Today, we had the honor of welcoming His Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland to Greece, Mr. Stefan Estermann, following his expressed desire to visit one of our shelters. He was accompanied by Mr. Tobias Schläpfer, Head of the Swiss Contribution Office, Mr. Konstantinos Mourtzas, National Program Officer, and Ms. Ioanna Athanas, Embassy Attaché.
Our esteemed guests were greeted by our General Director, Arch. Panteleimon Papasynephakis, along with a team of shelter staff. After expressing gratitude for their presence, he guided them through all the floors. During the tour, he noted that the philosophy of the Greek Church is to create spaces that provide the feeling of a safe home where children can heal from past traumas.
The tour concluded with a warm and in-depth discussion during which both the General Director and the shelter staff briefed our visitors on its operation, the activities of the children, and the challenges they face. Ambassador Estermann expressed admiration for the work being done and for the shelter itself, which provides comprehensive care to the children. He also expressed a desire, within the framework of the long-standing cooperation between the Swiss Confederation and SYNYPARXIS, to explore ways to enhance the children’s activity programs.
The General Director warmly thanked Ambassador Estermann and his delegation for their kind words and for once again expressing willingness to support our work. He presented them with mementos, while receiving from our visitors commemorative caps for our children.
