In Greece, we are as the only Child Protection organization which offers family-like care to children through the SOS Children’s Villages. Every SOS Children’s Village is a big family that embraces with love and care the children who cannot grow up with their biological parents. We give children the warmth of a home, the company of their siblings, education, and a carefree childhood. We offer children the warmth and love of an SOS Mother. Each SOS Children’s Village is a big hug that embraces children so that they grow up with love, respect and security.
SOS Children's Villages Greece
Love and security for every child
Each child has the right to grow up in a family, with love, respect and security. This is our core belief in SOS Children’s Villages. It’s a human-centered concept, which is based on four pedagogical principles that are the essence of our operation in SOS Children’s Villages:
Mother
It’s the person who fills the emotional and mental void of the child that has been left alone
Siblings
It’s a crucial factor for the development of human relationships. Our main goal is for children to live with their biological siblings or other children.
Home
Home is a safe place for every child. It represents the warmth and safety that each child deserves.
Village
The Village is the continuation of the SOS Family. It’s a social environment that allows children to safely grow up and get prepared for their life as independent adults.
In SOS Children’s Villages we protect and take care of children from a very young age until they are fully prepared for adult life in self-sufficiency.
SOS Children’s Village in Vari
SOS Children’s Village in Vari, is the first SOS Village in Greece. The Village was founded in 1977 by the then President of the Republic, the late Konstantinos Tsatsos and was inaugurated in 1984 by the founder of SOS Children’s Villages, Hermann Gmeiner. It consists of houses where families live, creative labs and the main building of offices, a library, a multipurpose hall, a chapel, a basketball and football court, a children’s playground, and the ‘’Elli Lambeti’’ open theater.
SOS Children’s Village in Plagiari
SOS Children’s Village in Plagiari is the second SOS Village created in Greece, in Plagiari, in the outskirts of Thessaloniki. It has been operating since 1997 and was inaugurated in 1998 by the then President of the Republic, Constantinos Stefanopoulos. It consists of the houses where families live, the creative labs, the offices, a library and a study room. It also includes a church, a court, two playgrounds and ‘’Aliki Vougiouklaki’’ open theater.
SOS Children’s Village in Thrace
SOS Children’s Village in Thrace is the third SOS Village in Greece, in Alexandroupolis, and the first one that combines open and close care protection. It consists of houses where families live, the offices, a chappel, a playground and a football court. It also includes a Day Center for people with disabilities in which we have workshops for vocational training and arts, while participants are also engaged in psychotherapeutic activities.
SOS Children’s Village in Crete
SOS Children’s Village in Crete is the fourth SOS Village created in Greece, in Finikia, in the outskirts of Heraklion. It has been operating since 2018 and was inaugurated by the then President of the Republic Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos. It consists of houses where families live, the offices, a library, meeting rooms and a multipurpose room, as well as a playground and a 5×5 football court.