# Setting up an Orphanage



## zeussman (Nov 25, 2015)

I am looking to setup an orphanage in Athens. I have not re-located to Greece yet (i live in California). Would love to get some help from someone currently living in the Athens area who speaks both english and Greek. Don't need financial help - need help connecting to people in the area...

Greece continues to struggle financially while over 20,000 Athenians are homeless. Orphanges are suffering due to lack of financial aid which means orphans are now being turned away. Please let me know if you can help me in anyway. Thx!


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

Hi,you have to understand that someone cant just come along and open an orphanage,anyone can donate to but not open one.The Hatzikonsta and the SOS childrens villages are spread throughout Greece along with others which are licensed,authorised and monitored by the government and its through the government that any application for opening such a place must be directed.Greece is not a place where you can do whatever you like,it may seem so in some matters but when it comes to children it certainly is not.


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

To say that I see on the news today,The Smile of The Child charity/orphanage is on its last legs financially and may have to close as the financial crisis here has led the ordinary person who used to donate money to pull back.Many babies are left at the maternity hospitals at birth,sometimes from transient women who are single and passing on from Greece after the birth and sometimes the baby has a serious genetic illness or deformity which makes the parents walk away and they are often Greek.The nurses at the hospital love and look after them until six months when they are passed on to an orphanage like Smile of The Child,of course monies should be found by the Greek government instead of awarding themselves a retrospective pay rise but I must not digress into that subject,just to say that money is desperately needed to keep these charities operational and to give hope to these unfortunate babies and children whos stories we could weep for.


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## Sam Green (Dec 31, 2015)

do you need a van ! I have an old campervan in athens ! Pity to scrap it with all the homeless living on the streets ! Dry with two beds ! Can have for nothing !


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

hello Sam,how kind of you and a great idea for someone homeless but I guess the van would need to be off the road,somewhere hidden away,pity its not on Lesvos.


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

An article in the Huffington Post titled..This organisation for Greek kids is about Solutions not charity by Naya Kostiani.The Smile of the Child organisation and the man who set it up after the death of his child.I saw this on Greek 24/7 news today 23 Jan.


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