Child protection · Psychosocial support · Inclusion
Here when
it counts.
With care and urgency. In the real.
Vela Greece started work in 2024 with one mission: to protect and care for the most vulnerable children — above all the unaccompanied minors who arrive in Greece.
As a partner of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, we run Safe Areas providing 24-hour protection, psychosocial support, legal assistance and education.
In numbers
Source: Vela Greece monthly dashboards, August 2026.
What we do
Protection today, a future tomorrow
Safe Areas for unaccompanied children
In Malakasa, Drama and Kavala our teams give children travelling alone 24-hour protection, shelter, psychosocial and legal support.
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HELIOS Junior — housing and autonomy for young adults 18–21
When unaccompanied children turn 18 they often lose all protection. In our Thessaloniki apartments they find a safe home and support towards independence.
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SAFE — safer shelters, designed with children
A DAPHNE project that trained shelter staff and built, together with unaccompanied teenagers, a child-friendly reporting mechanism.
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BRIDGE — resilience through play and education
An Erasmus+ project bringing young refugees and locals together, training youth workers in empathetic listening and co-designing the “Mixing Culture” board game with young people themselves.
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News
August 2026 in numbers
161 unaccompanied children at Malakasa in August — 3,363 in total since April 2024.
Vela Greece marks World Day for Cultural Diversity with BRIDGE
An experiential intercultural activity at Malakasa with 20 unaccompanied teenagers: music, food, non-verbal communication and dance.
Strategic meeting in Kavala on social inclusion
The Vela team met the Director of the Kavala facility to present the new Erasmus+ BRIDGE project and Vela's role in preventing radicalisation.
Our vision
We move fast, work smart, and stay rooted where it matters — across crisis, recovery, and inclusion.
A humanitarian organisation led by local teams, guided by evidence, and grounded in trust.