
SolidarityNow on the side of the most vulnerable populations through the operation of Care Hubs in Attica, Epirus, and Eastern Macedonia
As part of ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable refugee and migrant groups, special support centers –known as “Blue Dots”- for children, women and families are being rolled out in more than 10 points across Greece to provide vital services, counselling and play in a single location.
SolidarityNow, with UNICEF support, is implementing this innovative approach to connect the Blue Dots on a national scale. Piloted in Greece in the Port of Piraeus earlier in 2016, the Blue Dots concept was developed originally by UNHCR, UNICEF and ICRC to ensure a minimum package of services was available to the refugee population across Europe and foster complementarity amongst protection actors on the ground. The SolidarityNow “Blue Dots” are easily identified, since they have the distinctive mark of the blue dot indicating that through the present structure the several essential services are provided free of charge. Through this program, SolidarityNow is addressing the inadequate supply of services in 4 different geographical areas of the country: Attica (Elefsina and Marathonas), Central Macedonia (Oreokastro and Kavalari), Eastern Macedonia (Drama) and Epirus (Filippiada, Ioannina and Doliana).
The Blue Dots in detail
The “Blue Dots” are Child & Family Care Hubs for children, women and other vulnerable people living in refugee camps in Attica, Epirus and Central and Eastern Macedonia, as well as in the urban environment of these regions, where the greatest populations’ needs are recorded.
Every “Blue Dot” is a safe place for refugee children and their families, while the range of services offered at each one includes legal counseling, psycho-social support, case management and referrals, specific area exclusively for mothers and babies/children.
“The Blue Dot is the image of our world, as envisioned by SolidarityNow – a planet where people will be equally treated and have the same opportunities living in societies based on solidarity and peaceful coexistence and this begins by helping children and families”, says Epaminondas Farmakis, Managing Director of SolidarityNow.
More specifically, the operation of the Child & Family Care Hubs includes:
- Child-friendly spaces that provide recreational and educational activities for children in order to restore the sense of normalcy that they have lost during the journey and while stranded.
- Identification and referral of vulnerable persons to specialized services, including vulnerable families, single mothers, children at risk with a specific focus on unaccompanied children, persons with disabilities or illnesses, cases of suspected trafficking, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
- Breastfeeding corners and provision of reproductive, neonatal, and postnatal care and counseling.
- Sharing efficient and accurate information to refugees and migrants, about their rights (before and after applying for international protection).
- Providing general psycho-social services, and referrals when needed.