They're simply children. They have dreams, ambitions, personalities, and futures ahead of them. They want to learn, succeed, have fun, and build a life, just like any other child".