Fish farms on Poros: Why the residents are against it

Anastasia Karouti talks to us

Katheti is an educational and cultural centre aiming to provide locals and visitors of the area with the opportunity to learn new things, to develop their skills, and to have fun by attending cultural events. Many of Katheti’s educational activities for the previous school year of 2018-2019, have been designed by Anastasia Karouti, an educator and translator.

Read an interview with Anastasia below to find out more about her work and education in general, while getting to know who we are!

Tell us about your work. I am an English language teacher and translator and I work at Katheti. There I design educational activities and I deliver seminars on topics I have been trained on and on which I have professional experience. I have been teaching English since 2010. I have taught English to learners of all levels. My great passion was and still is translation –since 2009, I have been collaborating with various companies for the translation of medical and legal texts and for the translation of INTERREG deliverables.   What is your relationship with the local area? I visited Poros for the first time in 2011 and I instantly fell in love with the area. Since then, I have started visiting the island every year. In 2017, when I had been living in Athens for 3 years already, I realised that I wanted to leave and live in a place which will inspire me and help me learn more about myself, away from the city’s noise. So, I moved to Poros in August 2018 and I do not regret it for a moment.   How has crisis affected your work and your life and how do you deal with it? I graduated my university school in 2010, amid crisis. I was exceptionally lucky to find a job right away and almost never become unemployed. The crisis has had a profound effect on me, though, as in order to make it, I had to never stop trying to find a job −even when I was already working somewhere− or working two or three jobs at a time. I can now say that I cope with the crisis by setting clear goals, by constantly searching for new things, and by finding creative solutions to the issues that concern me. And of course with constant training.   Which of your knowledge and personality traits have been most useful to you in your professional life? What are your weaknesses and how have they influenced you? What I have made the most of is my curiosity and willingness to learn new things and improve my skills. I am sure that without the motivation to learn and evolve, I would not be able to design seminars or activities and not be afraid to do something out of my comfort zone. One of my disadvantages is my insistence on doing everything on my own, which has led to my being overworked. It's something I'm still trying to improve and now I think I'm on the right track.   Is there an aspect of your personality or anything related to how you work that would like to improve? Someone may find gaps in their knowledge or things they want to develop every day. This applies to me, too. When I realize that there are things I can improve about an activity I design on or in a text I translate, I do my research and try to fill in the missing pieces. I think what I want to improve is the way I treat myself when I understand that I need to learn something more –I sometimes get harsh or feel guilty if I make a mistake. I need to learn how to be more understanding towards me.   Is there anything you would do differently? What do you consider as a right step in your career? What I would do differently is talk more with people who could act as my mentors, with my professors or friends and with colleagues so as to get ideas and learn by avoiding common mistakes. What I feel I have done very well is that I have never stopped evolving, I managed to easily adjust to all the work environments in which I found myself, and I set clear goals: to be independent, to act on my values ​​and to respect others.   What piece of advice would you give to a young person who would like to do what you do? Never stop looking for opportunities and never be afraid to try new things. To volunteer, to live abroad for at least a short time period, to read a lot of literature and to always be up-to-date on developments in their field. To learn at least 2 foreign languages ​​at a very good level, to attend seminars and courses and to always try to answer the following questions: who am I, where do I want to go, how can I go there, why do I want to go there. If the last question is answered by the first one, this person in on the right track!   What are your plans for the future, short-term and long-term ones? I intend on keeping on learning and having more fun.   Short bio Anastasia Karouti grew up in Nafplio. She is an English language teacher and translator with postgraduate studies on gender studies and feminist theory and she has received training on education, non-formal and experiential learning, intercultural communication, and the Erasmus+ programme in Greece and abroad. For two years, she had been working as a trainer and educational counsellor at non-profit organisations in Romania. In 2013-2014, she participated in GROW, a nationwide educational programme for personal and professional development. As a trainer, she was responsible for designing and delivering experiential learning workshops to teenagers, as well as training international volunteers on non-formal learning.
Previous Article
Impressions from the workshop “From Idea into Action”
29 July 2019
Next Article
Testimonials for Katheti’s activities for 2018-2019
11 September 2019

Recent Posts

Korfos fish farm
13 November 2023

These short film documentaries about the Industrial Fish Farms illustrate the global harmful impact on the environment and our health.

29 September 2023

Sport is an activity that develops body and mind equally. Through sport, our youth learn new skills and socialize, creating friendships and partnerships in an environment of healthy competition.

29 August 2023

A look back at Poros Arts Festival 2023. This summer, the Poros Arts Festival was spread all over the island.

Resources about fish farms featured image
29 July 2023

An innovative information tool which brings together data, research, videos and articles about industrial fish farming.

24 July 2023

Fishing for Profits: Aquaculture company meeting resistance from local communities in Greece and Spain.

27 June 2023

An innovative digital events calendar that covers the area of Poros, Troizinia and Methana. The calendar informs locals and visitors about planned events related to culture, education, sports, etc, in Greek and in English.

01 June 2023

A number of enlightened countries have already banned industrial fish farms in open marine net pens such as those on Poros.

winetasting-featured-image
27 April 2023

The wine routes in our area have existed since antiquity. Nowadays, wine remains a popular drink and an important agricultural product.

poros trails
26 April 2023

Poros trails bring us in contact with the pine forest and the untouched natural environment of the island.

performing arts
02 December 2022

The creative work of people in this area is our identity. So, let’s take a taste of the local performing arts.

kyouka
03 November 2022

“KYUKA” is a modern life-story movie about a family sailing to Poros for their summer vacation.

sundesmos-troizinioi
28 February 2022

The Association of Troizinians living in Athens and Piraeus was founded in 1895, is based in Piraeus and has many events to its credit.

agios dimitrios
26 January 2022

The byzantine chapel of Agios Dimitrios in Methana was built at the edge of the lava, circa the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century and hides a lot of mysteries. 

sillogos poriotissa
25 January 2022

The variety of customs reflects the particular character of each small society and composes a larger, colorful, multivalent image, that of culture. Knowledge of our traditions and history shapes our future common course as a community. This is the reason why Katheti supports all those people who strengthen with their actions the local cultural life and keep our cultural heritage alive. One such example is the Cultural Association of Poros Women “Poriotissa”. 

oi-filoi-tis-paradosis
23 December 2021

The Cultural Association of Galatas “Friends of Tradition” was founded with the aim of promoting the area of Galatas and preserving the tradition and history of the area. 

volunteering
25 October 2021

Volunteering means compassion and care. It creates friendships and helps us achieve multifaceted personal development.

olive tree
01 October 2021

We live in an area that can be described as land of the olive tree. An area with awards and tradition in the production of excellent quality olive oil.

Hiking trails of Poros, Troizhnia and Methana
28 May 2021

The hiking trails of Poros, Troizinia and Methana unfold in a place with special geography and variety of landscape.

27 April 2021

Our region, has an idyllic landscape and tradition in fishing and tourism. What better than a fishing trip with the Saronic Gulf as a view!

feature image Voluntary Fire Unit of Poros
24 March 2021

The altruism of these people preserves our right to live safer.

22 January 2021

Handmade creations combine knowledge and traditional techniques with modern aesthetics to produce functional, useful products and serve practical needs. Local artisans have a two-way relationship with the area in which they live.

21 December 2020

Sustainable tourism, which respects people, the environment and culture, is ideal for this blessed place. This is the belief of Ec(h)o, the local team of Project Resound, a social design organization, which uses its creative skills to bring a positive change in the world.

24 November 2020

What better gift than a book? Katheti compiled in one article all books with a local flavor we managed to discover and we present them to you.

29 October 2020

Some say that people resemble the place they come from. In order to discover the area, its beauty and specificities, the most suitable way is through a gastronomic adventure. The local products and producers are going to reveal surprising hidden treasures, by giving us a glimpse of the Saronic Gulf’s charm.

30 September 2020

Katheti visited the space of the association “Cultural Action of Troizina” at the Municipal Office of Troizina.

28 February 2024

The sculptor of the Mermaid of Poros, George Xenoulis, left his indelible mark with the statue he sculpted for our island.

02 February 2024

On January 25 the educational program “Why we say no to fish farms on Poros” took place at Katheti in collaboration with EPAL Galatas!

01 December 2023

Katheti is ready for a year full of events and activities!