COMPLETED
Greece Programs
Greece | 2018-2023
OUR PARTNERS
One Happy Family
Carry the Future
Action for Education
Following families across a continent — from the islands to the mainland.
From 2018 to 2023, Nest Global operated a series of programs for the thousands of refugee families fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Middle East torn apart by war. As Greek authorities moved refugees from the overcrowded Aegean islands to the mainland capital of Athens, the Nest moved with them — providing critical early childhood education to over 5,700 young children and families across five years and three locations.
Each program responded to a specific moment in Europe’s refugee crisis. Together, they formed a continuous thread of care as families navigated one of the most harrowing displacement corridors in the world.
Nest Lesvos
In January 2018, Nest Global launched its very first Nest on the island of Lesvos — the primary point of entry for refugees crossing from Turkey’s mainland into Europe. Operating within One Happy Family, a community center supported by humanitarian aid workers and people from local refugee camps, Nest Lesvos served approximately 50 children daily. Situated near the Moria refugee camp — one of the most dangerous and overcrowded camps in Europe — Nest Lesvos offered something the camp itself could not: a safe, joyful, child-centered space where children could play, explore, and breathe.
Nest Samos
In 2019, Nest Global extended its presence to the island of Samos, operating in partnership with local NGO Action for Education. Nest Samos served approximately 75 children daily, ages 2–7, residing at the island’s severely overcrowded refugee camp. The Nest was outfitted with materials and spaces for invention, drama, science, and engineering — all designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and joy in children who had experienced profound disruption. Nest Samos ran until 2021, when Greek authorities began transferring refugee populations from the islands to the mainland.
Nest Athens
As the population shifted, so did Nest Global. In 2021, in partnership with Carry the Future and Action for Education, Nest Global opened Nest Athens to serve refugee children now resettled in the mainland capital. Serving nearly 50 children across three sessions each day, Nest Athens offered a warm, consistent, engaging environment for children who had fled conflict in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and beyond — many of whom had experienced profound trauma on the islands and in transit. Through block-building, art exploration, snack time, and storytelling, children had the opportunity to pursue interests, collaborate, and find joy in learning. Parents were invited to play alongside their children or participate in language classes and workshops in an adjoining space. Nest Athens ran until 2023.
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