My first week with Offene Arme focused primarily on understanding the organisation, the context in which it operated and the experiences and needs of the people it supported. I was warmly welcomed by the team and spent time becoming familiar with both the organisation's day-to-day activities and the wider situation facing asylum seekers on Chios. Rather than immediately attempting to implement my own ideas, I recognised the importance of first listening to the people already working within the organisation and understanding what they identified as its priorities.
My SMART goal for the first week was therefore to develop a clear understanding of Offene Arme, its beneficiaries, organisational structure and immediate priorities before making significant changes to my project. I aimed to speak with several members of the team, observe the Free Shop and warehouse, understand how resources were distributed and identify two or three areas where I could make a useful contribution by the end of the week.
I achieved this goal and found that the process of listening before acting was itself an important leadership lesson. I had arrived with ideas about how I could contribute, but I quickly realised that the most useful project would need to respond to an existing organisational need rather than simply reflect what I personally thought would be valuable. This reinforced the importance of humility, one of the qualities I had explored through the Oxford Character Project. I began to understand that humility in leadership does not mean lacking confidence; rather, it means recognising the limits of your own knowledge and being willing to learn from others.
I also began to appreciate the complexity of the context in which Offene Arme works. Supporting asylum seekers involves responding to immediate and very practical needs while also recognising the uncertainty and vulnerability experienced by people who may not know where they will be living in the future. The organisation therefore needs to be responsive and flexible, often adapting rapidly to changing circumstances.
This developed my Laidlaw capacities of communication, collaboration, observation and reflection. I learnt that effective service requires both compassion and practical judgement. Wanting to help is not necessarily enough; meaningful help depends upon understanding what is actually needed and how an organisation can provide it effectively.
The first week therefore provided the foundation for the rest of my placement. By taking the time to understand Offene Arme and its context, I was better positioned to identify where my contribution could have a practical and lasting benefit.