ABOUT US
AMURTEL (Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team, Ladies) is an international women’s NGO founded in 1975 in India, initiating projects managed by women for women and children. AMURTEL Greece maintains safe women’s spaces that focus on the period of pregnancy
up to two years after birth.
We understand that for many women in times of crisis, their concerns focus around the well-being of their children and family. We are also aware that disasters can make women more susceptible to post-traumatic stress, depression, or lingering shock and grief. Pregnant and postpartum women are often especially vulnerable.
AMURTEL maintains a day center in a central area of Athens as well as providing services in refugee camps, shelters and local NGO venues.
We understand that for many women in times of crisis, their concerns focus around the well-being of their children and family. We are also aware that disasters can make women more susceptible to post-traumatic stress, depression, or lingering shock and grief. Pregnant and postpartum women are often especially vulnerable.
AMURTEL maintains a day center in a central area of Athens as well as providing services in refugee camps, shelters and local NGO venues.
OUR AIMS
Mitigate the effects of crises by supporting women to be the best possible mothers they can be and thus give their children the best possible start in life.
Empower women through discussions about infant care with an emphasis on breastfeeding and infant nutrition, as well as sexual reproductive health and gender based violence.
Create community in order to overcome the often devastating effects of isolation due to lack of a supportive network of family and friends.
WHO WE ARE
Didi Lee
Regional Coordinator As the Regional Coordinator of AMURTEL in Greece, Didi began coordinating programs for pregnancy and infant care during the unprecedented influx of refugees in 2015. Stemming from the 1970’s when she lived in the US and, as an RN, assisted mothers and families in giving birth at home, Didi has been committed to mothers and babies experiencing pregnancy, birth and the first years of life after birth in the best possible way.
Hengameh Tajik
Project Manager Studied hardware engineering in Tehran but had to leave Iran in 2012. Having volunteered with AMURTEL and other organizations as a Farsi interpreter/cultural mediator, Henna has taken over as AMURTEL’s Project Manager since January 2021.
Georgia Stavrakis
Fundraising andCommunications Manager Australian born, Georgia settled in Greece in 2018 after spending most of her vacations travelling between the two countries all her life. Soon after, Georgia joined AMURTEL Greece as the Communications & Fundraising Manager. Georgia has worked for charities most of her career and loves the direct contact and measurable impact AMURTEL has with mothers and babies.
Rebecca Werwath
Lactation Consultant Has a degree in Medicine from AUTH (Aristotele University of Thesalloniki), has completed a 4 year course in Homeopathy (2012-2016), and has been a La Leche League leader supporting breastfeeding mothers since 2015. She loves helping mums in need as well as getting to know the amazing staff and volunteers at AMURTEL. Having been born and raised in Greece with an English mother and German father, Rebecca is married to a Greek and has a 13 year old son.
Maria Bobou
Lactation Consultant Has a BA and MA degree in psychology. Her two daughters, now adults, brought her in contact with the joys and challenges of mothering and breastfeeding. For 20 years she has been a breastfeeding counselor, at first with La Leche League International and from 2007, as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has been involved with refugee support with AMURTEL as an Infant Feeding counselor since 2015.
Rana Abdulsamad
Arabic Interpreter / Cultural Mediator Rana Abdulsamad is from Lebanon. She has a BSC in physiotherapy with a specialization in women’s health and an MS in Quality in Healthcare. She is trained in supporting breastfeeding families and counselling for breastfeeding online as well as facilitating breastfeeding and infant care support groups. Rana speaks three languages and is a full time mother of 2 boys.
Dafni Potiraki
Midwife Is a midwife at AMURTEL. She has two loves in her life, her son and midwifery! Having worked in doctors’ offices and hospitals in the past, she felt like she belonged at AMURTEL from the first time she visited the center. Dafni feels that the word ‘care’ is AMURTEL’s motto and she hopes she can continue giving care to mothers and babies at AMURTEL for a long time.
Litsa Anastasopoulou
Receptionist Has been the intake officer/receptionist at AMURTEL since 2016. She really enjoys working in a place with women and babies (in her own words: “what working environment could be sweeter?!”) She believes in the empowerment of women and is glad to make even a small contribution to this empowerment. Litsa hopes to continue this job for many years and help as many women and babies as possible. She is married and has a son 18 months old.
Yiannis and Apostolos-Aggelos Yiotis
Security Guards Yiannis and Apostolos-Aggelos Yiotis Yiannis is 49 years old and from Greece. Amongst other jobs, he served in the Greek army for 12 years with five medals of honour. He has been working at AMURTEL since 2017 as a security guard.Apostolos-Aggelos, 23 years old, is Yiannis’ son. Having completed his training as a security guard, he has worked with his father at AMURTEL since 2019.
Roqaya Jafari
Farsi/Dari Interpreter/Cultural Mediator Originally from Afghanistan, Roqaya has been living in Greece for nearly 2 years. She is a certified teacher of English as a second language and has been volunteering with local NGO’s before beginning her work at AMURTEL. Being an asylum seeker and a mother, she understands the needs and situations of the mothers coming to AMURTEL and is able to offer peer support as a Farsi and Dari speaking cultural mediator. Roqaya has a 9 year old daughter.