ATHENS: In 2010, Panagiota Kalliakmani had simply secured her chemistry degree and dreamed of going into analysis. Then the Greek financial disaster struck.
With the cash-strapped state pressured into massive spending cuts, the plug was once pulled on myriad analysis programmes and a police forensics activity Panagiota planned to use for in her house town of Thessaloniki was once scrapped.
"The crisis was a slap in the face," says the 34-year-old, who is now a chef. Working in the kitchen reminds her of being in a lab, she muses.
"We had grown up accustomed to the benefits of living in a European country and suddenly everything came crashing down," Panagiota said.
As the fiscal crunch ate away 1 / 4 of Greece's economy, some 300,000 Greeks -- among them the most productive educated and including Panagiota's brother -- emigrated.
Unemployment soared to highs of just about 28 % in 2013. Tens of thousands of small and middle-sized companies had to close up store.
"The most painful part of this era were the small get-togethers we had to say farewell to friends emigrating for work," says Natassa Dourida, a 35-year-old civil engineer.
In 2013, Natassa was once operating in development, one of the crucial dynamic sectors of the economy as much as that time.
As contracts dried up, she resolved to stick in Athens and become concerned in the peer economy that timidly emerged as principally young Greeks sought to lend a hand every different in accordance with the disaster.
With a Masters' degree in conservation, Natassa helped in 2015 to arrange Communitism, a gaggle that undertakes the restoration of rundown historic buildings for group use.
"The crisis was an opportunity to learn how to live and solve problems together," she said.
On August 20, Greece's 3rd and ultimate bailout officially ends after years of massively unpopular and stinging austerity measures.
The economy is rising slowly, and unemployment fell to under 20 % in May for the first time since 2011.
"Greece has managed to get back to its feet," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a remark previous this month.
"Now a new page of progress, justice and growth can begin," he said.
For some, on the other hand, rebuilding their lives isn't that straightforward.
"I'm putting back together the pieces of broken dreams," says Panagiota.
"You need to save yourself. You need to pick up your pieces, gather yourself, see what you are able to do, see what your skills are."
"Try to do something for yourself because nobody is going to do that for you. Not the state, not the European Union, not anybody else," she says.
Matina Tetsiou, a mother of two in her forties, not simplest misplaced her petrol station activity in 2014 however then break up up together with her husband and struggled to beef up her circle of relatives on low unemployment advantages.
Matina now lives together with her mother to save rent, however she is unable to pay her social insurance coverage arrears and a 2005 bank loan for a business that failed.
Still, she counts herself lucky to have an element time activity.
"It's enough to feed the children," she says.
After two years of research, Panagiota is set to sign her first employment contract as a chef in September.
But she may not allow herself to get excited over it.
"Nothing is certain. The crisis taught us not to make long-term plans," she says bitterly.
With the cash-strapped state pressured into massive spending cuts, the plug was once pulled on myriad analysis programmes and a police forensics activity Panagiota planned to use for in her house town of Thessaloniki was once scrapped.
"The crisis was a slap in the face," says the 34-year-old, who is now a chef. Working in the kitchen reminds her of being in a lab, she muses.
"We had grown up accustomed to the benefits of living in a European country and suddenly everything came crashing down," Panagiota said.
As the fiscal crunch ate away 1 / 4 of Greece's economy, some 300,000 Greeks -- among them the most productive educated and including Panagiota's brother -- emigrated.
Unemployment soared to highs of just about 28 % in 2013. Tens of thousands of small and middle-sized companies had to close up store.
"The most painful part of this era were the small get-togethers we had to say farewell to friends emigrating for work," says Natassa Dourida, a 35-year-old civil engineer.
In 2013, Natassa was once operating in development, one of the crucial dynamic sectors of the economy as much as that time.
As contracts dried up, she resolved to stick in Athens and become concerned in the peer economy that timidly emerged as principally young Greeks sought to lend a hand every different in accordance with the disaster.
With a Masters' degree in conservation, Natassa helped in 2015 to arrange Communitism, a gaggle that undertakes the restoration of rundown historic buildings for group use.
"The crisis was an opportunity to learn how to live and solve problems together," she said.
On August 20, Greece's 3rd and ultimate bailout officially ends after years of massively unpopular and stinging austerity measures.
The economy is rising slowly, and unemployment fell to under 20 % in May for the first time since 2011.
"Greece has managed to get back to its feet," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a remark previous this month.
"Now a new page of progress, justice and growth can begin," he said.
For some, on the other hand, rebuilding their lives isn't that straightforward.
"I'm putting back together the pieces of broken dreams," says Panagiota.
"You need to save yourself. You need to pick up your pieces, gather yourself, see what you are able to do, see what your skills are."
"Try to do something for yourself because nobody is going to do that for you. Not the state, not the European Union, not anybody else," she says.
Matina Tetsiou, a mother of two in her forties, not simplest misplaced her petrol station activity in 2014 however then break up up together with her husband and struggled to beef up her circle of relatives on low unemployment advantages.
Matina now lives together with her mother to save rent, however she is unable to pay her social insurance coverage arrears and a 2005 bank loan for a business that failed.
Still, she counts herself lucky to have an element time activity.
"It's enough to feed the children," she says.
After two years of research, Panagiota is set to sign her first employment contract as a chef in September.
But she may not allow herself to get excited over it.
"Nothing is certain. The crisis taught us not to make long-term plans," she says bitterly.
Greeks rebuild lives after debt crisis wrecked dreams
![Greeks rebuild lives after debt crisis wrecked dreams]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
August 19, 2018
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