Attika wildfires 2018: Recovery support

On July 23^rd, 2018, wildfire erupted in the Southern Penteli area, afflicting the Rafina, Neos Voutzas and Mati areas, leaving behind 100 casualties and burning through burning 5.000.000 square meters of residential and forest land. 

Since the first hours of the wildfires aftermath, we have been present in the area participating in NGO and residents’ networks, communicating closely with municipal and local authorities, and providing help ad hoc, while evaluating long-term impact projects that contribute to the area’s recovery.

For this project we are collaborating with Desmos Non-Profit Foundation, a Greek organization that guarantees: 

• Commitment to transparency, accountability and professionalism
• Ability to identify and deliver a project that provides long-term support to children, families and local communities healing from the tragic fires
• Efficiency, in order to create maximum social value

Placing children and families at the core of our project’s scope, the playgrounds’ reconstruction in the burnt areas was identified as the best way to help the community heal. Therefore, we have designed a project that will completely reconstruct or renovate playgrounds that have been completely burnt down or have been rendered unsafe for use. 

The East Attica project, thanks to your valuable support, will produce at least 4 state-of-the-art playgrounds in the Marathon municipality, fully compliant with EU safety and quality standards, that feature playground equipment accessible by all children, including those with disabilities, safety tiles, energy-saving solar panel lighting, faucet, and benches, as well as a reforested landscape. 

Our project has begun with the reconstruction of the first playground in N. Voutzas and is expected to be completed by June 2019.