Foster Home and street in Kavala named after Nelson Mandela
Kavala, 17 July 2020
The foster Home of the "Smile of the Child" and the adjacent street in Kavala get named after the great political leader on the occasion of the Nelson Mandela International Day
On the occasion of Nelson Mandela Day Ambassador Beryl Rose Sisulu with a delegation of the South African Embassy travelled to Kavala to officially name the Home of the Organization "The Smile of the Child" in Nea Iraklitsa, Kavala, and the adjacent “Socratous Street”, after the world icon Nelson Mandela. This initiative was taken to honour the great political leader and philanthropist who devoted his life to the fight for equality and justice, and to fulfil the wish of the late Greek – South African Ioannis Symeonidis, who donated the two houses, to the Organisation.
The event was officiated by the Ambassador of South Africa to Greece, H.E. Ms. Beryl Rose Sisulu, the President of the Organization "The Smile of the Child", Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, the Honorary Consul of South Africa in Thessaloniki, Mr. Vassilios Takas, the Mayor of Paggaio, Mr. Filippos Anastasiadis, and the Mayor of Kavala, Mr. Theodoros Mouriadis.
The President of the Organization "The Smile of the Child", Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, thanked the local community that years ago wholeheartedly welcomed the Home of the Organization in N. Iraklitsa, Kavala, and stated: "Today is especially important for the extended family of "The Smile of the Child". The late John Symeonidis, a great man who had a genuine interest for his fellow citizens and children, donated his property to our Organization, giving us the opportunity to support even more children in the area. Today we are fulfilling a great wish of his."
Ambassador Sisulu congratulated the President of "The Smile of the Child", Mr. Costas Yannopoulos, for the work of the Organization, emphasizing that this a particularly important day for the relations between Greece and South Africa, as Greece honours the former President Nelson Mandela through this memorable action. She further quoted his words: "The true character of a society is revealed in the way it treats its children". She further stressed the common values shared by Nelson Mandela, the late Ioannis Symeonidis, and the 10-year-old founder of "The Smile of the Child", Andreas Yannopoulos.
South African Embassy in Greece