The Greek Caravan of Solidarity is a Greek non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organization founded in 1992 by three Greek Members of the European Parliament, (MEP’s) Alekos Alavanos, Paraskevas Avgerinos, and Panagiotis Lambrias.
The idea for its creation was born when the clouds of war were gathering in our region. When the civil war in Bosnia broke out in Sarajevo.
The aim was to transform the concerns, sensitivities and the willingness of our fellow citizens to help, into concrete action. To help the innocent victims of warfare, especially the children.
Thousands of our fellow citizens supported our efforts, trusted us and embraced our cause. The Greek Caravan of Solidarity expanded its aims to include the provision of aid to victims of natural and other disasters.
The Greek Caravan of Solidarity began its journey and laden with the trust and good wishes of thousands of our fellow citizens and managed, after a long journey, to arrive almost at the other end of the world.
The Caravan offered hope and smiles to more than 25,000 orphaned children who were victims of war in Bosnia, Palestine, and orphans of the civil war in Lebanon. Also victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka, earthquake in Haiti, the orphans left by the AIDS epidemic in Uganda, the uprooted children of Somalia,and more.
When the Greek Caravan of Solidarity started out 27 years ago (1992), we could not have imagined that there would ever be a need to ask for help for the impoverished families of our own country. However, now that the economic crisis has taken on the dimensions of a humanitarian disaster, we have also created bonds of social solidarity in Greece. And so, for the last seven years, through our programme of "economic adoption", we are now helping orphaned children in Greece.
The Greek Caravan of Solidarity was the first to bring to Greece an institution already well established in European countries. In 2002 they opened their own philanthropic Charity Shop “SECOND HAND”.
Through the establishment of its Charity Shop, the Caravan has succeeded in increasing the voluntary participation and offers of citizens. It is now in a position to widen existing programmes and, at the same time, promote and carry forward programmes for economic adoptions and other new endeavors.
After more than two decades of activities abroad and in Greece, the Greek Caravan of Solidarity has come to believe that of great significance to people, apart from economic help, is the moral and psychological support which they receive. The confirmation of this has become even more important to us in approaching people with sincerity and discretion.
It is of great importance to those people who have lost a loved one, to feel that someone thinks about them, someone helps them, and someone cares and asks about them.
The economic "adoption" of a child, or any other contribution, the support of our shop and, of course, the distribution of our programmes to friends and acquaintances, will be of great help because
YOU CAN NOT CHANGE THE PAST,
BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE.
YOU TOO CAN HELP AN ORPHANED CHILD