This is one of those amazing and inexplicable things, one of those random “coincidences” that define all life. OUR Joanna Fili she is a hardworking mom of three who is also working on her PhD. Mr. Panagiotis, 71, is a modest man who lives alone and spends his mornings watching stock market news and reading poetry in the afternoons. Two lives that nothing foretold would have crossed if last year’s ad shortly before Christmas hadn’t insisted on appearing in Joanna’s chronicle. “You can’t get used to loneliness, no matter how hard you try,” his message read. Prolepsis Institute for the program Friendship at any agewhich connects volunteers with older people to develop friendships.

“It was late at night and I was working on the computer,” she recalls. talking to “K”. “At first I did not pay much attention, but after a while I returned to get a better look at her. I will not hide from you that I was touched by this action, I did not know it. I sat down and thought: “Can I?”. It was a very busy year, one of my children was taking the Greek exams and I was finishing my dissertation at the European University of Cyprus while working. But I said that I want to help, stop somewhere, from rest, sleep, fun, and help. Christmas is coming, I’m going to give myself a present.” From the first moment, Joanna felt that there would be two beneficiaries from this relationship.

She completed the paperwork, submitted an application, passed the appropriate training (“I still remember the psychologist’s advice, “even through a headset you can make you smile”) and it was time for the first contact. The initial anxiety quickly dissipated – with his meek disposition, excellent Greek language and subtle humor, Mr. Panagiotis immediately melted the ice. The conversation flowed effortlessly, who would have thought that they would have so much in common? “At first we agreed to meet every Thursday at 6 o’clock, but I didn’t like it. A friend can pick you up whenever they want. This is what we have been doing so far. This morning he took me to tell me the title of the book we were discussing. During all this time, we have been talking for almost a year, imbued with each other’s interests, my children say hello to him, he is part of our friendly environment.

Cavafy and… promotions

One of the first threads they felt connecting them was Cavafy, whom they both love. “From childhood, I applied his philosophy of life, which gave me special pleasures along the way,” says Mr. Panagiotis “K”.who has managed to live a rich, exciting life despite several health problems that have plagued him since childhood.

“Life is a beautiful journey,” says the poet, “I wish it was a long road” and “many summer mornings when you first enter the ports.” And therefore, when the end of your life comes, you will walk a path full of pleasures and new experiences. Today, of course, they are discussing not only poetry, but also … The stock market, into the world of which he is trying to introduce it. He has been involved since 1986 when he accidentally bought 25 shares of the then Labor Bank. “I gave away less than 100,000 dirhams, and when I sold them in 1990, I got 5 million. Of course, it was a diamond share of the Greek stock exchange. There are other such diamonds, less brilliant, but they exist.” He has so many stories to tell as he looks back at the movie of his life that makes you want to sit down and listen to it. For example, when he lost a significant part of the fortune he made from the import-export company he had when his safe deposit box was broken into at the labor bank in Callirois in 1992. . “Man is the greatest capital,” as he will tell me.

After all, who benefits from it?

Great truth, and Joanna is another living proof of it. “Sometimes I hang up the phone, often bursting into laughter, and I think: “Who is the beneficiary of these two?” Because I also feel like I’m getting so much wisdom, knowledge, experience, perspective. I hope others will get involved and see that as volunteers they get much more than they give. There will be time, a matter of kindness and will. You close and feel the warmth in your heart.”

And Mr. Panagiotis, in turn, suggests that those who feel that they need a friend do not hesitate to contact the Prolepsis program. “It may be difficult for some to decide – some may be skeptical or not willing to admit they feel lonely – but if they do, they win many times over. For me, Joanna is a very beautiful window to the world,” he says. Add immediately after: “But I can’t hide from you that I’m a little worried, because the exchange has been open for ten minutes.”

From the Eye to the Pandemic

The idea of ​​the program “Friendship at any age” rose from the ashes in the summer of 2018 in Mati.

The Prolepsis Institute has begun sending hot meals every day to the fire-affected elderly in the area, many of whom have lost loved ones in the fire. “We contacted them often to check what they got, what they liked, that it was of good quality, and we quickly found that they enjoyed the food and the phone call equally, the company we provided them with even for a short time. “. , says Eleni Fagogeni to “K”.responsible for the program. Looking for excellence abroad, they found an organization in France that has been running a similar action against loneliness for years, connecting lonely older people with volunteers to develop friendships. The Prolepsis team trained with them, and in December 2019 a pilot campaign was launched in Attica. It was the dawn of a pandemic that further highlighted the problem of loneliness among the elderly. Today the program has been extended to the whole of Greece, the number of beneficiaries (people aged 65 and over) has reached 258, and volunteers – 270.

Volunteers aged… 85 years old!

“Our volunteers are people from 17 to 85 years old, 16.5% are older people who find meaning in giving.” The program also operates a telephone line 210-6101300 to support older people who feel lonely.