From International Humanitarian Work to Local Action
Amalia, Harris and Anestis had spent years working with Doctors Without Borders, in the fundraising department. They loved working within a humanitarian organisation, yet something always felt distant. The crises they responded to were far from everyday Greek reality, and the needs surrounding them in their own country were becoming increasingly visible.
When the financial crisis hit Greece, they felt a growing urge to act locally; to support people living right next door, people who often appeared to be coping but were silently struggling.
After each of them left Doctors Without Borders at different points, they reunited and asked themselves if it was time to finally pursue the dream. And in 2019, after long discussions about what to offer and how, they founded their organisation, beginning with one familt and a simple vision: to support children who strive to have the same opportunities as everyone else but lack the necessary resources.
Not the obviously vulnerable groups, not the visibly homeless, but the children next door, the ones who could easily go unnoticed.
That’s how
Children First was born and it stands for
tangible, personalized support. Every child who joins the program receives help tailored precisely to their needs:
Daily Nutrition: Quality, fresh food based on each child’s individual requirements. A nutritionist evaluates every child, identifies gaps, and shapes a diet plan that supports healthy growth.
Education: Assistance with schoolwork, foreign language lessons, and participation in sports or activities that benefit both physical and mental health.
Medical Care: Preventive and ongoing healthcare determined through collaboration with a pediatrician, as well as dental support.
Counselling for Parents: A psychologist provides regular support to parents, helping them make the best use of the services offered and encouraging an active role in their children’s empowerment.
Growing Through Trust
Just months after their founding, the pandemic struck. Still, by the summer of 2020, they welcomed their first family into their programs. Today, they support 19 children on a regular basis and another 21 with essential nutritional assistance, as food prices continue to place unbearable pressure on families.
How did they begin? By asking a simple question: Where do families turn when they need help?
The answer led them to municipal services: social grocery stores, meal programs, community pharmacies. They discovered, however, that these services depended heavily on European funding and often couldn’t cover all needs. Children ended up in large mixed-level classes, receiving non-individualized support, especially in education.
So they approached the Municipality of Aigaleo, which seemed organized and collaborative, and proposed a complementary partnership. Families visiting the municipality would be informed that there is an organisation offering individualized support: fresh food, tailored tuition, pediatric and dental care, all designed specifically for each child.
Meeting Families Where They Are
When a family expresses interest, the team of Children First visits their home. They want to understand the family’s environment, the dynamics between parents and children, and the conditions in which they live.
The goal is not only to assess financial need, but also the parent’s willingness to help their child move forward. Because as they say, they need parents who believe in their children’s future.
Families join for a year at a time, with contracts renewed annually after reassessment. Children range from newborns to 17-year-olds, though they try to prioritize primary school children, who benefit most from early, structured support.
Support That Feels Equal
Once a child joins the program, the goal is for them to live their life like any other child. They attend the same type of after-school tutoring as their peers, simply with Children First covering the costs behind the scenes.
No spotlight, no stigma. A child is enrolled, attends lessons, sees doctors, makes appointments, just like everyone else.
Anestis, who is a psychologist, maintains regular counselling sessions with parents, helping them navigate challenges and support their children.
Importantly, they emphasize that throughout their journey they have met
incredibly supportive people — doctors, teachers, tutoring school owners — who are more than eager to help. And of course, they meet families who, despite the daily challenges,
deeply love their children, which makes all the difference.
Girls Empowering Girls: Women Supporting Women
Another meaningful initiative emerged from one of their donors. She noticed the many single mothers in their program, and imagined a network where women support women.
The idea became
Girls Empowering Girls, a mentorship program connecting women from various companies and professions with mothers in need of guidance.
A manager might help a mother structure her CV or prepare for a job interview.
A teacher might tutor a girl from the program.
A professional might make a donation dedicated specifically to women and girls.
It’s a circle of empowerment; one woman lifting another.
Stories That Inspire
Children First has witnessed many stories of courage, transformation, and resilience, each one a reminder of why this work matters.
A Child Finding Confidence
One of the first children in the program lived in a tiny basement with minimal light, with all rooms blending into one. The little girl, in third grade at the time, struggled with school and carried a sense of pessimism far too heavy for her age.
She had never done English lessons before, so Children First covered the full cost of her English classes. Soon after, her teacher suspected possible learning difficulties. An assessment confirmed the need for speech therapy and specialised educational support, all of which Children First also funded.
Just like all children in the program, she also had access to extracurricular activities that encouraged her personal growth. That’s where dance entered her life, and she absolutely loved it. Dance became a source of joy, expression, and confidence, giving her something to look forward to every week.
Week by week, her transformation became visible. Confidence replaced self-doubt. School shifted from a place of anxiety to a place of achievement. English lessons became something she enjoyed, not feared, and dance became her safe, happy space.
A Mother Regaining Strength
Another family included a single mother raising a little boy with ADHD. He urgently needed occupational therapy and speech therapy; therapies that were completely out of reach financially for his mother who didn’t work and consequently wasn’t insured.
Children First stepped in and covered the full cost of these essential therapies. With this support, the child gradually became calmer, more communicative, and more expressive. The mother, seeing her child flourish, regained her own confidence and strength. She found work, secured insurance, and eventually part of her son’s therapy became covered by the healthcare system.
The child’s progress created space for the mother’s empowerment, a double transformation made possible through targeted, personalized support.
Why Donations Are Essential
Every child in the program receives support designed specifically for their circumstances. Nothing is generic.
- Nutrition: Families meet with a nutritionist who evaluates each child’s habits and deficiencies. Every food delivery is customized, never pre-assembled or standardized.
- Education: Tutoring and extracurricular activities, such as English lessons or sports, are tailored precisely to each child’s level and interests.
- Medical care: Pediatric and dental support follows each child’s exact needs.
- Therapies: Needs such as occupational or speech therapy often arise unexpectedly and must be met immediately.
This individualized approach is powerful, but also costly. To continue providing personalized nutrition, education, medical care, and therapies, ongoing financial support is crucial.
Children First offers the
Support A Child program, a way for donors to make a tangible difference in a child’s life. Your support can cover basic needs in one of the three pillars of action —
Nutrition, Education, or Medical Care— or all areas for a full year.
- Supporting One Pillar: A donation of 700 euros provides for one child in a single pillar for an entire year.
- Supporting All Pillars: A donation of 2,000 euros covers a child’s needs across all three pillars for a full year.
Your donation not only helps a child grow and thrive, giving them equal opportunities with their peers, but also relieves families of financial and emotional stress and allows Children First to plan programs accurately and sustainably.
Even a small contribution can fund essential, tailored help for a child and break the cycle of poverty at the exact moment it matters most.
What Children Teach Us
If one lesson stands above all, it is that love is everything.
If there is love in a family, if a child feels safe and cared for, the rest becomes manageable.
And in human relationships more broadly, when trust and positive emotion come first, everything else can be built around them.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Hope
Children First’s goals for the coming years are clear:
- To welcome many more families, though only when they have the resources to offer full, individualized support, not just numbers on a list.
- To provide not only food, but quality nutrition, proper tutoring, and full medical support and everything a child needs at the moment they need it.
- To create their own space, a hub for seminars, counselling sessions, group meetings, and community building.
- To collaborate with more organisations, especially the many small ones doing important work.
Empowering Families Through Knowledge
Children First organize educational workshops on employment, CV preparation, oral hygiene, digital literacy, and more. Each activity is designed specifically for their families, giving them tools to navigate everyday life and opportunities.
A Message to Society
Children First believe deeply that poverty should not define a child’s destiny. Yet poverty often reproduces itself, unless someone steps in to say:
“You can do better. I believe in you. Let’s try together.”
The cycle is not unbreakable. Sometimes, all it takes is a single opportunity — given at the right moment — to change a child’s life.
