SOCIETY

CIVIL SOCIETY: 269 PRACTICES


TOPIC:

Initiative

Support of the Greek Islands

Support of the Greek Islands
SUBMITTED FROM:

SYMPLEFSI CIVIL NON PROFIT COMPANY

Symplefsi is an Urban Non-Profit Company founded in 2014, with the aim of supporting and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Greek remote islands.

Purely voluntary, Symplefsi organizes activities throughout the year, aiming at the maximum possible offer to the Greek islands. To support the inhabitants of the Greek remote islands, Symplefsi focuses its actions on three thematic pillars:

  • Provision of medical examinations
  • Ιmplementation of infrastructure projects
  • Education and Culture


Contact

Objective Action

+sailing aims to support and improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Greek islands. In particular, it aims to make a substantial contribution to ensure the equal access of islanders to basic goods such as health, education, culture and infrastructure, thereby reducing the need for them to move to larger islands and bridging the gap with the corresponding living conditions in the cities of Greece.

 

Target Audience

To the inhabitants of the Greek akritic and isolated islands.

 

Duration

The 1st action of the group took place in 2014 and our work continues to this day.


Description

+floating is an organization founded in 2014, with the aim of supporting and improving the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Greek islands.

Purely of a voluntary nature, +sailing organizes actions throughout the year, with the aim of offering the maximum possible offer to the uninhabited islands.

To support the residents, +floating focuses its actions on three thematic pillars:

1. Provision of medical examinations

We provide primary health care in 20 medical specialties, while also taking blood samples, Pap smears and biopsies, if the latter is deemed necessary. We try hard to offer our services to all our clients who come to the +sailing clinics, because we are aware that if we don't, it is very likely that they will not see other doctors until a volunteer is found on their island again as it is costly and time-consuming for them to go to a central island or mainland Greece to take exams.

2. Implementation of infrastructure projects

+Plefsia maintains close contact with the local Authorities in

islands in which it operates, listens to their needs, evaluates their requests, looks for solutions and innovative actions, before starting the implementation of sponsorship actions in collaboration with companies and individuals.

We strive to give islanders and visitors the quality of life that we all enjoy, undertaking projects such as desalination plants, floating harbor jetties, landfills, playgrounds, donating medical machinery and equipment to local clinics, etc. In addition, we support educational infrastructures, with the supply of logistical equipment, educational games, books and other learning materials, based on recorded and updated needs of schools.

3. Cultural and educational activities

We carry out a series of informational programs for the public, focusing on prevention in areas such as smoking and breast cancer, empowerment against violence and harassment, proper nutrition, the importance of sports and many more.

At the same time, we promote entertainment and culture through respective events. We organize STEAM workshops, shadow theater performances, games with cognitive value, museum constructions, etc.

We are looking for the most active people in sports and culture to join us on the islands, we are adding our own most capable volunteers, we are looking for cooperation with major institutions and museums, for the greatest possible offer.

The pillars of our initiative are "unfolded" through the two major actions that we mainly carry out every year:

1. Annual Crossroads:

It takes place in the spring, before the tourist season begins. Crossing the Aegean, every 24 hours with the inflatables of our volunteers, we arrive at an isolated or uninhabited island, set up and operate clinics, launch projects, deliver electronic and educational equipment to schools, while we also hold entertaining and informative events for children and adults, before we depart for the next destination.

2. Autumn Mission:

We aim to visit islands whose geographical location or other factors make it difficult to join the annual +sailing Crossroads. The great weight is given to the offer of medical examinations and services to the largest possible percentage of the residents, while we also implement actions in the other sectors.


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Impact on Society

We ensure in practice the right to free primary health care for those who lack it on our islands, due to the high cost of travel and accommodation in mainland Greece and the country's major hospitals.

Its doctors and nurses have carried out over 11,200 free specialized tests on over 6,200 people, collected over 2,200 blood samples (which

analyzed and results along with feedback and medical instructions sent to residents), have performed over 260 Pap smears, bone density measurements, biopsies after nevi removal, as well as nearly 110 minor procedures where warranted. It is estimated that the total hours of medical services exceed 4,800.

We have already exceeded 500,000 euros in infrastructure projects, medical care, educational equipment and materials on the islands.

+sailing volunteers have already traveled over 3,500 nautical miles in seven spring Aegean Cruises and eight Autumn Expeditions, as well as a special expedition with E.O.D.Y. on 29 islands in total.



Initiative Location

Athens is the seat of +navigation.

However, we have carried out actions on the following 29 islands:

Agathonisi, Agios Eustratios, Anafi, Antikythera, Arkioi, Astypalaia, Gavdos, Donoussa, Heraklia, Thirasia, Thymaina, Ikaria, Kasos, Kastellorizo, Kimolos, Kinaros, Levitha, Lipsi, Marathi, Milos, Patmos, Samothrace, Sikinos, Schinoussa, Telendos , Farmakonissi, Folegandros, Fournoi, Pserimos.


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Working with Organization

With the aim of offering the best to the inhabitants of the islands we visit, we enter into partnerships, both in the medical and cultural areas, within the framework of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 17.

For example, in 2021, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we assisted Operation Eleftheria, vaccinating residents of Kos and Mykonos against COVID-19. With the help of the EODY, we carried out our missions safely, since its echelons carried out rapid tests on the volunteers.

We collaborated with the Hellenic Society of Adolescent Medicine for the creation of the "Protect" program, with MIT Kids for the implementation of an art workshop based on STEAM for the children of the islands and with We4All for the environmental awareness of the students. We collaborated with the Vision of Hope Association to increase the pool of volunteer bone marrow donors, while with the National Intermunicipal Network of Healthy Cities - Health Promotion, we performed bone density tests.


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Workers Participation

+floating is a purely voluntary organization. For the planning and implementation of its actions, its over 100 members help, offering their services, skills, disposition and personal time. It is worth noting that not only no member or friend of the +sailing is paid, but everyone has their own resources in order to participate in the missions.


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