Díla is an international community that supports young refugee women embarking on creative career paths. Established in Athens in 2021 and working informally in the city since 2018, Díla partners with imaginative and committed individuals who have come to Europe seeking security. Its reach extends across the European continent, following the organic patterns of its members' needs.

Through one-to-one mentoring, creative space-holding, and professional practice, Díla helps young women who’ve attained a degree of safety to move into the culturally and economically integrative phase of building their confidence, making their mark, and earning a living through the medium to which they feel called.

Díla relies on its network of contributors sharing their time, talents, and resources in different ways. Where needed it enlists existing education providers and expert tutoring to help with specific skills-building.

Mentorships in fashion, film, graphic design, illustration, jewellery, journalism, literature, marketing, photography and videography can currently be offered. Díla prioritises adapting to every new mentee and is guided by finding the right match for each individual. Mentorships combine in-person and online guidance on a case-by-case basis.

Work in Progress Studios, a multi-faceted arts space in downtown Athens, collaborates closely with Díla to provide studio spaces for individual creative production, group activities and workshops.

Díla has participated in events with The Economist, Institut Français de Grèce, Action for Women, Athens Fashion Film Festival, The Cube Athens, Alkinois, and the American College of Greece.

Mentees have received press coverage by Dazed, Vogue Greece, Vogue Germany, National Geographic, Vice Greece, Lifo, ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation), and ARD (German Public Broadcasting).

Projects have been supported in diverse ways by the World Crafts Council Europe, Greek Ministry of Culture, Irene Y. Panagopoulos Collection, Melissa Network, Pressure, Angelos Bratis, Simone Rocha, and many generous individuals.

Díla’s advisory board includes Roddick Foundation trustee and strategist Samantha Roddick, HumanRights360 founder and former Stavros Niarchos Foundation COO Epaminondas Farmakis, creative wellbeing mentor and literary educator Homan Yousofi, and social entrepreneur and NGO consultant Doreen Toutikian.

The network is overseen by founder Kasia Maciejowska. It takes its name from Kasia’s grandmother who was a teenage refugee during WWII from Poland to England via Greece, France and Portugal.