On the last Sunday of the year, we said goodbye to 2018 from up high: from the top of Hymettus mountain. Young and older, girls and boys, we set off together. The older children (the twelve-year-old) of METAdrasi’s accommodation facility for unaccompanied minors in Athens came along. Filled with pride, they joined the team with the unaccompanied teenagers, who live now, almost autonomous, in METAdrasi’s apartments.

In spite of the cold and the cloudy sky, we filled our lungs with fresh air, we laughed, we walked. METAdrasi’s fanatic mountain climbers, who came along fully equipped, taught us the secrets of mountaineering. We gazed at our city from above and admired the monastery of Aghios Ioannis. We found out who can spot first the Acropolis, the Olympic Stadium, Lycabettus, their home. 12-year-old Shahim*, always in front of everyone, with the borrowed batons in his hands, proved to be the best climber!

Afterwards, we all had lunch together, like a family and celebrated Omar’s* 18th birthday. In Greek, in English and in French, each made a wish for 2019. It was an unforgettable Sunday morning that we shared with the children!

*The children’s names have been altered in order to protect their personal data.