It was September 2020 when three underage brothers from Afghanistan knocked on our door at the Day Center for homeless children. “Their story shocked us, like so many other children’s stories we hear every day: they had fled their country with their sister and aunt and had reached the shores of Lesvos in a boat. However, somewhere along the way, they got separated from their aunt and sister” says METAdrasi’s social worker. From that day on, a real “fight for survival” started for the three brothers who did everything to stay together.
The Day Center team, together with the specialized in reunifications team of lawyers, immediately started the procedures. Initially, the history of the children was recorded and the necessary moves were made to the competent authorities, in order to change their data, as two brothers had been mistakenly registered as adults. At the same time, METAdrasi’s team of “Guardians” managed to get in touch with their aunt and sister, who had relocated to the Netherlands and the process of family reunification began.
In the midst of all this agony, the diagnosis of a disease that afflicted one of the children was added, for the treatment of which he is receiving medication to this day.
The youngest of the three brothers was the first to find a permanent place to stay in Faros shelter. But we still had to solve the housing problem for the other two brothers. We found them a temporary accommodation and then, when we opened the Dormitory for the homeless children of the city of Athens, they were the first to be hosted. And as soon as the mistake in the registration of their age was corrected, a request for placement was immediately issued and we collaborated with Faros where their younger brother lived. After a few weeks all three children were living together again!
And the good news continues. The brothers received a positive answer to the request for family reunification and will soon go to the Netherlands, to be with their aunt and sister!