The Observatory of Social Inclusion visited the Municipality of Folegandros from July 30 to July 31,2024, in the context of the field surveys currently conducted on islands of the South Aegean Region. During this period, the following were carried out:
A meeting in the Municipality of Folegandros with the Mayor Mr. Kyriakos Marinakis and an interview with the Deputy Mayor of Administration, Ms. Tilla Maria Bali.
An interview with the executives of the “Help at Home” Program, Ms. Flora Veniou and Ms. Margarita Divoli.
During the interviews, the non-existence of extreme poverty phenomena on the island was highlighted once again. However, the need for continuous effort to maintain social and other infrastructures was stressed. Overall, the effort to ensure a sustainable model for the development of tourism activity at local level was highlighted.
As far as accessibility is concerned, there are significant obstacles for people with disabilities and other mobility difficulties due to the island’s geomorphology. However, as far as possible, several efforts are being implemented to improve accessibility to the Municipality’s services.
Regarding the elderly, the need for a personalized approach to the care of elderly people, especially those who live alone on the island, was emphasized. At the same time, the daily effort of the interviewed executives for more actions and better quality services for these people was noted. In this context, emphasis was placed on the field of medical care.
Concerning the issues of gender-based and school violence, it was mentioned that no such incidents have been reported to the Municipality’s services. However, the importance of taking preventive measures as well as the organization of informative and other actions locally was discussed.
The island is served by the Community Center of Thira while there are no Guaranteed Minimum Income beneficiaries.
In conclusion, the Observatory would like to thank all the participants from the Municipality of Folegandros for their contribution to the research.
The results of the survey will be published on the Portal of the Social Inclusion Observatory of the South Aegean in October 2024.
(Text and photos: Georgia Tseva)