father Antonios Papanikolaou (Organisation "The Ark of the World")

Candidate: F.ANTONIOS PAPANIKOLAOU

Malala Prize 2015

for freedom and human

rights

Candidate: f. ANTONIOS PAPANIKOLAOU

«…Seeing abandoned children involved in drugs, made me wondering why….and how I Could help them…»

…His life…

Father ANTONIOS PAPANIKOLAOU He was born and lived as a small child in Chios

in '71, in a large family. His father had nothing to do with the church, he was a merchant. His mother was the housekeeper. He grew up in Drapetsona. He tasted too much poverty there. As a child he had the tendency to help and to sympathize people. Later in his life he decided to become a priest in order to better help people. He finished the University (Pedagogical and Theological School) and traveled enough abroad in missions. Source: www.lifo.gr

He says: “After my studies I was ordained in a very difficult area, in Plato's Academy, in St. George. I fell like a paratrooper in this parish, I had no idea where I was going. The problems were huge. The Kolonos first comes to juvenile crime rates, drug trafficking, children not attending school. What I saw around me was abandonment, children 16 to 17 years who had not even finished primary school, children of single-parented families… Some of the parents were in use of drugs or were confronting heavy psychological problems. I had to go out in the parish, to approach these children, because they were not coming to the church. It was a doom.” Source: www.lifo.gr

The vision of father Antonios Papanikolaou

Thus, with the help of volunteers, the Ark of the World was established . An Organisation with aim to oppose poverty and Children abandonment and offer the chance to children to :

”stand on their own feet”.Children must feel that another world exists as well, a

caring one,  beyond the one that they have known.“Our motive is love”, he says, and we count on that.

The ARK was Established in 1998 by the 26 years old Priest, in order to provide the very best care and support

for each children.The purpose of Ark is to improve their living conditions and

inspire them with hope for a better Future.

The logo of the organisation “THE ARK OF THE WORLD”

The Ark is taking care today about 200 children - infants to eighteen years old children- in a multi-religious and multicultural community, which flourishes and achieves great things with the love of God. 

The 150 Greek children along with children from Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Afghanistan and Iraq, experience harmoniously the affection and peace of the Ark that relieves them from poverty, hunger, illnesses, misery, exploitation and illiteracy.

There are volunteers that unselfishly take care of the basic needs of children as feeding, clothing, entertainment, nursing and school integration. Other volunteers take care of their education with free tutorial courses and professional training. Volunteers and donators contribute in the social integration of the children with the continuous care of Father Antonios and his wife.

The goal of Father Antonios is to keep the children with their mothers and not to be institutionalized.

In order to achieve this goal, homeless and no income mothers, are strengthened with economic aid on a monthly basis (rents for small residences, water and electricity bills etc.). Moreover, these mothers are helped to find a job in order to stand on their own feet and be responsible of their children.

Despite the serious shortage of means that Ark faces, such as lack of money and infrastructure, its efforts are very important and have been recognized with national and international distinctions.

The Ark has been awarded by two Presidents of the Greek Republic Mr. Konstantinos Stefanopoulos in November 2003 and Mr. Karolos Papoulias in December 2005, as one of the best organisations for the wellbeing of children in Greece.

The European Observatory against Racism and Xenophobia has described Ark as “The brightest example against Racism and Xenophobia in Greece” for the year 2003.

In December 2004 the Ark was awarded by UNESCO.In December 2008, Father Antonios Papanikolaou has been awarded by the Athens Academy for his humanity and his exceptional voluntary work. 

f. Antonios Papanikolaou and children helped by his organisation, the “ARK OF THE WORLD”

See by yourself on:http://kivotostoukosmou.org/kivotos/content/view/13/40/lang,en/

Why we believe this person should win the STUDENT EUROPEAN COUNCIL “Malala Prize”?

He is so devoted in this mission and he offers so much in all the children in need regardless their race, without any discrimination!

“ARK OF THE WORLD" is a non-profit voluntary Organisation.

The Organisation’s main concern is helping children and their families to STAND ON THEIR FEET, not just on paper but in practice as well. It helped till now about 400 children-in-need!