''The Smile of the Child'' ( el, Το Χαμόγελο του παιδιού) is a voluntary, non-profit

child welfare Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to e ...

organization based in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

Establishment

In December 1995, a large number of the Greek public watched the TV show ''Red Card'', which featured the 18th-month struggle of 10-year-old Andreas Giannopoulos, who was fighting to stay alive after a very serious health issue. This provided the impetus for the creation of ''The Smile of the Child''. In January 1996, The Smile of the Child was registered as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation . The Association continues to expand to meet the serious problems of children in-need living in Greece.

Activities

''The Smile of the Child'' organises Bazaars, Concerts, cultural and sports events aiming to assist children in need and their families.

Funds

The organisation is supported financially mainly by a number of companies in Greece and elsewhere. The

Hellenic Police The Hellenic Police ( el, Ελληνική Αστυνομία, ''Ellinikí Astynomía'', abbreviated ) is the national police service and one of the three security forces of the Hellenic Republic. It is a large agency with responsibilities ra ...

an
Elpida (Hope)
are two such organizations that have supported ''The Smile of the Child''.

International partners

''The Smile of the Child'' collaborates with international organizations such as the

International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with a regional presence in Brazil, Singapore, and Australia, is a private 501(c)(3) non-governmental, nonprofit global organization. It com ...

(ICMEC), th
European Federation for Missing and Exploited ChildrenChild Help Online
th
European Federation for Street Children
and the US's

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Pres ...

. As of October 2010, The ''Southeastern European Centre for Missing and Exploited Children'' was inaugurated, as a joint initiative of ICMEC and ''The Smile of the Child''.

References

External links