{"id":12689,"date":"2025-11-02T16:53:38","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T14:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/meet-us\/our-history\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:54:35","slug":"our-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/meet-us\/our-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Our History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"12689\" class=\"elementor elementor-12689 elementor-8292\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b325309 intro-section e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2b325309\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1301c4e8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1301c4e8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34177dc8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"34177dc8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Our belief in the noble cause we serve is what drives us and encourages us to keep working harder every day.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7fa907b breadpath e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7fa907b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-670bd85 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"670bd85\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><nav aria-label=\"breadcrumbs\" class=\"rank-math-breadcrumb\"><p><span class=\"last\">\u0391\u03c1\u03c7\u03b9\u03ba\u03ae<\/span><\/p><\/nav><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53738491 short-width e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"53738491\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bfccc46 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6bfccc46\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>The first SOS Children\u2019s Village is established in Greece.<\/h2><p> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fcbaf9b history e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"fcbaf9b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3070605 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3070605\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-334fc3d elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"334fc3d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-629bfe6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"629bfe6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>1975<\/strong><\/p><h4>One person can make a difference.<\/h4><p>The initiative to establish SOS Children\u2019s Villages in Greece belongs to Klod\u00eda Katsar\u00e1, who, as a friend and member of the Children\u2019s Villages in France, came to Greece with a big dream and a clear purpose: to create an SOS Children\u2019s Village in our country for children who, for various reasons, could not grow up close to their parents.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aeb932f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"aeb932f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7c1eea1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7c1eea1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>1975<\/strong><\/p><h4>Our Beginnings<\/h4><p>The newspapers of the time, and especially the GYNAIKA magazine, praised the idea of an SOS Children\u2019s Village that would revolutionize child protection. The efforts of all these people were fruitful, and the association \u201cSOS Children\u2019s Villages Greece\u201d was founded at the end of 1975 as a specially recognized non-profit charitable organization.<\/p><p>The founding members of the association were: Klodia Katsara, Ioannis Vallis, Spyros Garzonis, Theofilos Sarikas, Panagiotis Chronopoulos, Charis Kladaki, Semiramis Mavropoulou, Evangelos Terzopoulos, Vasilis Chatzipanos, Elli Eleadou, Adamantia Marinopoulou, Georgios Lysikatos, Nikitas Tyrakis, Aikaterini Filippou, Mrs. Marina Katsara, Eleni Koutouzi, Elisaveta Koutouzi, Aikaterini Papadrianou, Foula Panagiotakou, Kalliopi Rapidi, and Theano Konstantinidi.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ec28459 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"ec28459\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65aed91 history e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"65aed91\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-062e29b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"062e29b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-551338c elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"551338c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5893b7a elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5893b7a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>1999<\/strong><\/p><h4>Prevention Programs <\/h4><p>The main change during this period occurs with the launching of the prevention programs. The commitment towards the children extends to their families as well, and work begins with them in order to prevent potential separation between parents and children.<\/p><p>At the same time, the second SOS Children\u2019s Village begins to operate in Plagiari, Thessaloniki. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ea6170 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4ea6170\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66426e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"66426e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff38238 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff38238\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>2011<\/strong><\/p><h4>The Crisis in Greece<\/h4><p>The economic crisis hit the most disadvantaged segments of society particularly hard, including children. It was then that we intensified our work and doubled the number of children served through our programs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a60ec4 history e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1a60ec4\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e7bb3e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1e7bb3e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-613baea e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"613baea\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a67d18 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7a67d18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><span style=\"color: #009ee0; font-size: 1.1em;\">Awards &amp; Recognitions<\/span><\/h4><p>Throughout all these years of our operation, we have received significant recognitions from the Academy of Athens, the Hellenic Red Cross, the \u201cA. Onassis\u201d Public Benefit Foundation, the Ministry of Health &amp; Social Solidarity, and many associations and organizations, for our work with children who are deprived of, or at risk of being deprived of, the care of their parents.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c29e56 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"3c29e56\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0137bfa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"0137bfa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-77cf6d1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"77cf6d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-12373\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/473619266_987539486524697_339427934738598694_n-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6b0b1b2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6b0b1b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What We Do Today<\/h2><h4>Adapting to New Needs<\/h4><p>Our mission remains unchanged several decades later, and we have added a stronger commitment to prevention, to avoiding the separation of parents and children and to supporting adolescents and young people, until they are fully integrated into society.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e92cd5 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5e92cd5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d03be6 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7d03be6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78bbe84 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"78bbe84\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d218d6b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d218d6b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2> <\/h2><h1>Over 50 years of work would not have been possible without the financial support of our donors. We need your help.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fee074a button-sos elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"fee074a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/donations\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Make a donation<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our belief in the noble cause we serve is what drives us and encourages us to keep working harder every day. The first SOS Children\u2019s Village is established in Greece. 1975 One person can make a difference. The initiative to establish SOS Children\u2019s Villages in Greece belongs to Klod\u00eda Katsar\u00e1, who, as a friend and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":12391,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-12689","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12689"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13155,"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12689\/revisions\/13155"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/12391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sos-villages.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}