΄Melissa΄ visits Ioannina, Zagoria and Metsovo
CORFU. The trip was organised by the Corfu Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of those with special needs.
The Corfu Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of those with special needs organised a 3-day educational, recreational and informative excursion for the beneficiaries and parents of 'Melissa'.
Implementing the Association's programme "cooperation, networking and mutual exchange of information" with other Associations of Parents of those with special needs, the beneficiaries of 'Melissa' visited the ELEPAP sheltered accommodation in Ioannina 'Elpida Zois', on the one hand to visit a former beneficiary of 'Melissa' who is now at the abovementioned structure and on the other hand to inform the parents of 'Melissa' for the structures of sheltered accommodation, structures important for the parents of children with special needs, which will be there for their children after they die and unfortunately today in the very developed and cultural Corfu do not exist, despite the many efforts of our Association, which did not receive help in finding an apartment due to the great development of Airbnb.
Then they visited the Ioannina Association of Parents, Guardians and Friends of those with special needs 'Kypseli' which offered a rich and excellent dinner at its premises, the councils of the two Associations discussed the current problems of the disability movement and in the end the children of the two Associations sang and danced in very emotional atmosphere.
As part of their trip they also visited Zagorochoria and Metsovo, enjoying and having fun with the snow, which is not possible in Corfu.
The Association would like to thank the Director of the 'Elpida Zois' Association of Ioannina, Maria Kyrkou, for the tour and information of the structure and the ladies Loula Verbi, President of the Ioannina Association and Maria Skandali, Vice President and former President of the Association, for their warm hospitality, during which it was decided in a special event that the essential informal twinning of the two associations should become formal, further developing the cooperation and actions of the two associations.
Photo: Spyros Zoumpoulidis
