Empower residents affected by the fires in Greece

Ten months have passed since the catastrophic fires of the 23^rd and little has changed for those affected by them in terms of government support.

Municipal and European Parliament elections are close and many of the key issues that had been identified as priorities since the incident, have not yet been addressed.

 The progress of the house classification as to whether they are to be rebuilt or repaired is still slow but ongoing and most of the owners still live under temporary housing in the neighboring army camps.

Most of us would expect for some kind of improvement but hefty bureaucracy slows down any willingness to progress.

The victims are frustrated with the existing situation and try to cope with the trauma since life goes on and they are trying to stand back to their feet with what they currently have

Our team of social workers with the rest of our social scientists work side by side with them and continue to assist them in their everyday life, guiding them through all the necessary procedures.

For the past term we have established further our presence in the community.

Our Emfasis social worker, fire affected victim herself, provides weekly guidance with regards to the processing of the paperwork, submissions, requests for benefits, coordination between social services and the community members. Life gradually returns to normality as most of the papers are reissued giving a sense of justice.

Our Emfasis social worker, fire affected victim herself too, provides weekly guidance with regards to adjusting to the “temporary” way of life. We conduct regular visits, community workshops, where we discuss daily burdens and how to overcome depression caused by uncertainty. Many of the family members, mostly younger ones, have chosen to move in someplace else due to the discomfort of the camps. After several months of interpersonal relationships with the victims we have established a strong bond, with them trusting us and confessing their everyday problems.

Special Initiatives:

During Easter period we visited the camps more often, organizing activities and festive celebrations trying to offer them a sense of dignity and warmth. Some of them are becoming more active and strong so they are in the position of also helping the more vulnerable ones and we are extremely happy to see them supporting one another.  

In the months to follow we hope that things will slowly become easier for them and we will be on their side trying to make that happen.

Links:

• http://www.emfasisfoundation.org/get-involved/donate/