Relief for Rovies, Evia

On Tuesday 3rd August a wildfire started in the unique pine forests that blanket the Northern half of Evia, the second largest island in Greece. It’s now Monday 9th August and that fire is still burning after six long days of high winds and soaring temperatures, which have fuelled the speed and scale of this tragedy. Nearly 400,000 acres of land have burnt and many villages have been evacuated, bringing all of us face to face with the climate crisis.

The catastrophic loss to the environment, villagers’ homes, schools and local businesses is of such scale it’s immeasurable. Some people are still without water, power or easy access to food and many feel abandoned by the Greek government.

Forever grateful to our late Yaya Eleni, we have roots firmly embedded in Rovies, one of the coastal villages in northern Evia that has been badly affected by the fire. Four generations of our family have had close links to the village and many friends and family have spent countless summers there, falling in love with the village and its people for the same reasons we do every time we go back. We are filled with pride every time we share it.

After a challenging 18 months because of the global pandemic Evia now has another catastrophe to recover from and they need our support.

We are raising donations specifically for Rovies, which we hope can support the restoration of the landscape, livelihoods and future protection of this special island. Once the fires are finally out, the real work will begin to save and protect those that have had their lives destroyed.

Already the village are looking at the following: immediate construction of serious flood projects to protect against another disaster in winter; restoration of key burnt local buildings, including damaged schools; financial support for those who lost their homes; compensation to any loss of business including hospitality and local agriculture.

The support that is needed is immense so any help we can offer will go a very long way.