Participatory
Action
Research
• Each school needs a person in charge of Communication and Dissemination that will be in contact with the other Communication managers in each school
• Strategy Claudia Campagna
• Plan Benedetta Fanton (Fortes)
The journey to a better future can begin from our classrooms
Italian team
Giovanni interviewed the 5 th Lyceum of Volos Headmaster, Dr. Dimitrious Apostolakis
Do you live in the city centre or in the suburbs?
In the city centre.
How did you feel about the flood? Did you think about the people in the other parts of the city?
Of course I did, I have relatives in the other parts of the town.
That were affected by the flood?
I am the most affected by the flood between my relatives, I actually had 4 metres of water in the basement. We had problems with electricity until last week.
Where were you at the moment of the flood?
I was at home.
And do you live on the upper floor?
Of course, the water only reached the basement. There were also 40 cm of water on the road in front of my house.
Did you suffer many damages?
Yes, the refrigerator, the carpets, luggages with gloves, the elevator and also the Christmas tree were all damaged.
What did you do to confront this phenomenon, protect your house and also to help other people?
I used everything I had to move the mud and the water inside and outside, for 12 hours. But I didn’t manage to do a lot.
Giovanni and Sophia, his Greek host mother.
Where were you when the flood happened?
Luckily I was here at home, and I managed to put away some of the water that entered on the back.
Was your property damaged?
Just the underground floor, a bit. But some little roads were destroyed and so we have to take a different path to go downtown. Some were reconstructed after the first flood, but not after the second one, when also the other overflowed.
Do you think that the local authorities did enough to limit the damage caused by this disaster?
No, they didn’t. They actually should have done something years ago, because they know that the city is between two rivers. Some structures to prevent it should have been built, but they didn’t. We knew that a flood could happen, and it happened.
Do you think that this phenomenon is related to climate change and the other extreme phenomena that happened in Europe?
Yes, I do think so.
What can we do as citizens?
We should try to save more energy, and use less plastic.
Do you think that someone who has more power should do something about it?
Yes, first of all the prefecture, the Tessalia government. I’m not an expert, but for example the focus should be on Mount Pelion. That’s that place from where most of the water flows, and that’s where destruction should be prevented. Also, there are traditional villages on Pelion.
Are they at risk?
Luckily, they weren’t damaged. They’re 200 years old and they’re very resistant, other than beautiful.
As a primary school teacher, what do you think the education system should do to raise more awareness about these problems with children?
Many programmes have been implemented, but things have continued to get worse. It feels like society is fading a bit because of the education the kids receive at home, regarding these problems too. Most of the citizens just think about themselves and their wealth. Yes, and also the political decisions are based on this wrong mentality. We should consider our life more important than our pockets.
As a final question, do you think it’s too late to do something?
I hope not!
Lithuanian team
Gabija Norkutė, 3d, Lithuania
Interview
Where was your family when the flood occurred?
We were locked in our house and were watching the disaster happen right in front of our eyes, terrified of the damages that it would cause.
What was your reaction when the flood happened?
We were shocked by how much water there was everywhere. We were afraid about what the disaster will do to our city and the houses and how much everything will cost to fix.
What damage did the flood cause you?
We didn’t have any water for a few days. We didn’t have it for showers or even drinking. Our house was flooded with water for a few hours after the disaster.
How did you solve these problems?
We would ask the neighbours and our relatives for help. We were doing everything we could to save our neighbourhood, for example we were trying to save all of the furniture and the important stuff of the families and we were also trying to get all of the water out of the building immediately.
Aiste Bartkevičiūtė 3c, Lithuania
Interview
When were you when the flood happened?
I was in my grandmother’s apartment sleeping, I had no idea what was going on
How were you feeling?
I was okay. I was just a little bit shocked, because we haven’t had a problem like this in many years, and this was my first experience with the floods.
What causes happened to your home?
The water got in some parts of the house, but there wasn’t anything catastrophic. We had to repaint some parts of the house because of the small water damage.
What helped?
There weren’t any big problems for us, only no electricity. But I am glad that now everything is okay.
Greek team
Interview After the Floods.
The Erasmus + project “You’R Nature You’R Future” in Volos, Greece.
In the month of September 2023 the city of Volos and its region have been struck by devastating floods as a consequence of two extreme weather phenomena, Storm Daniel and Storm Elias. Even if the second flood happened less than 10 days before the week of mobility in Volos (8-14 th October) organized by the 5 th Lyceum of Volos as part of the Erasmus + project “You’R Nature You’R Future”, our Greek partners were able to host the mobility and overcome all the difficulties and criticalities caused by the flood. The Italian students interviewed the Greek hosting students, members of their families and the Headmaster of the 5 th Lyceum of Volos, Dr. Dimitrious Apostolakis, about the floods.
Giulia B., interviewing Ioannis, her host Evangelia’s father.
Recently, the city has experienced a second terrible flood. How has this situation affected your daily life?
Yes, indeed, we went through quite intense days. Fortunately, my residence only suffered minimal damage, but the city endured quite a bit.
I can imagine how challenging it must be. How did you handle the situation during the flood?
We followed the warnings from local authorities and stayed home as much as possible.
Thankfully, the water level didnt rise high enough to threaten our residence, but many areas of the city were heavily affected.
How did the local community respond to this emergency? Did you witness mutual support among residents?
Absolutely. The solidarity was extraordinary. Many residents opened their homes to those who suffered more severe damage. There was also a significant community mobilisation to assist in rescue operations.
And in terms of the authorities response, how was it?
Local authorities acted promptly. We saw rescues, organised evacuations, and the distribution of essential goods and financial support. The collaboration between authorities and the community is essential
Besides damage to residences, have you noticed any other impacts on the citys infrastructure?
Yes, some roads were damaged, and many shops experienced losses due to the water. Some areas are still undergoing restoration, but overall, the city is gradually returning to normal.
Finally, what are the prospects for the future? What do you think the community can do to prevent similar situations in the future?
I believe prevention and water resource management are crucial. We need to work together to ensure that the infrastructure can withstand these situations and that the population is informed about how to handle them.
Now, everytime they say that it will rain, we are like: Ok, a new flood will come again.
Giulia Bu. interviews her Greek host Lydia.
Where were you when the flood happened?
I was alone in Volos when the flood happened the first time. I came on Sunday to have a dance lesson on Monday. My parents were in my village (Tsagarada), because during summer we usually stay there.
What happened?
When I came back from ballet, on Monday, it was starting to rain, only a little bit. My parents told me they would come the next day because they didn’t want to risk. So, I fell asleep. During the night, I heard a lot of noises: the thunders, the wind, but most of all the rain, that was starting to get really heavy. I woke up the next morning and I saw it was still raining. My parents couldn’t reach Volos by car because the rain was too heavy, so they would wait again. I wasn’t scared, because I thought it wasn’t something serious. However, the rain didn’t stop at all and I started feeling like it will never end. Suddenly, the electricity was cut. In Tsagarada, the situation was similar and my mother was really afraid, because she wasn’t able to communicate with me because of the lack of electricity. I fell asleep again, all alone, without electricity and water. The lack of water was the most difficult thing: I couldn’t go to the bathroom, I couldn’t do the dishes. I would prefer not to have electricity than water: sadly, only during those moments I understood how important water is in our daily life. I woke up the next morning and it was still raining. I was like: “Please, God, make it stop”. It wasn’t heavy, but you could still hear it.
Were the streets damaged?
The streets down my house weren’t damaged, but in other areas of Volos they were; some of my friends sent me pictures of their houses and the damages were very evident.
How did you manage to use your phone without electricity?
At first, I had to use my phone only to call my parents; but it was difficult: I was alone and I didn’t know what to do. Then, Evangelia (Lydia’s best friend) called me and told me her father had electricity in his shop, so I gave her my phone and she could charge it.
Did you have food at home? Was it a problem?
It was a problem: I couldn’t go out, everything was closed. Before the flood, I’d arranged with my parents they would brought food from Tsagarada. But they couldn’t come. And obviously I couldn’t go to the supermarket. So, I was in my home, without electricity, without water, without food, all alone. I wasn’t scared for me, but for my family: I was in the second floor, I knew anything bad could happen to me. The worst thing is that I was also starting to feel dirty: I needed to shower but I obviously couldn’t. Then, on Thursday, the electricity came back, but still we didn’t have water. The rain was lighter. On Friday my parents came at night. They brought me food and water from my village. The water came back only on Sunday: I was the happiest person in the world. Then they said the school had to take care of some damages in the building, so we couldn’t start. But the second flood came. We were all together in Volos and we knew what to do, so we were less scared. The bad thing with the second flood is that all the damaged things people had fixed after the first flood were damaged again. If I was in their place, I think I would have just given up.
Giorgia interviews her Greek host Eutuchia’s father, Dr. Pantazis Fasoulidis, teacher at the 5 th Lyceum of Volos and member of the City Council.
How was the situation for the city during the floods?
The situation was very bad, we had electricity cut for 40h, no water for 3 days. Three rivers had been polluted by bacterias and debris from Mount Pelion and get down to the city. All the city had bacterias from water. There were many debris from houses and factories in rivers: we could drink just water in plastic bottles. Some bridges are destroyed now, because of the water, and four people died because of it, also the atmosphere was full of dust.
Do you think the authorities did their best or they could have done more?
Yes, they should they have had set anti-floods precautions. It was late at the end, there was a lot water, 1 tonne of water every square-meter.
How long do you think it will take for the city to return to normality?
I think about 2 years. Many roads have been destroyed. Houses, tv, cars, everything in some houses are destroyed for 5000 families in Volos. The government gave compensations for families, but the money is not enough. Also some people had lost jobs because of the floods, and the mood is very down. The city has to start again, but if someone is 50/55 years old, is very difficult to restart. Also six schools in the city have been destroyed now, and children have lessons with computer, on distance.
Which is the most damaged part of the city?
Definitely the part of old port, Naples neighbourhood, Anavros, and the area called Saints Anagyri. Oh, and of course all the places near the rivers. Our house is a safe place because from this part of the city the water flowss down to the port, but people who live there had troubles.
Turkish team
Romanian team