Disaster Response Greece Project #45017

Support the unaccompanied refugee minors in Greece

by Better Days Greece

Project Report | Sep 30, 2021
Building a strong base in Athens

By Daniel Larios Gomez | Outreach & Communications Coordinator

Preparing NFIs for the 3rd trimester

Our THEMIDA GREECE child protection program is growing rapidly. We have continually adapted our programme to fit the urban Athenian landscape, providing legal and PSS support, alongside medical aid and basic assistance, whilst collaborating with partners to meet all UASC needs. With targets set for the last quarter, we approach the close of 2021 with confidence.

During this quarter, we have taken strides to sufficiently boost our visibility in Athens, with beneficiaries, partners and other relevant stakeholders. Steps taken include:

Launching a street outreach pilot programme
Hosting a programming training for partners
Networking with new diverse teams to envisage different ways of working
Meeting with long-standing collaborators on a weekly basis

Our Outreach team has proactively focused on its objective to increase our understanding and exposure to the conditions of refugees and asylum seekers in Athens in order to identify unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) at risk. Recognising a street-presence programming gap, we launched our pilot outreach phase over 3 weeks involving 4 outreach interventions per week. Practical in-person street work informs our programming effectiveness by:

Enhancing our understanding of target populations’ essential needs
Increasing the likelihood of referrals from within the community
Further educating us on the conditions faced by displaced populations

Post-pilot phase, we have determined to continue performing outreach activities in specific areas on a regular basis - an operational focus we are excited to update you on in our next report!

Building a strong reputation, enhancing levels of trust in our work and ensuring quality programming in Athens has been a key focus. We actively collaborate with 23 organisations in Athens so as to offer essential services fitted to specific contextual UASC needs - i.e. health care, NFIs, food and shelter, as well as access to educational, social and medical services. THEMIDA GREECE has received 70 referrals this quarter. When a referral is made, Better Days, in partnership with Defence for Children International Greece (DCI), immediately clarify the needs and risks of the child, prioritising our response time according to the urgency level.

Inspired by our progression and development in key focus areas this quarter, we are proud of our service quality in Athens. With your support, we move forwards quickly and efficiently. Take a moment to read our key quarterly (Jul-Sep) numbers and remember these achievements were also made possible by you:

Cases taken on: 58 (159 from the beginning of the year)
Number of escorts: 63 (including medical, legal and PSS appointments)
Medical appointments scheduled: 18 (including PCR COVID tests for Family reunification cases)
Non-food items packs delivered: 21 (including hygiene items, PPE, clothing and footwear)

Stay tuned to our social media to get first-hand information about our operational updates!

Signing an agreement with MVI

Outreach team briefing prior an intervention

Links:

Attachments:

Themida Greece child protection program Q2 report (PDF)

4 Attachments

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Jun 3, 2021
THEMIDA GREECE child protection program re-launch!

By Daniel Larios Gomez | Outreach & Communications Coordinator

Better Days' team on the streets of Athens

THEMIDA GREECE - our child protection programme implemented with Defence for Children International (DCI) relaunched in Athens successfully.

THEMIDA’s mission is to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in Greece, helping them to understand and navigate a complex legal system, access child protection and PSS services, make medical referrals and provide NFIs and rapid response to those that are in direct danger.

March 2021 was a milestone in the future of THEMIDA GREECE. In just two months we have completed needs, risks & opportunities assessments, actors & service mapping and redesigned THEMIDA with the aim to maximise its impact and quality, as well as our capacity. We are now in a position to launch THEMIDA GREECE as a blueprint - a holistic child protection program that can be replicated anywhere in Europe.

63 new cases referred to our program Jan-March 2021
167 accumulative active THEMIDA cases
33 UASCs with successful cases waiting to be transferred to destination countries
3 DNA tests implemented on Lesvos for family reunification purposes
85 non-food items packs distributed
60+ Legal & medical appointments and escorts

At the same time, our small team is in the final stages of completing key protocols compiling the best professional practice, and most effective operational and reporting processes, along with health and safety considerations, involved in any THEMIDA intervention.

Over 900 UASCs were living in unsafe accommodations as EKKA stated in their March report. This number does not include all undocumented, unregistered and, most likely, homeless children. Better Days continue working to identify, track and help all those cut off support, children that remain invisible to the eyes of society.

Stay tuned to our social media to know more details of our operational updates and be aware of our future fundraising campaigns.

Once again, thank you for believing in our work.

Better Days and Defence for Children International

Links:

Attachments:

Themida Q1 report (PDF)

3 Attachments

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Feb 10, 2021
Essential aid to over 1500 unaccompanied children

By Daniel Larios | Outreach coordinator & Communications

Success during a DNA test

“The way Themida works is awesome and the services that they provide to refugees are amazing. I'm really thankful that they helped me when I really needed them. I want to say that you guys are amazing for helping children who are hopeless and can't fight their case. They need you and are there for them.” Hadi, Afghanistan, reunited with his uncle in Switzerland.

In January, we celebrated our first year of the ‘Themida’ legal intervention program. Together we witnessed the incredible obstacles and dangers that children on the move and homeless unaccompanied children face in Greece. Whether they are suffering the consequences of extended stays in camps, detention facilities or sleeping rough in the streets of Athens, unaccompanied children are often voiceless and invisible, easy targets for abuse and exploitation.

Since December 2019, we have taken on over 116 critical legal cases for unaccompanied children in Greece and provided legal information, DNA tests for family reunification cases, psychosocial support and essential aid to more than 1500 unaccompanied children, many vulnerable families, single women and youth. Today, some of these children are successfully reunited with their families or transferred to safer accommodation, but others remain unable to meet their basic needs like access to education, social services, and legal and psychosocial support.

We continue working to advocate for the rights of children to be with their families, encouraging and supporting other actors, institutions and our trusted network to understand the issue. If you want to learn more about it, please take a look at our social media.

The last 12 months have been far from being easy, and the outbreak of the pandemic has profoundly challenged the ways in which we deliver legal services, and communicate with the children. Yet over 60% of our total Dublin cases received a positive answer so far.

Today, Themida continues to operate from Lesvos and Athens.

In Athens, we have deployed a small team completing an exhaustive needs assessment with the sole objective to identify and provide critical legal aid and basic assistance to children at risk.

These results are thanks to many wonderful people who believed in this ‘impossible mission’. A massive thank you to YOU who contributed to its success.

All they need is the opportunity for a better future. Your support helps us ensure they receive it! Stay tuned for our next fundraising event during the second week of March.

Thank you for believing in our work.

Thank you very much from all of us

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