About us

child protection
Terre des hommes in Greece

Terre des hommes (Tdh) was founded in 1960 and is the leading Swiss organisation for children’s aid.

Terre des hommes Foundation has been active in Greece continuously since 2016, contributing to the improvement of the child protection system and to the reform of social assistance. We also facilitate the participation of children in the development of their communities.

Each year, thousands of children and parents benefit from the projects that Tdh implements in Greece.

Click here to access all the legal documents guaranteeing our transparency and accountability

8.288
individuals directly or indirectly benefited through our projects in 2022 & in 2023
724
professionals trained in 2022 & 2023 in identifying and responding to incidents of child abuse
859
children from vulnerable families received support for essential needs in 2022 & 2023
Priorities
  • To protect and promote children's rights by strengthening the protection system. We mobilize communities to prevent risk situations and we collaborate with social workers, coaches, trainers, and other professionals to protect children from abuse and neglect. We seek to increase children’s and youth’s resilience; we help them participate in making decisions that concern them. We invest in education, health, social services, and infrastructure in order to improve the lives of all children in Greece. 
  • To support children, youth and families affected by migration.  In this field, our priorities are preventing children’s and youth’s unsafe migration and making sure that children already affected by migration have access to their fundamental rights.
  • To change practices in the Greek justice system to ensure that each child has access to a justice that is respecting their rights and is adapted to their specific situation and needs. We do this by building the capacities of professionals to work in a multidisciplinary way on individual assessments of children involved in criminal proceedings. We also empower children to become agents of change and advocate for child-centered justice. Tdh encourages a restorative approach and a reduction of recidivism. 
Timeline of Tdh in Greece
March 2016

Closure of the “Balkan route” and start of intervention in the informal camp of Eidomeni in Northern Greece

May 2016

 Evacuation of Eidomeni and Tdh activities at the Thessaloniki emergency reception sites

July 2016

 Regional migration project starts with border countries (Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia)

October 2016

 European Commission funded project begins in Epirus dealing with the areas of Child Protection and Non-Formal Education

January 2017

 European Commission funded project launched in the region of Thessaloniki dealing with the areas of child protection and psychosocial support.

2017

 Project launched to provide accommodation and social assistance for asylum seekers and refugees in Ioannina and Thessaloniki

2018

 Projects expand to include beneficiaries from both Greece and third countries. Intervention to support victims from wildfires at the Attica region.

2019-2020

 Projects expand to include child protection case management services for children and their caregivers in nine refugee camps (Attica, Thessaly, Central Macedonia), child-friendly justice, interventions against human trafficking, youth empowerment and social inclusion through sports and art activities.

2021

 New project for the prevention and management of child abuse (REEC) starts at primary schools in Athens, in partnership with IRC, and the Municipality of Milano, under the auspices of the Municipality of Athens. Tdh Hellas closes its projects for Child Protection in camps for refugees and safe zones for unaccompanied children following the take over of activities by IOM and the Greek state.

2022

A new emergency project, "DIGNIFY, Emergency Support to Families on the Move" is launched in April, to support families with children who were cut off from the catering provision in the camps following ministerial decisions late last year. 

2023

Terre des hommes Hellas continues its work with key interventions in the areas of child-centered justice, psychosocial support, and the fight against gender-based violence. The WELL-U, STEP IN and Just-Us projects promote the mental health of children and their guardians through community-based methodologies. With the i-Access My Rights and i-Restore 2.0 projects we continue to fight for child-friendly justice. Through the CARING project, the educational community is strengthened in preventing and combating gender-based violence among young people in school settings.

Girl, in a refugee camp in Greece
Terre des hommes in the world

Terre des hommes (Tdh) is the leading Swiss organisation for children’s aid. Through our health, protection and emergency relief programmes, we provide assistance to over four million children and their families in around 40 countries each year.

Our vision

 We aspire to a world in which the rights of children, as defined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, are always respected. A world in which children can thrive in safe environments and become the agents of change they wish to see in their lives.

Our mission

 Terre des hommes, founded in 1960, is an independent, neutral and impartial Swiss organisation committed to bringing meaningful and lasting change to the lives of children and youth, especially to those most exposed to risks. We strive to improve their well-being and ensure the effective application of their rights as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant human rights instruments. To make a difference, we focus on the areas of maternal and child health, children and youth migration, and access to justice. We aim to empower children and youth through active participation. We advocate for the respect of children’s rights, supporting them in voicing their needs and interests. We work in fragile and conflict-affected settings, as well as in stable environments.

Our principles of action

  • We act in the best interests of the child, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant human rights instruments.
  • We foster local partners’ ownership of projects and actions, reinforce local systems to support and enable various national and local stakeholders to provide expertise and best practices
  • We implement humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding activities.
  • We partner with other organisations to advocate for the respect of children’s rights.
  • We strive for sustainable change in all our actions and programs by creating a positive impact.
Values
PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT
  • We promote and enhance participation and empowerment.
  • We create the space for active participation and embrace inputs from others
  • We are sensitive about others’ needs to influence.
  • We share and delegate power and responsibilities.

 

PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION
  • We trust the capacities of our key actors as primary responders and agents of change. We build on their strengths and on their needs.
  • We champion co-creation and value complementarity.
  • We appreciate other points of view and seek collectively for pragmatic and innovative solutions.
  • We manifest humility, respect, fairness and see others as equal partners.


 

INNOVATION AND LEARNING
  • We promote a culture of innovation.
  • We value curiosity, welcome new initiatives, and foster creativity.
  • We embrace voluntary learning and are ready for trial and error.
  • We foster knowledge sharing, learning and strive for sustainability.

 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
  • We celebrate Diversity and Inclusion of people.
  • We genuinely commit to diversity and inclusion and see it as a wealth in all our activities.
  • We understand the cultural contexts and value differences.
  • We are truly committed to an equal treatment.
LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE
  • We thrive to offer our best, we think ahead, and are ready and willing to go the extra mile for the wellbeing of children.
  • We provide quality programming and support. We are accountable and transparent. We use power responsibly.
  • We position ourselves through our expertise and savoir-faire.
  • We advocate for the rights of children whenever possible and seek actively opportunities to do so.

Click here to access all the legal documents guaranteeing our transparency and accountability

 

Learn more about Tdh in Europe and globally

What's new

The Daphne-CHILD program in collaboration with Terre des hommes presents a unique funding opportunity for civil society organizations and initiatives working to combat violence against children!The call for proposals is now open, offering a total of €1.3 million in grants to support initiatives…
On September 24, 2024, the closing event of the Well U Project took place in Brussels, marking the final stage of this significant initiative funded by HaDEA and EU4Health. The project focused on building competence in evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions for…
In collaboration with 19 NGOs in Greece, Terre des hommes Hellas has co-signed a joint statement addressing the concerning interruption of cash assistance for asylum seekers. The cash assistance program, financed under the EU Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF), is essential for ensuring…
Terre des Hommes Hellas has announced the completion of the CARING program activities for the 2023-2024 school year in 8 schools within the Municipality of Athens. The program, focusing on the prevention of school violence, highlighted concerning findings regarding gender-based violence and social…
Joint Press Release: Terre des hommes Hellas, in collaboration with other Civil Society Organizations and members of the Child Rights Advocacy Network (CRAN), expresses deep concerns regarding the recent measures implemented by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports to address…
Terre des hommes Hellas invites you to a training programme on the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Problem Management Plus methodology, implemented in the framework of the STEP-IN project. PM+ is a brief psychological intervention based on peer support developed by the World Health…