Life has been fraught with difficulty since the beginning of the debt crisis in 2009
SOS Children's Villages Saloniki Plagiari (previously known as SOS Children’s Village Plagiari) is situated around 20 kilometres south-east of Thessaloniki. Plagiari is a small town, while the nearby Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece. The area has traditionally been an important industrial, commercial and political centre. However, the recent economic hardships have also affected this area of Greece.
Greece has been a country in crisis since its credit rating was downgraded in late 2009. In order to receive the rescue package that Greece urgently needs so that debt repayments can be made on time, the government has been introducing increasingly tough austerity measures, including pay cuts, fuel price increases, and tax rises.
Life has become a struggle for many families in Greece. While previously the reasons why children came to live in an SOS Children’s Village was often alcoholism, drug abuse or illness in the family, today many parents simply cannot afford to care for their children.
The future is looking grim for thousands of Greek families
The increased and continuing uncertainty of the Greek economy has also led to shrinking employment opportunities and industrial production, leading to sky-rocketing unemployment rates, which stands at nearly 27 per cent.
SOS Children’s Villages has felt the effects of these events very strongly, not least because as of 2011 charities also have to pay high taxes in Greece. And there are more and more desperate parents turning to SOS Children’s Villages as an absolute last resort, having exhausted their own family support network – an increasing number of them from the middle classes. We are currently supporting 50 times more families than before the crises. We have been providing financial as well as emotional support to these families.
What we do in Saloniki Plagiari
SOS Children’s Villages has been active in Plagiari since 1997.
Care in families: If children can no longer live with their families, they can find a loving home in one of the seven SOS families, where they can be looked after by the SOS mothers.
SOS mothers have been trained to provide a stable and loving home for children who have lost the care of their parents. The children are fully integrated into the surrounding community especially as they attend the local schools, alongside children from the area.
Supporting young adults: Young people who are ready to leave their SOS families, can move into special flats in Thessaloniki while they attend further education or receive training. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions.
Family strengthening programmes: SOS Children's Villages aims to strengthen local families by offering access to essential education, nutritional and health services. Working together with local authorities and other agencies, we support families who are at risk of abandoning their children.