CIVIL SOCIETY: 269 PRACTICES
HOPEgenesis is a Greek, non-profit organization founded in 2015 with the vision to overthrow the climate of birth deficit in Greece, with main goal is to help strengthen births by providing support to women who are permanent residents of the Greek remote islands and mainland regions.
More: www.hopegenesis.org
Founded in 2015, HOPEgenesis is a Greek non-profit company operating in the health and social welfare sector, which aspires to reverse the trend of declining birth rates in Greece.
Its aim is to reveal, analyze and study the causes behind the issue of low birth rates so as to develop actions and movements that will reverse the negative birth-death ratio.
The UN statistical surveys on population change in our country, show that the negative sign of births will lead to the fall of the Greek population from 10,000,000 to 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 by 2050.
HOPEgenesis since 2015 operates through 3 main pillars:
1. Support for women / beneficiaries in remote areas, who have a negative birth-death ratio and have limited access to medical-obstetric infrastructure. Its purpose is for all women to have an equal right to motherhood, regardless of where they live or their financial situation. Its action is focused on women living in remote mainland areas and remote islands. So far it has included in its program more than 350 areas.
2. Conducting surveys, workshops and presentations on the demographic, in order to inform the public and to keep the issue of low birth rate at the forefront of the news and to address it comprehensively.
3. Remote medical monitoring of program beneficiaries, through advanced bluetooth medical devices and a specially designed platform to ensure the safety of women and their babies from afar.
HOPEgenesis main focus is on women who live in remote mainland areas or isolated islands in Greece.
HOPEgenesis was launched in 2015 and is evolving. In particular, it includes new activities in the programme, new areas and research.
Since 2015 the organization operates in more than 350 areas, 317 local communities in the Regional Units of Evritania, Phocis, Phthiotis, Boeotia, Evia, Arta, Karditsa, Ioannina, Kozani and Thesprotia and 37 islands of the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
Works closely with 18 medical centers in Athens and remote areas (public and private), and the medical team consists of more than 80 doctors, midwives and other health professionals, located in 15 different parts of Greece.
Up to date, more than 220 families have benefited from the program in areas that for more than 3-5 years had seen little or no births or a large negative birth-death ratio
In addition, it provides infertility treatment services on 28 islands, in cooperation with major fertility centers in Greece, aiming to meet the needs of women who wish to bear but face fertility problems.
Agathonisi, Agios Efstratios, Anafi, Antikythera, Arkioi, Gavdos, Donoussa, Elafonisos, Iraklia, Thimaina, Kalamos, Kassos, Kastelorizo, Kastos, Kimolos, Koufonissia, Lipsi, Meganissi, Nisyros, Oinoros Syses, Sikinos, Schinoussa, Tilos, Folegandros, Fourni, Halki, Psara, Pserimos.
It aims to meet the needs of women who wish to bear but face fertility problems, this additional action will contribute to the overall effort to gradually increase the population of our country.
At the same time, HOPEgenesis is active in order to raise awareness and educate institutions on the major demographic problem.
HOPEgenesis travels throughout Greece every month (in the areas of HOPEgenesis and non-HOPEgenesis activities) to inform, raise awareness and educate organizations, communities and residents about the major problem of low birth rates and its implications in all areas of life.
But in addition, HOPEgenesis conducts research with academic institutions on the low birth rate and demographic problem, so that collectively with academic, state and European institutions, the problem is recorded, documented and solutions formalized.
In cooperation with the Department of Statistics and Insurance Science of the University of Piraeus, the organization carries out a study that records the reasons for the low birth rate in Greece, the ways to address it, the total cost of the population reduction in our insurance system, as well as the cost of funding from Greek or European funds required annually to fill the gap in our insurance system.
Also, in collaboration with the First Gynecological Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, HOPEgenesis is conducting a study on the social extension of the major problem of low birth rates in Greece: “What is the knowledge of young people about declining reproductive ability with age advancement? How would this knowledge affect the course of their lives and the number of births by extension? The research will take place in a large age and educational range and will highlight the relation of infertility with the low birth rate in our country.
THE PILLARS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION are:
Organisational Growth:
Multiplication of benefiting women and extension of the program to more remote areas, showing a negative birth-deathratio and limited access to medical-obstetric infrastructure. The aim of the organization is for all women to have equal rights to motherhood, regardless of their place of residence and financial situation.
Ongoing research, workshops and presentations on the demographic problem:
HOPEgenesis will continue to conduct researches and presentations on the major demographic problem, in order to keep this multi-dimensional issue at the forefront of the news and to fully address it.
Pilot projects for early nurse centers.
HOPEgenesis is planning, in collaboration with a non-public institution, a pilot project for the employment of pre-school children in its areas of activity, which do not have or have difficult access to a kindergarten, in order to enable parents to combine maternity/paternity with their work.
Pilot project "nanny of the neighborhood" in urban and semi-urban areas.
The program "nanny of the neighborhood" is aimed at parents who live in urban or semi-urban areas, giving them the option of keeping their children free of charge from the "nanny of the neighborhood", people who do not work, want and can meet this task. The aim of the program is to facilitate working parents who either do not have the financial capacity or their own family to care for their children when they work, an issue directly linked to the low birth rate in urban and semi-urban areas. At the same time it will motivate people to rejoin the labor market, providing valuable services.
Partner Hospitals - Centers:
Today, the network of the organization's collaborating hospitals consists of 18 medical centers and 82 doctors in 15 different locations throughout Greece.
In addition, 6 volunteers are involved on a daily basis with current issues of the organization, as well as a large network of volunteers/friends assisting and supporting the work of HOPEgenesis on multiple levels, such as social media, sponsorship, travel and events
The remote areas and isolated islands of Greece that have a negative birth-mortality ratio , with either few, or no births and limited access to medical-obstetric infrastructure.
HOPEgenesis cooperates and works closely with 18 medical centers in 15 different locations in Greece and with major infertility centers for the provision of infertility treatment services.
At the same time, the organization is active in thefield of information, raise awareness and training institutions for the major demographic problem.
In order to be more effective, HOPEgenesis has developed close collaboration with local communities to provide the necessary safety for women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant. HOPEgenesis is under the auspices of 39 institutions, while the Region of Central Greece, also, co-finances remote areas of its Region.
The organization conducts research in collaboration with Higher Educational Institutions such as the Department of Statistics and Insurance Science of the University of Piraeus and the Gynecological Clinic of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
Also, the organization has close cooperation with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Latsis Foundation and the Bodossaki Foundation
The organization employs 3 staff members, who on a daily basis are engaged in coordinating beneficiaries, making proposals, making information trips and finding resources.
The issue of low birth rate is emerging as one of the main issues on the political agenda in both Greece and the European Union. HOPEgenesis helps women living in remote areas by creating a safety umbrella for those who are already pregnant, as well as an incentive for the rest to have children.
