“Every child received individualized care, because every child is unique”
From September 2020 until March 2022, SolidarityNow provided care and support to 86 unaccompanied children, under the “Step-by-Step: Supported Independent Living Apartments for Unaccompanied Children aged 16 or more” program in Athens and Thessaloniki. The program (MIS:5063334) was funded within the framework of the National Program of the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund and the European Union and implemented with the support of the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors.
Empowerment and confidence
Building together with the children the foundations of trust and autonomy, elements necessary for their later life, the specialized staff of SolidarityNow provided the children with various services, such as psychosocial support, legal assistance, interpretation, escort to medical services. At the same time, specially designed actions were implemented -educational and recreational activities, vocational orientation courses- which contributed to the empowerment and development of life skills (soft skills). The aim of the above is the smooth social integration of children in Greek society, but also into adult life. Through these actions, we discovered and encouraged Ahmad’s talent for painting and comics, Mohamed’s love of football that led him to join a sports club, while we are proud of Javid completing his secondary education and dreams of helping others – he wants to get involved in the medical field.
“Every child received individualized care because every child is unique. Each child has its own dreams, talents, skills, needs and experiences and we focused on exactly that. We built relationships of trust and security. We supported the children with love and care and together we achieved a lot. We focused and strengthened their positive elements, we supported them to discover their desires and talents; overcome experiences of the past; make dreams for their lives. They believed in themselves and their abilities and received the tools to walk their path and claim a better future, a better life. The life they deserve. We are very proud of these children and we thank them for this whole journey, for the precious moments and the strong emotions that we shared”, Giorgos Tsouros, Program Manager.
The next step
Upon the completion of SolidarityNow’s Step-by-Step program, most of the children were transferred to other semi-autonomous living structures with the assistance of the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, and those who became adults were transferred to ESTIA apartments.