Co–Founder

An infant nutrition and education specialist with a master’s degree in Public Health, Airinie directed CHEERing’s administration and served as the legal representative when CHEERing was founded in 2018.

Originally from Malaysia, Airinie worked as a Finance & IT Manager and as a Guardian for Unaccompanied Minors in Greece. She is an active food and lifestyle blogger and an amateur photographer. She has been involved in working with refugee populations in Greece since 2015.

Volunteer

After finishing medical school, Carmen decided to join CHEERing’s team for six months before embarking on a specialization program. Born and raised in Madrid, her formative years at the Hospital 12 de Octubre as well as the Charité Berlin and the Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg shaped her commitment to an integral and compassionate medical practice. She is a long-time swimmer and lifeguard and enjoys learning languages and design. 

At CHEERing, Carmen was involved in the Grow Clinics in Athens as well as at the camps. She also supported football training and conducted health screenings of new players, coordinating appointments with health specialists when needed.

Volunteer

Ranim is a Tunisian student pursuing a Master’s degree in Economics and Local Development at the University of Rouen, France. Passionate about humanitarian aid and social action, Ranim is dedicated to improving the inclusivity of vulnerable communities.

As a CHEERing volunteer, Ranim assisted with Arabic and French interpretation in our Grow Clinics, health screenings and football trainings.

Outside of work, Ranim is a big fan of cats, cacti, and camping.

Volunteer

Siddhas joined CHEERing through the Erasmus Internship program. He is currently completing his Master’s thesis in Humanitarian Action at the University of Malta. Originally from India, Siddhas is deeply committed to working with and for refugees. 

At CHEERing, Siddhas supported the Grow Clinics at the camps, assisted with football training and with health screenings. In his free time, he enjoys practicing yoga and learning from people with different cultures and languages.

Volunteer

Vy Lan Bui, a Master’s student in Medicine from Amsterdam, participated in CHEERing as a medical intern and as a volunteer beyond her university commitments.

She actively participated in various activities including the Grow Clinics in refugee camps and the Community Mothers program in Athens. She also conducted health screenings and supported the sports programs for young refugee children.

Vy Lan is deeply passionate about mental and global health, with a strong commitment to advocating for refugees and addressing broader social topics. She has been actively engaged in raising awareness about issues such as period poverty and mental health stigma during various events and a national congress.

During her free time, Vy Lan focuses on amplifying both her own voice and those of others through her poetry and writing.

Team Lead

Chika came to CHEERing through the prestigious European Voluntary Service Corps. She holds an MSc in Global Health & Development from the University College London and a BSc in Biology and Psychology from the University of Toronto.

Chika is passionate about child and maternal health and mental health. Having had several career experiences with a diversity of NGOs, she ran many of CHEERing’s programs and hopes to continue a career advocating for the health and well-being of the most vulnerable.

Erasmus Entrepreneur

Originally from Barcelona, Martina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. During her Bachelor’s, she volunteered as a Group Leader in a Scouts Group working with children and teenagers. Passionate about health, Martina hopes to continue her career as a Global Health advocate and learn more about maternal and child health in a humanitarian context.

While at CHEERing, Martina supported the Grow Clinics, football training, and health screenings. In her free time, she loves practicing sports, especially synchronized swimming and climbing as well as discovering new cultures and languages.

Volunteer

Johannes recently completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Science in Munich. After his apprenticeship in Geriatric Care, he worked in an acute psychiatric ward. In the future, he hopes to complete a Master’s Degree in Advanced Psychiatric Nursing Practice.

Since October 2023, Johannes has been volunteering in Athens on a project that emphasizes the importance of education for children and teenagers with a refugee background. He now joins the CHEERing team to support football trainings and Grow Clinics and learn more about health promotion in a humanitarian context,

In his free time, Johannes enjoys playing football, basketball, and volleyball, hiking, and reading books.

Finance Manager

Kimberly is a master’s student in Public Health in Disasters at the University of Oviedo – Spain, the University of Nicosia – Cyprus, and Karolinska Institute – Sweden. In addition to her financial management role, she volunteered at CHEERing, supporting Grow Clinics, health screenings, and football trainings and activities.

Kimberly previously volunteered at the Youth Red Cross Asturias and Erasmus Student Network Oviedo and Spain. She enjoys traveling, meeting new people from different cultures, playing chess, and riding motorbikes.

Erasmus Mundus Intern

Bezawit’s journey with CHEERing began through the Erasmus Internship Program. Originally from Ethiopia, she is passionate about maternal and child health and hopes to continue working in this area.

Bezawit holds a degree in medicine from Bahir Dar University in Ethiopia and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health and disaster management at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden as part of the Erasmus Mundus program. She previously worked as an intern at Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital and as a general practitioner at the Debre Tabor Specialized Hospital, both in Ethiopia.

Erasmus Intern

William completed an internship with CHEERing as part of his third year of Erasmus at Sciences Po Aix-En-Provence in France. He supported CHEERing football training and Grow Clinics and helped to start a new hiking activity.

William loves discovering new people and new regions. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, football, and basketball.

Volunteer

Gianna recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Dietetics and Nutritional Science and Global Health degree. She volunteered with CHEERing, supporting our Grow Clinics and health screenings.

In her free time, Gianna likes to practice yoga and paddle boarding (sometimes simultaneously) and watch live music.

Erasmus Intern

Atefeh worked with CHEERing as part of the Erasmus internship program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law and is currently earning a master’s degree in World Politics and International Relations at the University of Pavia in Italy. Atefeh is interested in completing her thesis on refugees and continuing her career in this area.

Originally from Iran, Atefeh is passionate about supporting refugees. She shares, “Being in touch with refugees feeds my soul.” In her free time, Atefeh enjoys traveling and meeting new people from different cultures.

Erasmus Intern & CHEERing Football Coach

Reza interned at CHEERing through the Erasmus scheme, as a part of his master’s program in World Politics and International Relations at the University of Pavia in Italy. His thesis will focus on how to better integrate refugees in the Global North.

Reza is originally from Iran and completed his bachelor’s degree at Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. He loves to experience new adventures, communicate with people from all over the world, and support refugees.

CHEERing Assistant

Hamideh joined the CHEERing team after bringing her children and other young refugees to CHEERing’s Football Club training. As a CHEERing Assistant, Hamideh escorted children to and from training, assisted coaches on the field, helped at CHEERing’s cooking and nutrition classes, and provided supervision and support to all children involved with CHEERing’s activities. She became a certified football coach with CHEERing after completing the two-day SportNet methodology training by the Barca Foundation.

Clinical Team Lead

Alina was CHEERing’s clinical team lead and our guide in medical matters. Alina holds an MD degree from Afghanistan, where she worked as a Junior Doctor volunteer for one year. After the 15th of August 2021 crisis in Afghanistan, she evacuated Afghanistan and moved to Greece with her parents.

Alina has also worked as an interpreter in Athens. She is fluent in Farsi-Dari and English.

Graduate Intern

Originally from Barcelona, Spain, Ariadna obtained her degree in nursing in 2019 and has been working in a hospital since. She furthered her studies with a post-degree program in Intensive Care and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of Barcelona.

Ariadna aims to use her nursing expertise while simultaneously contributing to initiatives that advocate for equitable and accessible healthcare for all. She has a special interest in making a positive impact on vulnerable communities, particularly the refugee population, women, and children.

Medical Student Intern

Charlie is a medical student from Rush Medical College in the United States. She received a B.S. in Health Science and a Master of Public Health degree in Health Law and Policy and Global Health from Boston University and has a passion for global health and advocacy. She recently co-founded the Rush Advocacy and Medical Policy organization at Rush University Medical Center, allowing her to advocate for health policy changes including physician immigration reform at the United States Congress in Washington, D.C.

Previously a CHEERing intern in 2021 and a CHEER research assistant in 2022, Charlie was excited to be back in Athens in 2023 assisting with health screenings, grow clinics, and other program activities.

Graduate Intern

Gabriela is currently earning her Master’s in Public Health at Boston University in Massachusetts. Her passion includes refugee and child immigrant health, with a focus on program design, implementation, and monitoring.

During her undergraduate coursework, Gabriela played soccer for her university and brought her love for the sport to CHEERing. 

Medical Intern

Hiba is a doctor from the University of Nottingham, UK, but is originally Canadian. She spent years volunteering with newly arrived refugees in Canada and helping them settle into their new life. After moving to the UK, Hiba started tutoring refugee children who were behind in school and became Vice President of The Phoenix Project, an organization supporting the qualification of displaced doctors to practice in the UK.

Hiba wants to commit her medical career to working with refugee populations abroad and at-risk populations at home.

Medical Student Intern

Mohamed is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Sheffield. He spent eight weeks on his medical elective working for CHEERing.

Mohamed’s interest in working with refugees began while pursuing his previous pharmacy degree in which he volunteered to help newly arrived refugee children catch up with schooling. Having learned about the difficulties experienced by refugees through his studies, volunteering, and personal connections, Mohamed has developed a desire to not only further his understanding of the refugee crisis but also to assist this population in any way possible.

Medical Student Intern

Rosanna is a 4th-year medical student at the University of Sheffield. She spent her 8-week medical elective working with CHEERing.

Rosanna’s interest in refugee health began after placement in a general practitioner (GP) practice where a significant proportion of the patients were refugees and asylum seekers. She is also involved with a student-led group called Fairhealth that aims to improve awareness of health inequalities and find ways medical students can reduce the impact of these inequalities on affected populations.

Medical Student Intern

Charlotte is currently studying medicine at the University of Sheffield. She previously completed a placement at a general practitioner (GP) practice that provides care to vulnerable populations, including refugees and asylum seekers. Charlotte’s work at the GP sparked her interest in combatting health inequalities among refugees and asylum seekers, in the UK and overseas. Additionally, she is passionate about mental health and is president of the Psychiatry Society at her university.

Charlotte volunteered with CHEERing for her medical elective.

Student Intern

Estelle is a French student at the political science university in Aix-en-Provence. She previously worked with toddlers in a daycare facility, preparing and animating educational and artistic activities for them. More generally, she is passionate and deeply cares about animal and human rights.

As an intern, Estelle assisted CHEERing with health screenings of beneficiaries, football training and games, cooking lessons, and other health and educational activities.

Erasmus Entrepreneur Intern

Maria João holds a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Porto, Portugal, and has more than two years of experience as a community pharmacist. As a pharmacy student, she worked with research groups from Portugal and Sweden and participated in several social inclusion projects. She started working with refugee populations in 2021, in collaboration with Open Cultural Center (OCC), developing cultural and educational activities for refugees and asylum seekers in Northern Greece.

Maria joined CHEERing under the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program.

Erasmus Intern

From Gothenburg, Sweden, Molly is currently studying political science at the University of Gothenburg. She previously played handball professionally since a young age and is now a handball coach for young girls. Molly loves seeing how the girls develop as individuals and grow into better players.

Molly volunteered for CHEERing through Erasmus and her university’s internship program and worked with the football team.

Erasmus Student

Martine Amelie is from Norway and is finishing her bachelor’s in intercultural understanding and wants to further her education with a master’s in human rights.

Martine has long been interested in the humanitarian field and always wanted to help people in her community.

She volunteered for CHEERing through Erasmus and her university’s internship program and worked with the football team. She is an experienced football player and loved to teach her skills and strategies to her students.

Medical Student

Louis is a third-year medical student at the University of Sheffield, with a particular interest in pediatrics and primary health.

His education and experience have increasingly highlighted health disparities globally, especially in the health access and health outcomes fields.

Previously, Louis has worked with foodKIND, another organization supporting refugees in Greece, which gave him experience in the field and solidified his desire to work with asylum seekers. Even after returning to his studies in Sheffield, Louis continued to support foodKIND as a long-distance volunteer, working in the administrative and organizational department of the charity.

Louis has also previously gained experience working within larger charity structures supporting organizations such as the British Red Cross with their family tracing service, VSO on some of their girls’ education programs, and organizing Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) while at medical school.

Medical Student

Molly is a fourth-year medical student taking a year out of her studies to volunteer with CHEERing. She studies at the University of Sheffield with a special interest in women’s health, especially in the context of refugee and migrant health. She is coordinating the various aspects of CHEERing’s preventive health program.

Molly has previously held the position of trustee for a charity working for the rights of women and children in Tanzania and has varied experience with multiple NGOs and activist groups. This experience spans a United Nations volunteering scheme writing project proposals for NGO fundraising worldwide, to work locally with young people affected by youth violence in the community. Molly is an active member of multiple student activism groups, which advocate for women’s rights and access to healthcare locally.

Intern

Camilla is an undergraduate at Sciences Po Paris campus Reims, studying a bachelor’s in political sciences. She volunteered for CHEERing through her universities’ summer internship program. She speaks English, Portuguese, Norwegian, and some French. 

Camilla has long been interested in the humanitarian field and has always been passionate about helping people. As the co-president of “Interagir” which is an association at Sciences Po working with and supporting displaced people in Reims, it became clear for her that she wanted to help refugee populations further.

Medical student

Jana has a degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Manchester and is now in the third year of her medical degree at the University of Sheffield. Her interests include women’s health, child’s health, and community care modules at medical school. Alongside medical school, she tutors children in Maths and English and works as a Student Ambassador. Previously, she has also volunteered with children with special needs, at a children’s hospice, and at a charity that promotes health to young children.

“I believe strongly in prevention through education, and I am pursuing a career that is both challenging yet rewarding and makes a difference”.

Erasmus Entrepreneur

Danni was an Erasmus Entrepreneur focused on maternal and infant nutrition, humanitarian aid, and disaster response. She brought five years of experience working as special needs assistant in Dublin, Ireland and previous volunteer for FoodKIND, which has driven her passion for supplemental nutrition.

Danni is a recent graduate of Nutraceuticals for Health and Nutrition from TU Dublin, where her dissertation focused on maternal food security and Nutrition among displaced people.

Erasmus Intern

Maria came to CHEERing focused on improving life’s quality, promoting food literacy, reducing food waste, and favoring sustainable diets. She is a graduate of Nutrition and Dietetics from Lisbon School of Health Technology in Lisbon, Portugal. Her Bachelor’s thesis focused on integrative approaches to weight management and the importance of considering psychological, behavioral, environmental, and social factors and expectations in nutrition interventions.

Maria previously volunteered with Refood in 2018 supporting food-insecure families accessing hot meals and in summer camps supervising children and teenagers in their activities.

Team Lead

Mariam spent many months working with CHEERing in Athens before completing a Masters of Science in Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy at the University of Vienna and then moving to take up a position with the Red Cross in Scotland. Originally from Iraq, she is fluent in Arabic and English. She also speaks intermediate German. She has spent the past five years working in the field of refugee aid and support. 

Experience:  Mariam has over five years of experience working with refugees and migrants in Athens, London, and Vienna. With a focus on the empowerment of vulnerable groups, she has taken part in inclusive initiatives and projects which aim to promote the voices, needs, and desires of these groups. She has worked as a site manager in Athens at a shelter for vulnerable women and children, which also functions as a day center open to all refugees and migrants. Further to this, she operated as a case worker for ATLAS, a platform dedicated to aiding LGBT+ migrants and refugees in Athens. She has designed numerous volunteer handbooks and training attempting to minimize malpractice and exploitation, whilst attempting to promote cultural understanding. 

Boston University School of Public Health Practicum Student

Zeinab has a Bachelor of Science in health and human service from the University of Michigan. She recently graduated with master’s degrees in medical sciences and public health from Boston University. Originally from Iraq, Zeinab moved with her family to the United States as a refugee.

Zeinab’s objective is to share her personal experiences and savoir-faire to help the refugees and migrants.

Clinical Program Lead

Mariam graduated from University College London Medical School in 2019 with an MBBS in Medicine and a BSc in Medical Sciences with Global Health. She has two years of experience working as a junior doctor in South London across specialties including Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. During medical school, Mariam also led a voluntary project coaching girls’ football. She is currently involved in research focused on migrant access to healthcare, and as a coordinator for Medact’s Race & Health Justice group, she organizes a series of reading groups. Her interests lie in child health and health disparities affecting minority populations. Mariam is intending to undertake an MPH next year.

At CHEERing, Mariam led the clinical program, oversaw our preventive health work, and trained volunteers and staff on clinical standards of care.

Health Manager & Data Protection Officer

Lena attended CHEERing’s first-ever training session, and was our first volunteer! She oversaw compliance with data management at CHEERing as well as other volunteer duties.

Lena recently graduated from the Global Health Masters program at the Kapodistrian University of Athens. She completed her undergraduate degree at the School of Public Health of West Attica University, in Public and Community Health. Lena was a participant in EDUVAC, an intensive Erasmus+ course on vaccinations at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

She speaks Greek, English, and German and has experience in clinical practice at Maternity and Child Healthcare Stations in Athens, Greece. As a result of her studies, Lena has experience in health promotion in the community, both in the field of vaccination and breastfeeding. She has also been working voluntarily with refugee populations in Greece since 2016.

Volunteer

Yildiz is a social worker and previously volunteered for CHEERing.

Yildiz has served as a social worker for the UN IOM Turkey MHPSS Team, as an intern for the Portugal Refugee Council and for the Probation Office, Turkey-Yalova, and as a volunteer for the Team for Youth Association, Romania-Baia Mare.

Volunteer

Lamprini was a volunteer at CHEERing. She holds a degree in history and archeology from the University of Ioannina Greece and recently completed her Master’s in Reading, Literacy, and Educational Material from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She brought over eight years of teaching philological courses and over four years of intercultural education to children and teenagers.

Monitoring, Evaluating, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Advisor

George joined CHEERing as our Monitoring, Evaluating, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Advisor. He holds a BSc in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response from the University of Manchester. He has been working in the Humanitarian
sector in Greece since 2018 with various NGOs and social movements.

George is passionate about advocating for asylum-seekers and refugees’ rights and physical and mental health, particularly for those living in precarious environments such as camps and detention centers. With CHEERing, he oversees accounting, administrative tasks, volunteer management, and care.

Field Operations Coordinator

Sakina is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US. She has worked with children and refugee communities for over six years. She is passionate about providing equitable health education for marginalized populations and advocating for people’s rights.

Sakina is currently the Field Operations Coordinator at CHEERing. Her role includes managing camp logistics to ensure successful camp visits, providing support and guidance to fellow volunteers, and making onsite decisions for operational or team concerns.

Volunteer

Abdelhameed is an Egyptian student with a Bachelor’s degree in political science and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Rights at Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

He is deeply committed to supporting vulnerable communities, particularly refugees, and has worked with several NGOs advocating for refugee rights. With CHEERing, he assists in Arabic translation at our Grow Clinics and helps with the Football program.

In his free time, Abdelhameed enjoys movies, TV shows, traveling, and exploring new cultures

Volunteer

Laura Matarranz Martín is a recent medical graduate from Spain, having completed her studies at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid. Throughout her academic journey, she gained practical experience as a student intern in several hospitals across Madrid, and in her final year, she completed a clinical placement in Santiago de Chile. These experiences gave her a solid foundation in both local and international healthcare.

Before beginning her specialized training, Laura decided to join the CHEERing team to contribute to the care of refugees in various camps throughout Greece and Athens. As the medical team leader, she plays a key role in developing growth clinics, managing medication distribution, coordinating referrals to specialists and ensuring the continuation of the anemia program. Laura is deeply committed to person-centered medicine, focusing on treating patients holistically and with compassion, particularly in vulnerable populations.