The HOME Project

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗨𝗚𝗘𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗬: Nobody chooses to be a refugee. No child chooses to leave behind their home, their family, their friends, and everything they know.

Yet, every year, hundreds of unaccompanied refugee children arrive in Greece, driven by the need to survive. They have fled conflict, violence, and persecution.

At The HOME Project, we stand beside them every step of the way. Across our shelters, we provide the safety, stability, and comprehensive support they need to heal, grow, and unlock their potential.

Today, and every day, we invite you to stand with us.

Because no child should ever be left alone.

🔗 Play your part today by clicking the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=2EVM8TQUHUMH2

Photo Credits: Panos Parthenis, Anna Ruch, Sofia Drougka, Maria Maraki, Iason Athanasiadis, Marianna Kakaounaki

𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: With the school year now coming to a close, we're celebrating a year filled with learning, growth, perseverance, and achievement for the children under our care. 📚✨🎓

We are proud of their hard work and determination, for showing up every day ready to learn, overcome challenges, build new skills, form friendships, and take important steps towards their future. Whether in public schools, intercultural schools, vocational training programs, after-school language classes, or scholarship programs, each milestone matters and every achievement deserves to be celebrated.

Among the milestones reached this year, M. graduated from primary school at HAEF Athens College - Psychico College. His graduation marks the end of an important chapter and the beginning of an exciting new one.

We congratulate M. and all the children and young people under our care as they continue their educational journeys and keep working towards achieving their goals.

𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠: Supporting children effectively means continuing to invest in the growth of the people who care for them every day. 💙🎨✨

Members of our Mental Health team participated in an experiential art therapy workshop led by Jenny London, who is currently volunteering at our shelters as part of her training with Metàfora - Arteterapia · Art Therapy.

Through hands-on activities and creative exploration, our psychologists had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of art therapy and discover new approaches that can help foster healing, connection, communication, and self-expression.

By creating opportunities for continuous learning and professional development, we strengthen our ability to provide high-quality mental health support tailored to each child’s unique needs.

𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: From listeners to creators, some of the teenagers under our care recently stepped into the world of podcasting and discovered the power of telling their own stories.

From selecting musical themes to writing, recording and producing their own content, they experienced every stage of the creative process. More importantly, they discovered the confidence that comes with expressing yourself, sharing your perspective, and realizing that your voice deserves to be heard.🎙️✨🎶 🎧

A big thank you to Making Waves for helping us create such an engaging and liberating environment, where creativity, connection and self-expression could truly take centre stage.

𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: For nearly a decade, our Youth to Youth program with ACS Athens (American Community Schools) has shown what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to learn from one another, grow together, and build genuine connections. This year was no exception.

Throughout the school year, teenagers from our shelters and ACS Athens students came together every week to study, play sports, explore creative activities, share experiences, and support one another. What emerged were friendships built on trust, respect, and a growing sense of belonging.

As we gathered to celebrate the end of the year, children and volunteers reflected on the memories they created together, the challenges they overcame, and the confidence they gained along the way. Each participant received a certificate recognizing their commitment and achievements before the celebrations continued with music, games, pizza, and plenty of laughter. 🎉🍕⚽

Reflecting on the spirit of the program, ACS Athens Dean of Academics Julia Tokatlidou captured it perfectly: “This is an environment of trust, of care, of family”.

𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬: Child Protection. Education. Integration. These were the themes at the heart of the special screening of “I Was a Stranger”, co-hosted by Athens College and The HOME Project.

The evening brought together representatives of education, civil society, government, supporters, and friends of our organization to reflect on the challenges faced by unaccompanied refugee children and the importance of child protection, access to education, and meaningful social inclusion.

A particularly powerful moment of the evening was hearing from Youth Ambassadors from The HOME Project and Athens College, whose voices and experiences reminded us of the transformative impact of opportunity, belonging, and connection.

The event was dedicated to the memory of Kyriakos Papadopoulos, the “Hero of the Aegean”, whose legacy of humanity, solidarity, and service continues to inspire us.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us, and especially to Athens College for its longstanding partnership and commitment to creating opportunities for children.

Because no child is a stranger. And no child should ever be alone. ❤️
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Παιδική Προστασία. Εκπαίδευση. Ένταξη. Με αυτά τα μηνύματα στο επίκεντρο, πραγματοποιήθηκε η ειδική προβολή της ταινίας «I Was a Stranger», που συνδιοργάνωσαν το Κολλέγιο Αθηνών και η The HOME Project.

Η βραδιά έφερε κοντά εκπροσώπους της εκπαιδευτικής κοινότητας, της κοινωνίας των πολιτών, της πολιτείας, υποστηρικτές και φίλους του οργανισμού, ανοίγοντας έναν ουσιαστικό διάλογο για τις προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζουν τα ασυνόδευτα παιδιά πρόσφυγες και τη σημασία της παιδικής προστασίας, της πρόσβασης στην εκπαίδευση και της κοινωνικής ένταξης.

Ιδιαίτερη στιγμή της βραδιάς αποτέλεσε η συμμετοχή των Youth Ambassadors της The HOME Project και του Κολλεγίου Αθηνών, που μοιράστηκαν τις εμπειρίες και τις σκέψεις τους, υπενθυμίζοντάς μας ότι όταν δίνουμε χώρο στους νέους να ακουστούν, μπορούν να εμπνεύσουν πραγματική αλλαγή.

Η εκδήλωση ήταν αφιερωμένη στη μνήμη του Κυριάκου Παπαδόπουλου, του «Ήρωα του Αιγαίου», και στις αξίες της αλληλεγγύης, της ανθρωπιάς και της προστασίας της ανθρώπινης ζωής που υπηρέτησε.

Θερμές ευχαριστίες σε όλους όσοι ήταν μαζί μας και ιδιαίτερα στο Κολλέγιο Αθηνών για τη διαχρονική συνεργασία και υποστήριξή του.

Γιατί κανένα παιδί δεν είναι ξένο. Και κανένα παιδί δεν πρέπει να είναι μόνο του. ❤️

Photo Credits: Iason Athanasiadis, Angeliki Maria Gerente

𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦: When Chanel arrived in Greece at the age of 12, he was carrying far more than a backpack. By the time he got to the island of Leros, exhaustion and frustration had taken a toll on him. Several weeks later, he was transferred to Athens and placed in one of The HOME Project shelters. But adjusting to this new chapter was not always easy.

Yet little by little, surrounded by people who cared and a community that welcomed him, he began to find a sense of calm and belonging. “At the camp, there were too many people and the conditions were very bad”, he recalls. “When I came to the shelter, I felt much better. I felt like I had support”.

He soon earned a full scholarship to study at ACS Athens (American Community Schools) and discovered a passion for basketball. Through dedication and training, he earned a place in the Youth Academy of Panathinaikos BC, one of Greece’s leading basketball clubs. After graduating, his academic performance and talent secured him an athletic scholarship that allowed him to continue both his studies and basketball career in the United States.

Today, he is back in Athens, pursuing the next chapter of his journey and working towards his dream of becoming a professional basketball player. When asked how it feels to be back, his answer is simple: “It's home. I love it here”.

🔗 Read his full story by clicking the link below: https://www.homeproject.org/en/on-the-ground/our-voices/chanels-story/

𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬: HAEF Athens College - Psychico College and The HOME Project, invite you to a special screening of the film “I Was a Stranger”, followed by a panel discussion on child protection, access to education, and the integration of refugee children.

🕒 Thursday 4 June, 18:00
📍 Athens College Theater (Stefanou Delta 15, Psychico)

Opening Remarks by: Gerasimos Alivizatos, Secretary General of the Board of Directors of Athens College, Sevi Voloudaki, Deputy Minister of Migration and Asylum, Laura Lo Castro, UNHCR GREECE Representative.

The discussion will be moderated by Niko Efstathiou, Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of WIRED Greece.

Participants will include: Constantinos Markoulakis, Actor, Director & Protagonist of the film, Daphne Matziaraki, Director and Producer, Sofia Kouvelaki, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The HOME Project, Youth Ambassadors from The HOME Project and Athens College.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://forms.gle/DRFmmgRbBUsjXuLE6

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Το Κολλέγιο Αθηνών και η The HOME Project, σας προσκαλούν σε μια ξεχωριστή προβολή της ταινίας “I Was a Stranger”. Θα ακολουθήσει συζήτηση για την παιδική προστασία, την πρόσβαση στην εκπαίδευση και την ένταξη των ασυνόδευτων παιδιών προσφύγων.

🕒 Πέμπτη 4 Ιουνίου, 18:00
📍 Θέατρο Κολλεγίου Αθηνών (Στεφάνου Δέλτα 15, Ψυχικό)

Χαιρετισμό θα απευθύνουν: Γεράσιμος Αλιβιζάτος, Γενικός Γραμματέας του ΔΣ του Κολλεγίου Αθηνών, Σέβη Βολουδάκη, Υφυπουργός Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου, Laura Lo Castro, Αντιπρόσωπος του Ύπατου Αρμοστή του ΟΗΕ για τους Πρόσφυγες στην Ελλάδα.

Τη συζήτηση θα συντονίσει ο Νίκος Ευσταθίου, Δημοσιογράφος και Αρχισυντάκτης του WIRED Greece.

Συμμετέχουν: Κωνσταντίνος Μαρκουλάκης, Ηθοποιός, Σκηνοθέτης & Πρωταγωνιστής της ταινίας, Δάφνη Ματζιαράκη, Σκηνοθέτης και Παραγωγός, Σοφία Κουβελάκη, Ιδρύτρια και Γενική Διευθύντρια της The HOME Project, Youth Ambassadors από την The HOME Project και το Κολλέγιο Αθηνών.

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬: Teenagers from our shelters stepped into the stories, traditions, and everyday life of old Athens during their visit to the City of Athens Cultural Center “Melina”. ✨🏛️🎭

Through the Haridimos Family Collection, they explored the fascinating world of Karagiozis and discovered one of Greece’s most beloved forms of folk art, learning how shadow theater has brought humor, storytelling, and social commentary to audiences for generations.

They also had the chance to travel back in time, wandering through a life-sized Athenian neighborhood filled with authentic homes, shops, and everyday objects from the late 19th and early 20th century.

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬: A group of teenage boys from our shelters had the opportunity to experience the “Blue Sunday” concert at Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών / Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall, performed by the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and presented by Nandia Kontogeorgi. 🎻🎙️🎶

Through works by Georges Bizet, Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, and Arturo Márquez, they travelled across different musical worlds, from French romanticism and impressionism to jazz-inspired compositions and the vibrant rhythms of Latin America.

A heartfelt thank you to Megaron the Athens Concert Hall for opening its doors to our children and inspiring them to connect with music, culture, and new experiences.