Remember Paul travelling to Athens? Ilona made such a journey shortly before border closures. Thanks to Ilona’s journey, we gained invaluable contacts. They enabled us to start a new project with
a working title “Adopt a family in Athens!”. From today, you can donate to help Zahra and her son
and Fatima and her three daughters. You can find more about these women in attached flyers. The
women’s children also drew pictures for you.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy them with as much delight as us!

 

Collected money is going to be used to buy vouchers for food and hygiene goods for the two single
mothers’ families. The absolute basics for a week are covered by a 20 € voucher, i.e. a little less than
550 CZK.

You may support the families not only financially but also by material gifts, which we will deliver to
them. You can donate e.g. clothes, hygiene items, games or art supplies or similar things. (Please
remember the language differences, mainly in case of games and books. When donating books,
choose English, for example.) You can accompany your gifts by letters or messages! We are ready to
arrange details with you at info@c-r-s.cz!

We want to support both families in the long term. Our hope is to watch a positive impact of our
support on their lives. If you want to join us in this help, we will welcome any contribution to the
Project Hope for Nations bank account:

no.  2601742826/2010

For foreign payments:

IBAN: CZ0520100000002601742826

BIC/SWIFT: FIOBCZPPXXX

Regarding this help, we will especially welcome donors who will choose to support Zahra and Fatima in the long term, preferably by regular payments. Without these contributions, we will not be able to ensure consistent help.

ZAHRA AND HER SON – AFGHANISTAN – STREETS OF ATHENS
Zahra is 34 years old. Born in Afghanistan, she lived in Iran with her mother and four siblings after her father had been killed by the Taliban. She witnessed that at the age of ten. She fled to Greece with her husband and two sons. On the island of Lesbos, she helped as a seamstress, mending clothes of other refugees. Her work was to adjust donated clothes to fit the wearers well. Zahra’s marriage was not happy. She and her younger son left a relatively safe life in Lesbos after her husband and older son walked out on her. She set out to Athens in search for them. Despite asking for her son at many places, she has not found him.

In Athens, she currently lives on streets or in squats. Finding a permanent place to live is almost
impossible for her and her son. Both of them carry traumas from their former lives. Zahra’s son
experiences a lot of psychical suffering. He has an enormous fear of losing his mom, not yet having
reconciled himself to the loss of his brother, who he constantly asks about. He suffers from panic
attacks making him short‐tempered and even dangerous to himself. He needs a stable life routine,
sense of safety and, if possible, professional help. At the moment, non‐profit organizations operating
in Greece are trying at least to give him regular English lessons and find the family a home. The main
goal is to provide the family with a safe, permanent home and order in life. Both the mother and son
deserve a real home and not a second but a first chance for a happy life.

FATIMA AND HER DAUGHTERS – ATHENS
Fatima is a phenomenally strong, kind and determined woman. In spite of her own troubles, she
always helps others! Fatima is a 32‐year‐old, recently widowed mother of three daughters. She got married at a very young age and it was no sooner than with her second husband, when happiness came into her life. She was very happy with him, feeling strong and confident even in the position of a refugee. After his death, she was going through a very hard time but still helped people in need. She provided accommodation for other women and children living on streets, even against her lessor’s threats.

 

Fatima’s care goes beyond her family and she always thinks of others too. A very unpleasant incident has happened to Fatima recently. She had her food card stolen — a document she can receive only once in 75 days. As a result, Fatima’s family was left with zero means to get food and medicines (for her and her daughters). That causes Fatima to worry about her family… Yet she is not giving up! She carries on with efforts to find ways out of troubles not only for herself but for others as well. Her dream is to open her own hairdresser salon. However, the thing she finds most important is her daughters’ education. She wants them to become strong, independent women.