Empower residents affected by the fires in Greece

Empower residents affected by the fires in Greece

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It has been almost four months since the devastating fires in eastern Attica that burned and wiped off several houses in the areas of Mati and Kokkino Limanaki. Over 3.000 houses were completely destroyed, whilst residents were perished, traumatized and affected both emotionally and materially.

Our team of streetworkers visited the local community only hours after the fires, documenting individual needs and providing aid on the ground, emotional support and individualized guidance.

We gathered individual cases, based on which we developed an action plan to empower them through employment, psychosocial counseling and group activities for elder residents and children.

A month later, we already welcomed two members in our team in the capacity of social scientists, who themselves were part of the fire affected community and were unemployed. This way, we supported in the most dignified way of employment two young people who now help tens of members of their local community.  

Believing on how important the involvement of the local community is long term, we are focusing on addressing needs on a steady basis starting with psychosocial support including crucial guidance regarding bureaucratic procedures that tend to cause burden and frustration leading to disappointment and insecurity for those who no longer possess their most basic documents, such as I.D. etc.

One of the new members of our team said: “Emfasis and GlobalGiving didn’t only give me the chance to recover through employment in my field of expertise as a sociologist. They offer me the opportunity to assist, to empower, to support and finally to relief fellow humans with whom I share the same wounds and needs and that is an act of humanity…”

Links:

• Interview with a fire affected social worker of Emfasis