The HOME Project, a non-profit humanitarian organization founded in December 2016 to provide security to refugee and migrant children who arrive alone in Greece, received a 4-million-euros grant from the IKEA Foundation.
The newly-received funds will help the organization provide over a hundred refugee children with housing, psychological, legal, educational and social integration services.
The grant is part of the collective efforts of the Ascend Collaborative, a partnership of private sector organizations and foundations dedicated to improving the lives of refugees in Greece, of which the IKEA Foundation is a partner.
It is estimated that over three thousand of the refugees currently in Greece are unaccompanied children. Of those, more than 2,400 are homeless and living on the streets, in camps and detention centers. The HOME Project has supported more than 300 children and created over 130 jobs in the past two years.
Sofia Kouvelaki, Executive Director of The HOME Project, commented: “Unaccompanied refugee children are presently in our country in an effort to reunite with their families in other European countries or be granted asylum in Greece. More often than not, they have ended up in Greece after travelling completely on their own, fleeing the violence of war or persecution and under horribly dangerous conditions. Today, these children are the most vulnerable population of refugees and have to be protected so that they become – what they are – children again.”
The IKEA Foundation is a partner and supporter of The HOME Project’s initiatives, having also funded the opening and operation of five new shelters last year.
Stelios Kyriakakis, Chief Operating Officer of the IKEA Foundation, said: “All children have the right to safety and security. That is why the IKEA Foundation is supporting The HOME Project to help secure this right for children who have been forced to flee their homes, helping them survive, recover and build a future for themselves”.
The HOME Project continues to seek and encourage all forms of grants and donations, including in-kind donations, to benefit the cause and have a direct impact on the lives of these children and youth. For more information, please visit their official website.
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