ATHENS

George Kratsas, a lawyer who has been living in London for the past 20 years, took the initiative to swim from Albania to Corfu to raise money and awareness for two special needs schools: one on Corfu Island and one on Zakynthos Island, both of which are in the Ionian Sea.

Despite his busy schedule of work and family, he spent months of training to accomplish this endeavor to convey an important message of supporting such schools.

Kratsas did not face any such difficulties in his life. However, he believes that small acts such as this can pass along a positive message and create awareness for a good cause.

After months of training and long hours at the pool and the gym, Kratsas managed to swim from Albania to Corfu; 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) through the open sea.

“This is what most people do not realize,” he said, referring to the training and preparation required for such an event.

“There is no doubt that swimming from Albania to Corfu can be very tiring,” he told Anadolu.

In the open sea, swimming is not that easy, he explained, as sea currents can potentially extend the actual distance to much more, around 4.3 kilometers (2.67 miles), making the distance feel a lot longer, he added.

“But,” he said with a pause, “it's all worth it.”

“First, sports can teach us about discipline and commitment and can also improve people’s health and can convey important social messages. However, in this particular case, through my long-distance swim, I wanted to symbolize the daily struggles of people living with disabilities and those of their families and teaching staff. I am a strong believer of the motto that small acts can have a great impact,” he added.

Yet difficulties are not the only barrier or challenge, said Kratsas. There is anxiety if something goes wrong at the last minute, like a small injury or an illness.

Kratsas managed to swim across in one hour and 20 minutes with the knowledge that everything he did was for a good cause as the most powerful motivator.

Supporting the two schools

The two special needs schools host 32 children and were created to support them and their families to be smoothly integrated into society as equals.

Such structures play a very important role in society, as they can provide skills and training to children who have some kind of disadvantage, whether it is physical or mental.

“Their impact in society is significant and they struggle daily to offer education and care to students of different ages,” Kratsas told Anadolu.

He said he had seen similar initiatives by his friends and the goal was to convey a positive message to those around him and to the wider community.

Kratsas believes that even small contributions can have an impact on a person’s life.

For the two schools he is supporting, he said that €20 could go towards buying a basketball, while €100 can go towards purchasing a color printer or a tablet.

Raising awareness about people living with disabilities and highlighting the excellent work done by these two schools is equally important, he said, because changing social perceptions about minorities and their families can often have a much greater impact than money will ever have.

Initiatives like this are a sign of solidarity towards these children, Maria Rapti, a speech and language therapist, told Anadolu.

“This is hope for the future,” she said, and an example that should be followed by others as being a student with special needs in Greece is a challenge.

“It's an everyday race with life not because of their learning difficulties but because of the barriers they face,” Rapti said.

Despite the efforts of the state to support these schools, Greece is far behind compared to other European countries.

“We have very good therapists, whether they are psychologists or special education therapists. But the demand is greater, and there are not enough to support the public sector,” she added.

Regarding the two schools in Corfu and Zante, Kratsas said they are fully functional, with specialized personnel. However, they operate under adverse conditions, and it is the nature of these schools that always creates a need for something more, he said.

Like in most sectors, the procedures needed for the provision of material and assistance are slow, and for these kinds of schools, a small obstacle seems even bigger, especially since the number of children they serve is constantly increasing.

“My purpose is not to replace the state but to help fellow human beings and make a small difference,” he said.

“We cannot underestimate the impact of pursuing a social cause on ourselves. Doing our bit for society can boost our own sense of purpose and strengthen our links with our wider community.”