The current geopolitical challenges and the expected increase in migration flows, create new conditions and priorities for humanitarian organisations and have called for the management restructuring of SolidarityNow. The position of General Manager, previously held by Prof. Antigone Lyberaki, is assumed by Mrs Marilyn Polena (economist), following many years at the organisation as Programme Director. Mrs Fay Koutzoukou (lawyer) will be taking on the role of Deputy General Manager while Mrs. Ioanna Fourkiotou, Regional Director for northern Greece and Lily Sklavi, Finance Director, remain in their positions.

The priorities of the new management team will be to continue the excellent work carried out by the organisation to date as well as the development of new interventions to support those affected by the continued economic crisis, the pandemic and global disruptions. SolidarityNow has supported more than 320.000 beneficiaries throughout its ten years of contribution to society.

Commenting on the new structure, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SolidarityNow, Stelios Zavvos, stated, “On behalf of SolidarityNow’s Board of Directors, I would like to thank Professor Antigone Lyberaki for her work and dedication over the last five years as General Manager. I welcome Marilyn Polena and Fay Koutzoukou to their new roles as General Manager and Deputy General Manager of SolidarityNow. Marilyn, Fay, Ioanna and Lily are core and tested members of SolidarityNow’s team, with a longstanding experience in programme design and implementation. The new team will ensure the continuous quality of the interventions amidst the new contextual challenges to support our fellow citizens, enabling them to become self-reliant and take their lives in their own hands. SolidarityNow will continue the great humanitarian work carried out to date in the years to come.”

Access to vaccines for Third Country Nationals

SolidarityNow conducted a survey to collect information regarding the access to COVID-19 vaccines for beneficiaries of the organization’s programs who are Third Country Nationals (TCNs) residing in Greece. The survey took place during December 2021 and the relevant report including its results was elaborated in January 2022.

SolidarityNow reached out to a representative sample of 497 individuals, beneficiaries of the organization, asking a set of questions to learn about their experience with the vaccination process, barriers faced and areas of concern. The survey found that 81% of participants had been vaccinated, despite the multitude of challenges faced. 62% of the vaccinated, stated that they proceeded with the vaccination to protect themselves, friends, and family, 28% to move around freely and 12% because they were obliged to do so by their employer.

Findings

1. Individuals participating in the survey and are eligible to stay in Greece have access to the vaccination system either independently or with the support of NGO staff and/or friends and social media.
2. Most of the participants of the survey (81%) were vaccinated.
3. The main reasons stated for those who are not vaccinated, were personal (16%) as well as legal barriers (14%).
4. A common challenge for both the vaccinated and non-vaccinated was the lack of knowledge regarding the vaccination process.
5. More than 10% had been facing issues regarding their Social Security numbers.
6. Only 9% feel insecure vis-a-vis the COVID-19 vaccine.

“It is encouraging that a certain population of exceptionally vulnerable people, has shown and continues to show a high level of adjustment during an unprecedented health condition, which has further worsened their social status. Despite being last in the vaccination access pyramid, and having to overcome the existing bureaucratic problems that delay or often deprive them of equal and timely access to rights and benefits, Third Country Nationals stood by the collective effort to protect society. This is yet another proof that the stereotypical approach, as well as any kind of discrimination among population groups, are meaningless in the open societies in which we want to live. For us at SolidarityNow, it is also a strong indication that we must continue supporting and strengthening their social integration”, Antigone Lyberaki, General Manager.

Survey Participants’ Status

Most of the participants were between 18-40 years of age (75%), while 5% where minors, mostly unaccompanied. Most of the participants were male (75%). The majority of the participants originated from Afghanistan (24%), Pakistan (19%), Iran (13%) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (10%).

Of the total number of participants, 50% were asylum seekers, while 38% were already recognized as refugees or in possession of a residence permit. Among the participants, 12% were not eligible to stay in Greece or in transit, whilst 3% has received a second rejection. Undocumented individuals mainly from Pakistan (13%) stated that they have applied for asylum in Greece and are in limbo.

Find the full report here.

*The survey was an initiative of the Athens Solidarity Center by SolidarityNow which is supported by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) in the framework of its global COVID-19 Relief Initiative.

The organization’s new “Homework and Creative Activities Centers (HCACs)” in full operation throughout Greece

SolidarityNow celebrates today’s International Day of Education with its new program entitled “Pathway to All Children in Education (ACE)“. The program implemented with the support and funding from UNICEF Greece, started in October 2021 and today has its “Homework and Creative Activities Centers (HCACs)” in full operation.

The aim of the program is to facilitate the integration of refugee and migrant children in the formal education setting through the provision of non-formal education services in the “Homework and Creative Activities Centers (HCACs)” and other complementary activities.

The program is dedicated to education, children and their development through a well-designed curriculum and creative activities, as well as the promotion of access to public education. Access to quality education is an absolute right for all children.

A Pathway to Education throughout Greece

The project is implemented in six (6) regions across mainland Greece, namely: Attica, Central Greece, Central and Eastern Macedonia, Epirus, and the Peloponnese.

Non-formal education services are directly provided in:

• 14 Open Accommodation Sites across mainland Greece

• 4 urban centers (Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Kilkis),

while support activities for integration in formal education will be provided to migrant and refugee children residing in all the aforementioned regions. SolidarityNow is leading a consortium which includes the Greek Council of Refugees (with implementation in Athens), the Melissa Network (Athens) and OMNES association (Kilkis).

Focus on Education

The program is the evolution of a flexible and responsive program able to meet the dynamic needs of the people of concern. SolidarityNow, in collaboration with UNICEF, has been involved since 2016 in the operation of the “Blue Dots” (emergency intervention centers), which evolved into the “Child and Family Support Hubs” (greater geographical coverage, emphasis on child protection) and which today become the “Homework and Creative Activities Centers”. The latter’s focus is the provision of high-quality educational services to the children as well as the integration of children in public education.

“SolidarityNow is entering the bright pathway of this new program to do what it believes in most of all. To invest in education and in the prospects that it gives to our children, the children of tomorrow in an inclusive and open society. Along with the significant support of UNICEF, we look forward and seek, with the development of the appropriate learning tools and the capabilities of our interdisciplinary training teams, to offer children a complete package of non-formal education services. Through this, children will not only be supported to become better in the formal education, but will be supported to express their inclinations, to create their own vital space of expression through activities, to be exposed to new stimuli, to cultivate curiosity, to experiment, always with the help of their teachers and all of us who will be there to empower and encourage them to pursue their dreams”, Antigone Lyberaki, General Manager of SolidarityNow.

*The project “All Children in Education” (ACE) is implemented by SolidarityNow with support and funding from UNICEF Greece.

SolidarityNow Welcomes and Supports 175 Unaccompanied Minors

transferred from the Islands and the Evros to the mainland

“We ought to create a human network for children to feel safe and protected, this is our first step” _Antigone Lyberaki, General Manager, SolidarityNow

SolidarityNow, supports the organized efforts of the state and Civil Society for the immediate decongestion of the islands and the border area, for the safe and organized transfer of people, by welcoming and supporting 175 unaccompanied minors in temporary accommodation in the mainland.

SolidarityNow, under the overall coordination of the Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and with the support of the European Commission, provides care and support services for 175 unaccompanied children in three temporary accommodation in northern Greece, specifically in the prefectures of Kozani and Ioannina. The unaccompanied minors previously lived either in Reception and Identification Centers or were under protective custody.

“It is challenging for us to create a human environment where these children will feel protected. We ought to create a human net, through the daily human contact of our teams with them, to make them feel safe and protected, this is our first step. We want them to feel familiar – to give them back the opportunity to feel like children again, like teenagers again. To give them the reassurance that they can claim a better present and an even better future”, points out Antigone Lyberaki, General Manager of SolidarityNow. “Kozani and Ioannina are open-minded places with educated individuals. And it is important for the local communities to embrace this common effort because such initiatives demonstrate how cooperative societies we can be when we have a common goal”.

The SolidarityNow team, which consists of 102 experienced and specialized staff, through the program, provides to these children:

– psychosocial support and personalized case management

– legal advice and facilitating access to public services

– non-formal education and leisure activities

– interpretation and cultural mediation

– clothing and personal hygiene items

– evaluation and advice on medical issues

– escort to health facilities and other services where the physical presence of children is required

SolidarityNow points out that the synergy between the state’s stakeholders and the Civil Society for the transfer of the unaccompanied minors to safe accommodation places is an important step in providing protection to these children, but also a step towards decongestion of the Reception Centers in the Aegean islands and in the border area of ​​Evros, and we hope it continues.

We stand by the side of children aged 16+, in Athens and Thessaloniki

They took the first step: to leave their country, mostly due to violence, war, and conflicts. Then, they arrived in our country. Many of them were forced to live homeless for days, to hide, to avoid dangers, to work for survival. Some stayed for several months in accommodation structures, in Reception and Identification Centers, in overcrowded camps on the islands or on the northern borders, often under dangerous conditions. And luckily, many of them survived. Unaccompanied children in Greece in 2020. Now is the time for these children to take the next step. And SolidarityNow is next to them in order to help them stand on their own feet, empower them on the way to adulthood and enable them to claim their own independent life.

As of September 2020, SolidarityNow has begun to actively support one of the most vulnerable population’s groups, that of unaccompanied minors. “Step by Step” is the name of the new program “Supported apartments for Unaccompanied Minors aged 16+”, in Athens and Thessaloniki. The “Step-by-Step” program (MIS 5063334) is implemented in the framework of the National Program of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, from October 1^st, 2020 and for a period of 12 months, with the co-funding of Greece and the European Union. “Step by Step” is supported by the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and the Prosecutors for Minors and local competent Public Prosecutors.

SolidarityNow began the implementation of the “Step by Step” program, in order to stand by the side of unaccompanied children, who under very difficult conditions have to start a new life in a foreign country away from their own people and contributes to the overall effort of the state and Civil Society for their protection.

Unaccompanied minors are boys and girls under the age of 18 who are in the country unaccompanied by an adult responsible for their care and who have applied for or are about to apply for asylum. Unluckily, despite the efforts of the state and humanitarian organizations, the number of unaccompanied children in need of immediate and urgent support remains high.

According to the statistics by the National Center for Social Solidarity, the estimated number of unaccompanied minors in Greece until October 15, 2020 was 4,190, 92.8% of which are boys, 7.2% girls and 8.5% under 14 years. Many of the unaccompanied children are living in precarious housing conditions or are homeless.

“Step by Step” on the side of the Unaccompanied Children

SolidarityNow offers an alternative form of care and living for unaccompanied children in supported apartments in the two biggest urban centers of the country. In addition to secure housing, the program focuses on the provision of expanded services by the organization’s trained staff.

The twelve (12) supported apartments, eight (8) in Athens and four (4) in Thessaloniki, function since October 2020 and have a capacity of forty-eight (48) beds. A total of 48 children will be accommodated, 44 of which are boys and 4 girls. The children are aged 16+ and come from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, and Syria.

The purpose of the program is, at the same time, to ensure and protect the fundamental rights of unaccompanied children. Furthermore, our goals are the individualized care and protection of children, the improvement of their abilities and skills, the one-to-one support in order to achieve their personal goals, the strengthening of their self-confidence and self-preservation so that they can become autonomous. In this way the children are supported towards adulthood and are led -step by step- to a smooth integration into the Greek society.

The SolidarityNow team in Athens and Thessaloniki, consisting of qualified workforce, provides children with:

– psychosocial support and personalized case management

– legal advice and facilitation of access to public services

– facilitation of access to medical care

– non-formal education and leisure activities

– interpretation and intercultural mediation

– access to employability guidance and skills enhancement, etc.

“SolidarityNow, with its long experience in supporting vulnerable groups, is launching a new program, which will support unaccompanied children towards adulthood, so that they can integrate smoothly and gradually into Greek society. We are excited to welcome the first children who enthusiastically express their desire to follow us step by step in a common path that will lead them closer to their dreams“, says Evdokia Bakalou, Project Coordinator in Athens.

The “Step-by-Step” program (MIS 5063334) is implemented in the framework of the National Program of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, from October 1^st, 2020 and for a period of 12 months, with the co-funding of Greece and the European Union. “Step by Step” is supported by the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and the Prosecutors for Minors and local competent Public Prosecutors.

Refugees’ Social Integration through Education

“Education is the second sun for people”, Plato.

More than 3,000 visits every month, 3 Integration Learning Centers, 3 cities -Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina-, 450 registered adult students, 180 people attend Greek language courses on a regular basis, 1,950 teaching hours, 7 on-line training courses as an alternative form of education.

All the above summarize the work being done by SolidarityNow in the context of the pilot integration program “HELIOS” (the word sun in Greek). “Our sun”, a modern and innovative program, implemented in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and EU support, is addressed to beneficiaries of international protection in Greece. “HELIOS” offers services aimed at promoting the independent living of people in the country and includes, among others: housing benefits, integration courses and employment support. On the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the teachers and educators of SolidarityNow, as education is an integral part of the organization’s work and the only way forward and towards social inclusion.

“HELIOS” main goal is to empower people by providing them the opportunity to learn the Greek language; this is the first and essential step for their social integration in the country. The long-term goal of the program is to be the “second sun” for people who are given an opportunity to build a safer and better present and future by offering them equal opportunities and access to education.

The “HELIOS” program

SolidarityNow is a key implementing partner of the International Organization for Migration, in the framework of the “HELIOS” program, which began in June 2019 and includes courses of language and of other necessary skills, in three Integration Learning Centers in Athens, Thessaloniki and Ioannina. Each of the six-month course comprises of units related to the learning of the Greek language, the cultural orientation, the degree of work skill and readiness.

World Teacher’s Day

The teachers working for “HELIOS” are the foundation for its successful implementation; they are the ones who have undertaken the task of providing multifaceted education to the program’s beneficiaries. To date, in the three cities where the program is active, there are 450 enrolled in integration courses, 180 of which attend the Greek language courses.

In fact, the first certificates were recently awarded to the first graduates of the program at a small graduation ceremony that took place a few days ago in Athens.

Some interesting facts about the “HELIOS” program implemented by SolidarityNow, from June 2019 till today:

– over 3,000 visits monthly at the three Integration Learning Centers in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Ioannina

– 7 on-line training courses for learning the Greek language were created so as for the program to meet both the emergency caused by the coronavirus and the needs of people living far from the Integration Learning Centers. The online courses, through the digital educational platform “e-campus”, operate until today, effectively serving the beneficiaries’ different needs

– a Special Recreational Space for Children was created with the aim of facilitating parents during their lessons

– teaching hours exceed 1,900

– 45% of students are women and 55% are men

– the three main countries of students’ origin are Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Providing multidimensional education

The organization’s teachers do not provide only Greek language courses, but also courses related to several other topics. More specifically:

• students participate in meetings to develop life skills, such as how to manage household finances and how to contact public services
• courses are devoted to culture, history, geography, the political system, and basic law system of the country
• students are empowered to enter the job market by learning to prepare their CVs as well as cover letters, how to look through job advertisements and present themselves in a job interview.

“The important role of teachers in the development of students and of the society is the core of the “HELIOS” program. Having the teachers by their side, the adult students seize the opportunity to become familiar, through properly planned actions, with the Greek way of life and culture in order to be supported on their way towards a smooth social integration. At SolidarityNow we provide educational and soft skills courses because in addition to language learning, we contribute to the creation of autonomous people. We want them to be able to live an independent life, in which they will be offered opportunities in both education and work, as well as in achieving equal and active position in society”, points out Antigone Lyberaki, General Manager of SolidarityNow.

“We promote interaction, cooperation and communication within the classroom to form the appropriate learning environment, which works cumulatively in the learning process. Every day we feel proud: for the two brothers from Afghanistan, who in six months managed to speak fluently Greek. For the mother who raises a child alone, learns Greek and managed to find a temporary job. For our young student who learns Greek, and now works as an interpreter. For our illiterate student from Iraq, who can now read and write in Greek and every day describes us the feeling of the joy he feels when he reads the signs on the street – when he knows how to live, as he says, without the need of others”, says Giannis Giantsidis, Education Specialist at the Athens Integration Learning Center.

*SolidarityNow is a key implementing partner of the International Organization for Migration, in the framework of the “HELIOS” program, which is funded by the European Commission – Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME).

Food and essential items distributed to the victims

 Thessaloniki, September 30, 2020

Karditsa is still counting its wounds after the catastrophic passage of cyclone Ianos, which left behind dead but also huge catastrophes -natural, social, economic-. SolidarityNow, in a symbolic gesture of solidarity and support for the people affected, has been collecting and donating essential items and dry food until the local community is back on its feet. The initiative and assistance was undertaken, coordinated and delivered by refugees and asylum seekers, all beneficiaries of the organization, as a sign of reciprocity to the country that host them but also as a practical support to the residents of the area affected by the severe consequences of the cyclone.

SolidarityNow’s mandate is to support the most vulnerable members of society, without discrimination, through innovative social actions. This time, the initiative for this action was taken by the students (recognized refugees) of the HELIOS educational program implemented by the organization, and their teachers.

SolidarityNow in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and in the framework of the implementation of the HELIOS program organizes integration and information classes within its Integration Learning Centers established across Greece (Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina). As part of the recognized refugees’ effort to learn Greek and make their first steps toward integration, their teachers explained them the difficulties faced by our fellow human beings in Thessaly due to the cyclone that hit the region.

The adult students were immediately sensitized and mobilized: in a very short period, food and essential items were collected by the students and teachers of the program at the three Integration Learning Centers of SolidarityNow and handed over to the Social Grocery Store of Karditsa. The students were immediately activated feeling the inner need to give back to the Greek society that has supported them throughout their reception. In addition to the Greek lessons in the Learning Centers, SolidarityNow promotes and strengthens the feelings of responsibility and solidarity in these people, who, in the future, will be active members of our society. The organization supports the development of its students and encourages them to act independently and with social sensitivities for a cohesive society.

Through the active presence of the HELIOS program teams and additionally to the learning of the Greek language, our aim is to connect the Greek society with the refugee population, but also to strengthen and encourage the communication between the two. In order to achieve coexistence, understanding and acceptance, the meaning and importance of the “other” must be first cultivated in our consciousness.

*HELIOS Integration Learning Centers (ILC) is a program implemented by SolidarityNow with the cooperation of IOM Greece and the support of the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund of the European Union (DG HOME).