Accountability

Better Days Greece was registered in 2016 as a Greek non-profit civil company (AMKE) in response to the influx of refugees arriving in Lesvos, Greece. Within 6 months of its inception, Better Days managed to provide essential aid, such as clothing and food, to approximately 70,000 people.

Better Days Greece was founded by Elena Moustaka and Anrika Velychko. It is the Greek implementing partner of Swiss-registered NGO Better Days. To this day, it is run by a diverse team of professionals who are united by fierce determination to engineer ethical and sustainable solutions to humanitarian problems. Whether coordinating emergency response or providing education, we continue to emphasise the importance of collective impact, grassroots ingenuity, and providing access to positive physical and emotional spaces and personalised care.

Today, Better Days Greece is guided by an Advisory Board of Directors:

Elena Moustaka, Managing Director, Co-Founder | elena@betterdays.ngo | +30 698 989 9113

Maro Galanou, Chief Financial Officer | mgalanou@betterdays.ngo

Andrew Foley, Development & Strategy Advisor, Co-Founder | andrew@betterdays.ngo | +30 694 424 5629

Dan Teuma, Protection & Safeguarding Advisor | dan@betterdays.ngo

Our story begins in November 2015 in the olive groves adjacent to Moria camp, inhabited by thousands of people in need of basic aid like shelter, clothing, and food. We have since implemented high-quality educational, medical, legal, and emergency support programs such as the Olive Grove, Elpida Refugee Camp, Gekko Kids, EcoHub, TAPUAT Child & Family Hub, Socrates Sports & Development, and Themida Greece. Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, a significant proportion of our resources have been dedicated to the support of the Greek and asylum-seeking communities of Lesvos.

Over the years we have supported projects in Greece, Serbia, Syria, and Lebanon, distributed millions of euros worth of aid, and coordinated over 3,000 volunteers. As of 2022, our work focuses on providing quality education to displaced young people in Greece. We review our impact with a multifaceted approach based on quality objectives. To conclude, we must survey our stakeholders and the communities affected by our work. Organisational assessments (internal audits) are conducted yearly.

Better Days’ work is known around the world and several of our blueprint programs have received global recognition for their contribution to humanitarianism and sustainable aid.

Our spending reports are indicative of the level of agility and resourcefulness required to preserve humanitarian aid project that have sustainable and positive impact on the lives of the people with whom we work. Audited by PKF, our internal accounts processes have been found to meet industry standards and comply with financial laws.

Any humanitarian actor focusing on the needs of refugee children and vulnerable populations must operate a robust safeguarding process. The creation of safe physical and emotional spaces is foundational to our work. Our staff and volunteers are trained to work with displaced people in ways that promote empowerment and wellbeing. Similarly, Better Days’ pedagogy is founded on the principle that every student requires a tailored plan to help them overcome personal hardships and meet their full potential.

Better Days operates in accordance with the international quality standard of ISO 9001:2015Q. Our Quality Policy clearly demonstrates the organisations’ commitment to supporting refugee children and young people by providing access to quality education and essential services.

It is our responsibility to contribute to a fairer society that offers young people opportunities for growth, hope, and safety, recognizes localized expertise, and invests in collective but locally-led action within territories affected by migration, conflict, climate-specific disasters, and economic and other crises.