Maria Sakkari has beaten France’s Caroline Garcia in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-4, to secure her spot in the next round of the BNP Paribas Open.
According to tennis.gr, this was Sakkari’s fourth consecutive win over Garcia, who she had lost to in their first three meetings but has since overturned the score between them to 4-3 in her favour.
Sophie Mitropoulos, 61, a public servant from the Brisbane riverside suburb of Balmoral, has seen her insurance premium go from $1,189 to over $5,000 in just five years – including a staggering 54 per cent increase between 2022 and 2023.
These figures are consistent with industry data supplied to the ABC, which suggest that in the most flood-prone locations, rates for home insurance are normally set at roughly 4% of the home’s value, while contents insurance is broadly set at 13% of the total insured.
Sophie Mitropoulos has seen her insurance premium go from $1,189 to more than $5,000 in just five years. Photo: ABC News/Christopher Gillette.
According to ABC News, Mitropoulos argues that because her property is constructed on stilts with nothing beneath, she should not be required to pay more just because other homes in the vicinity are more prone to flood damage.
“I think honestly it would be disastrous for lower income people and it would get to a point where we just cannot afford insurance at all,” Mitropoulos says.
“If I get flooded [in a house] on two-metre stilts, the whole suburb is under.”
Insurers and local communities alike are aware of which houses are most vulnerable to floods, and with enough effort and persistence, resulting property damage can, more often than not, be prevented.
The Heartbeat of Football Foundation has announced a grant of $50,000 from the NSW Government to deliver its community sport focused heart health initiatives across regional NSW sporting grounds.
The “Heart Health Matters – Community Sport” project will leverage the undeniable power of sport to tackle cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrest across sporting communities in NSW.
Sport acts as a catalyst for community development, that brings communities together, builds character, drives social change (Integration & inclusion), inspires future generations, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
The “Heart Health Matters – Community Sport” project leverages the undeniable power of sport to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD) & cardiac arrest across sporting communities in NSW;
The role of sport and active recreation in society has become increasingly important over the years, not only for the individual but also for public health – it’s at the heart of every community!
The project will deliver Heart Health Awareness & Screening Days across NSW with a focus on regional NSW and those local government areas (LGAs) identified as high-risk heart hotspots (80% regional and 20% metro): Hunter/Central Coast; Illawarra/South-East; New England/North West; Central West/Orana; and Riverina plus South-West/Western Sydney;
The impact of CVD is greater for those living in regional and rural areas and underserved population groups including First Nations; Women and Multicultural communities.
The education, awareness, training, and preventative screening provided as part of this project provides people the knowledge, reassurance and confidence to continue to enjoy the many benefits of participating regularly in sport, irrespective of age, ability, gender or background.
This project supports other NSW Government initiatives, including the Local Sport Defibrillator program, championing the opportunity to make NSW the safest state to play sport.
NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said, “The benefits of sport are the cornerstone for communities across regional NSW and our support of this initiative is not only an investment in the health and wellbeing of residents but also in the prosperity and vitality of the region as a whole.”
“Personally, I was at the 2016 launch of the Heartbeat of Football Foundation and have cheered from the sidelines as have they continued to grow their reach and impact at community sporting grounds across NSW and major events such as FIFA Women’s World Cup Fan Festival site in Sydney/Gadigal.”
Minister Kamper.
The Foundation has now delivered over 10,000 nurse-led preventative heart health screening tests across Australia, as well as provided over 1100 people with CPR & AED confidence sessions – growing the bystander network willing and able to respond to an emergency cardiac situation.
“I’m delighted the NSW Office of Sport is supporting our mission with our first ever Government grant in NSW,” HOF Founder Andrew Paschalidis said.
“We will be utilising 80% of the funding to deliver free heart health checks in regional NSW knowing the current access and inequity issues that exist. Community sport provides great opportunities to also get the important message out far and wide with regards to #KnowYourNumbers and #PreventionistheBestDefence and ensuring all of us try to get a regular check up.”
Andrew Paschalidis (front left) and his team.
The “Heart Health Matters – Community Sport” project will be delivering heart health checks to as many people as possible for key modifiable risk factors – Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Cholesterol at their local sports ground.
In addition, it will be holding CPR and AED confidence sessions to build a stronger and more diverse network of bystander confidence as every minute counts when a person is in cardiac arrest – as the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent every minute.
This announcement is timely and coincides with the recent launch of the 2024 #MakeitRed which is a national campaign to raise awareness as well as funds for more heart health research, education and prevention programs. Clubs across all sports are invited to sign up and support this initiative by visiting https://makeitred.org/.
20 ambassadors, including Australian Ambassador to Greece Alison Duncan, have collectively written to ‘NEA’ newspaper, praising Greece’s milestone publication of its first National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security.
The Ambassadors seek to motivate young women to consider careers in diplomacy, while reiterating what can be accomplished by tenacity, devotion, and mutual support, as well as mentorship and programs that encourage female candidates and gender equality.
Since 2000, the United Nations has approved a number of resolutions aiming at increasing women’s full, equal, and meaningful involvement in these areas, acknowledging that women are frequently the principal victims of conflict.
Politically active women are too often targeted with violence in order to discourage them from participating in decision-making processes and taking up leadership positions.
The Action Plan also aims to place women’s meaningful engagement at the heart of efforts in defending women’s and girls’ human rights, prevent and resolve conflicts, and promote long-term peace.
The unity among women diplomats also focuses on highlighting the power that comes from working together and transcending national borders.
The informative event on: “Discover Australia and New Zealand”, by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), the SEV Association of Enterprises and Industries, the Hellenic Investment and Foreign Trade Company (Enterprise Greece) and the Association of Exporters (SEVE), on Tuesday March 5, 2024, at the ACCI.
The event, where 70 institutions took part, aimed to inform businessmen about the markets of Australia and New Zealand and specifically about the business and investment opportunities presented by these countries, as well as the potential for the penetration of Greek products.
Australia and New Zealand, although distant from Greece, present business opportunities for Greek exporters in a variety of sectors, while maintaining historical ties with the country and the Greek diaspora.
The event was welcomed on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, by its President, Mrs Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou, who said that the level of bilateral relations with both countries is excellent as despite the geographical distance, there are strong historical and homogeneous ties.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou.
Regarding Australia specifically, Ms Efraimoglou said that “economic relations are booming, with the balance of payments being in surplus for our country over time – and Greek exports increasing steadily in recent years. The scope for growth in trade with New Zealand is even wider”, according to Efraimoglou, “given that it is currently at relatively low levels. The implementation of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand will also in this case create new prospects for Greek businesses. For our part, as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we remain here to support your efforts in every way possible – in partnership and cooperation with the country’s official extroversion agencies.”
The Director of International Relations and Regional Development of SEV, Ms Vicky Makriyannis, followed by referring to the prospects for cooperation between our country, Australia and New Zealand, emphasising opportunities for further strengthening our economic and commercial ties in sectors such as energy, construction materials, technology services and tourism. The recent EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement was also acknowledged, which is estimated to deliver a 30% increase in bilateral trade between the EU and New Zealand.
The CEO of Enterprise Greece, Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, said: “The further development of economic relations between Greece – Australia and Greece – New Zealand will create a strategic alliance based on shared values and common economic benefits. The active Greek diaspora in Australia and New Zealand is a catalyst for further upgrading bilateral trade. The entrepreneurial spirit of our peoples helps us chart a course towards shared prosperity and sustainable growth”.
In his address, the Executive Vice President of SEVE, Mr Panagiotis Hasapis, stressed the cultural similarity between the people of Greece, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the significant Greek population that resides in these countries, Hasapis also presented the total value of Greek exports for 2023, which amounted to 210 million euros for Australia and New Zealand. He also highlighted that half of the products destined for Australia belonged to the food and beverage sector, as due to its high standard of living, with a per capita GDP of about $63,500, there is a high demand for such high value-added products.
Subsequently, speeches were delivered by the Ambassador of Australia to Greece, Ms. Alison Duncan, the Ambassador of New Zealand to Greece, Ms. Jackie Frizelle, and the new Ambassador of Greece to Australia and New Zealand, Mr. Stavros Venizelos.
The session focusing on Greece’s bilateral trade relations with the Australian and New Zealand markets and the business opportunities presented by these markets was attended by the Commercial Attaché of Greece to Australia, Ms. Chrysa Prokopaki, and the Honorary Consul of New Zealand to Greece, Ms. Ioanna Guvatsou.
The coordination of the first three sessions was undertaken by Mr. Fanis Matsopoulos, Member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In the last session of the event, coordinated by Hasapis, which focused on doing business in the Australian and New Zealand markets, Mr. Vassilis Bairaktaris from ELEA CRETA – SPARTAN TREASURE – STROFILIA ESTATE, Mr. Thodoris Mellos from ALCHIMICA Building Chemicals and Mr. Ioannis Ververidis from KLEEMANN Group presented their experience.
Greece’s Defence Minister, Nikos Dendias paid a visit to Greece’s frigate, Hydra, which is presently part of the EU’s naval mission in the Red Sea.
“It was an honour to be accompanied by the Chief/HNDGS General Dimitrios Houpis and the Chief/HNGS Vice Admiral Eleftherios Kataras HN on the Frigate “Hydra” which patrols the Gulf of Aden, in the context of @EUNAVFORASPIDES, protecting our national interests in a hazard area,” the minister said in a post on platform X on Monday.
It was an honour to be accompanied by the Chief/HNDGS General Dimitrios Houpis and the Chief/HNGS Vice Admiral Eleftherios Kataras HN on the Frigate "Hydra" which patrols the Gulf of Aden, in the context of @EUNAVFORASPIDES, protecting our national interests in a hazard area. pic.twitter.com/giAPKk6CGd
According to Ekathimerini, the EU mission, code-named “Aspides,” which translates to “shields” in Greek, is aimed at safeguarding merchant ships from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia.
Greece, and specifically the Hellenic European Union Operations Headquarters (EL EU OHQ), will be the headquarters of the EU operation for the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, after the acceptance of a related request by Dendias at the EU’s informal ministerial meeting in Brussels.
As the sun set over the panoramic ocean view at the Prince Henry Centre in Little Bay, Sydney, Greek women of influence and their families, including a handful of supportive males, packed out an International Women’s Day (IWD) event on Friday, March 8 hosted by the Greek Festival of Sydney in collaboration with The Greek Herald.
Following some canapes, mingling, and flicking through The Greek Herald‘s special print edition for IWD – which was on display at the event – more than 140 attendees took their seats to enjoy a dynamic panel discussion highlighting the diverse contributions of multigenerational Greek women to multicultural communities.
Kicking off official proceedings on the night was emcee and CEO of Settlement Services International, Violet Roumeliotis. Ms Roumeliotis conducted a traditional Welcome to Country and introduced official guests in attendance.
Violet Roumeliotis was emcee of the IWD event.
Guests included the Shadow Minister for Women, for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and for Aboriginal Affairs, Leslie Gladys Williams MP; the Chair of the Greek Festival of Sydney, Nia Karteris; the First Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate of Greece in Sydney, Anastasia Christofilopoulou; Deputy Mayor at Randwick City Council, Alexandra Luxford; CEO of the Hellenic Initiative Australia, Stergitsa Zamagias – Hill; and Publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos; among many other presidents and vice presidents of local Greek community organisations.
Before the panel, some of these official guests gave endearing speeches on the importance of IWD and the relevance of its theme ‘inspire inclusion’ for women in Australia’s Greek and Cypriot communities.
Ms Karteris stressed that for her, IWD is not only about honouring the women that are in the forefront, but also to honour, remember and respect the women that do not get recognised.
Nia Karteris.
“The women that are workers, the women that are in factories, the women that are in the textile industry, the women that go unseen…” Ms Karteris explained.
“We need to all continue to fight every day for the rights of women. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a housewife or a CEO, we’re all equal, we’re all here for the same purpose and we need to continue fighting.”
Ms Christofilopoulou spoke next and drew laughter from the crowd as she acknowledged the handful of males in attendance, congratulating them on being “feminists at heart.” She also congratulated The Greek Herald for its Award initiative.
Anastasia Christofilopoulou.Ms Christofilopoulou congratulated the men in the crowd.
The Shadow Minister for Women, Ms Williams spoke sincerely about women’s economic empowerment and said that although the world has come a long way in gender equality, there’s still more to be done.
“It is my view that it is the responsibility of each and every one of us as women to show by our own example. Get out there and have a go and these panellists are going to tell us about how they’ve done that,” Ms Williams said.
“Every single woman in this room has a role to play in showing the next generation that you can actually do whatever you want to do and you can be whatever you want to be.”
Leslie Gladys Williams.
Councillor Luxford was the last speaker to address the crowd and spoke about a need for more women in leadership, before praising the Greek women in Randwick City.
“The women in this community are among the strongest I know,” Cr Luxford said.
“I come from a Greek family with a strong Greek heritage and courageous and strong women who came out here in the 1920s. They fled their homelands hoping for a better place to live. They came here with nothing. They didn’t speak the language… So they were pretty isolated but they managed, on both sides of the family, to survive and thrive to the wonderful families that we have today. So thank you to all the wonderful women in our lives. You are truly incredible, inspiring, and you do so much for your families and your communities.”
Councillor Alexandra Luxford.
Leadership across various spheres of life:
The end of these official proceedings marked the start of the inspiring panel segment which involved women from all spheres of life.
As Digital Editor at The Greek Herald, I moderated the event and sat proudly beside four empowering female panellists: Jenny Zagas, Principal at Lucas Gardens School & Disability Advocate; Anais Menounos, Sydney Lawyer & Co-founder of the St Nicholas Mission Academy in Ghana, Africa; Marika Kontellis, Director at Zakumi Consulting, CEO at Inner Sydney Voice, CEO at Council on the Ageing NSW; and Yiana Roumeliotis, Community Engagement Officer at the Addison Road Community Organisation.
All the panellists.Some of the inspirational panel.
The panel conversation centered around the importance of recognising and celebrating women’s contributions and leadership across education, aged care, social work and advocacy for people with a disability.
The panellists shared personal experiences and insights on the significance of education in empowering women and children, and emphasised the importance of mentorship and personal connection in taking on leadership roles. They also highlighted the diverse range of women’s experiences, including those who are busy working hard and juggling family responsibilities, as well as those who are actively engaged in the community and making a positive impact.
With Ms Zagas, she spoke passionately about her role as Principal at Lucas Gardens School and how she provides educational programs for students with high and moderate support needs, including intellectual and physical disabilities, sensory impairments and complex medical conditions.
Ms Zagas said she always aims to put the person before the disability, and gave a tear-inducing anecdote of how she first came to advocate for people with a disability.
The panel drew emotions from the crowd.
“I was a classroom teacher for ten years and a moment came where I was teaching a student named James, he was five years old with a severe intellectual disability. He came into my classroom severely disabled, he was screaming, biting, scratching, and his mother came to me and said ‘please help my child’,” Ms Zagas explained.
“So we worked with his mother, we worked with his carers and he moved from an IQ of below 50 to an IQ of 55, then he moved to 60, then he moved to 70, and then he moved into mainstream classrooms. That was because we didn’t shy away from him, we gave him all the opportunities and it made a difference. From then I thought ‘I need to make a bigger difference and I need to go to a system school.’ And that’s when I went to Lucas Gardens School.”
As co-founder of St Nicholas Mission Academy in Ghana, Ms Menounos shared insights into the impact of education on empowering women in different cultural contexts.
“I’m sure we all know the African proverb, ‘when you educate a woman, you educate a nation,’ and the impact of education is huge,” Ms Menounos said.
“In Ghana, for example, women face so many more barriers… there’s a patriarchy, they’re often in poorer and remote communities, they’re often forced into child marriage, or have teenage pregnancies, or are forced into domestic servitude or child labour.
“And so, education has been a saviour for a lot of them. So by opening up our school, we hope to educate them at an early age and we educate their parents too because their parents never went to school. So we’ve now witnessed our children are more literate than their parents and that’s a change in just a short five years [since the school opened in 2018].”
Yiana spoke about her role as a Community Engagement Officer at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville and shed light on the importance of community involvement and working directly with people at a grassroots level.
“There are really important things at every level of community work, but the thing that I love most about the grassroots level is that you are critical players, you are amongst it,” Yiana said.
“When you’re working at that grassroots level working directly with communities and individuals they can tell you, ‘this is what we need, this is what will help us come out of our situation.’ It’s not prescriptive.
“When it comes to the service delivery level, things take a lot of time. There’s a lot of forms to fill out but at that grassroots level, we just say ‘okay that’s happening? we can fix it’ and draw from all these different pools of resources. So when you’re able to act immediately, and act on a personal level, that’s pretty important.”
Having roles at Zakumi Consulting, Inner Sydney Voice, and Council on the Ageing NSW, Ms Kontellis spoke about the challenges and opportunities that arise as a woman advocating for different demographics, especially the elderly.
Marika Kontellis.
Ms Kontellis also shared a story of her first “client” Vicky – a Greek woman who spoke no English and had a young family, but was in an abusive relationship and needed support.
“She really set the way for me to think that Vicky was in her situation through no fault of her own, those children were in that situation through no fault of their own. Something has to change and it’s not Vicky. It has to be the system. It has to be our own values in the Greek community to say ‘it is not okay for a husband to hit his wife. It is not okay for a husband to abuse his children.’ That’s why I began to advocate and that fire in my belly just grew and grew. And today, I work with older women where I also say it is not okay for older women to be excluded because they’re old,” Ms Kontellis stressed, drawing applause from the audience.
With these thought-provoking answers lingering in the air, the audience were then encouraged to take part in an engaging Question and Answer session before the formal announcement of the winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award.
The Q&A session was engaging.
Young trailblazer wins ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’:
With the panel complete, the final segment of the IWD event commenced.
Ms Skalkos was asked to the stage as Publisher of The Greek Herald to explain ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award initiative. She stressed that the prestigious recognition was aimed at shining a spotlight on the remarkable achievements and inspiring stories of Greek and Cypriot ‘unsung heroines’ (women) in Australia.
Plaques were presented the the award finalists.Finalist Maria Anthony.Finalist Ourania Rekas.The finalists present on the night.
The winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award was then announced as 29-year-old Anais Menounos – co-founder of the St Nicholas Mission Academy in Ghana and of course, a panellist on the night. The surprising moment led to loud cheers and applause from the crowd, with everyone congratulating the young trailblazer on her recognition.
Anais Menounos was surprised to be announced winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award.Nia Karteris and the Shadow Minister for Women presented Anais with her award.Anais (left) with the Publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos.
The winner herself was extremely surprised and became emotional as she gave a small speech, thanking her family and the Greek community for their continuous support.
Anais gives a speech.Anais with her brother.
“I didn’t start St Nic’s to have all these accolades. I started it just out of a pure need to provide education to children who really needed it, but I am so honoured and humbled to be recognised by my Greek community,” Ms Menounos said.
“It is this Greek community and its values that shaped me as a person and instilled in me the value of philotimo, which I carry with me in my work with St Nic’s. So it’s been really, really special.”
Flowers were then presented to panellists.
The event came to a happy conclusion with these inspirational words, as well as a presentation of flowers to the panellists by Mr Roses. Everyone left the room feeling rejuvenated and determined to continue advocating for women’s rights and for those unsung heroines who don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
Jumping in at the end of a Teams meeting where the selection panel were deliberating the nominations for ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award, I was excited to hear who they had chosen as its inaugural winner.
In less than one hour, Federal Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou MP, the SA Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, and the Arts, Andrea Michaels MP, and the CEO of Settlement Services International, Violet Roumeliotis AM, had carefully reviewed the nominations and decided on 15 inspirational finalists and one winner.
After naming each finalist, all three ladies gave a small drumroll as they announced that the winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award was Anais Menounos, a 29-year-old Sydney lawyer and co-founder of the St Nicholas Mission Academy in Ghana, Africa.
Anais Menounos (left) with Publisher of The Greek Herald, Dimitra Skalkos (right). Photo copyright: Effy Alexakis.
‘Remarkable initiative and courage in her global humanitarian work’:
Having already asked Anais to be a panellist at the Greek Festival of Sydney’s International Women’s Day event on Friday, March 8 in collaboration with The Greek Herald – where the Award winner was also set to be announced to the public – I found her victory to be a serendipitous and exciting surprise.
When I explained the situation to Ms Vamvakinou, Ms Michaels and Ms Roumeliotis, the surprise yet joy on their faces was also evident.
“No way!” they chorused, laughing as they had no idea.
They also went on to explain why they had selected Anais out of the more than 300 nominations we had received for ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award.
Ms Roumeliotis said Anais stands out as an unsung heroine who’s work in Ghana and within the Greek community in Australia was “profound and unrecognised.”
Anais on a St Nic’s school excursion in Ghana in 2022. Photo supplied.
“Anais has gone above and beyond by establishing a school in Ghana where the challenges are obvious. It is not only about principles and motivation but also about the operations and logistics required to set up and sustain such an initiative successfully,” Ms Roumeliotis said.
“The lasting impact of her efforts is evident in fostering a sense of dignity for every child and their family. Supporting a child in this brings substantial benefits to the entire family and has far-reaching implications for the future.
“Anais’ story ties back to the youth in Australia of Greek origin, encouraging them to engage in fundraising initiatives, be mindful of their privilege and opportunities, and contribute to the well-being of children on the other side of the world. Although these young people may never meet those they are helping, their contributions are making a meaningful change in their lives.”
Violet Roumeliotis was on the selection panel for ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award. Photo copyright: Effy Alexakis.
Ms Vamvakinou agreed with Ms Roumeliotis.
“Anais was chosen because she has displayed remarkable initiative and courage in her global humanitarian work, making a profound impact on the lives of children in Ghana, gifting them with the opportunities that education and learning offers and at the same time, connecting her work and its purpose to children back home in Australia, raising their awareness of the value and importance of volunteering and giving to those in need,” Ms Vamvakinou said.
Ms Michaels added that Anais is making an extraordinary difference for children living in extreme poverty.
“We know that education is the best way to break the cycle of poverty and access to it opens the door to a world of opportunity for these children. Anais has created a sustainable program to provide that for the future and we felt that ought to be recognised and celebrated. She’s an unsung hero who is changing these children’s lives for the better,” Ms Michaels said.
The Greek value of philotimo:
Our selection panel couldn’t have summed up Anais’ achievements any better.
Anais co-founded St Nicholas Mission Academy in Ghana, Africa in 2018 with the help of Inusah Amidu. St Nic’s – for short – is a school in the Ghanaian town of Kokrobite which offers free education to children from families that live below the poverty line.
Anais with Inusah Amidu.
I first spoke with Anais in 2021 and she told me she decided to open the school in Ghana after she volunteered with an NGO in the country and witnessed for herself the poverty and inequality experienced by some children.
“When I was there, a child ran up to me and begged me for a book and it honestly rattled me that someone… had that thirst for knowledge that we take for granted. Here, you know, people throw out their books for council clean-up and over there, people are begging for books and can’t afford to buy them,” Anais said.
“So for me, coming from a place where I really value the education that I received and I’m really trying my best to put it to good use, I can see how even just to provide basic education to disadvantaged children in a different part of the world can really change their life.”
This sentiment remains with her today and has seen St Nic’s grow considerably.
The school currently has at least 250 students, 15 staff (11 of which are female) and 10 classes ranging from nursery to Kindergarten Level 1, Kindergarten Level 2, Primary Grades 1 to 6, and a composite junior high class. St Nic’s is also fully registered with the Ghanian Education Ministry.
Anais (third from left) with staff at St Nic’s. Photo supplied.
This is no small feat given 29 percent of children in Ghana do not complete primary school, 53 percent do not complete lower secondary and 65 percent do not complete upper secondary, according to statistics from UNICEF.
Whilst the Ghana government says education is “free,” the reality is very different. Government subsidies do not reach every community, which places a burden on families to cover the cost of books, uniforms and lunch.
Families who earn very little must sacrifice sending their children to school to be able to feed their families and provide shelter.
Anais said St Nic’s fills this void in Ghana. The school provides free tuition, lunches and drinking water, health insurance registration, books and stationery to children who have no access to the education system at no fault of their own.
Students at St Nic’s. Photo supplied.
With all this in mind, Anais is clearly a worthy recipient of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award.
The 29-year-old said it was “so surreal” to be recognised for her work.
“I didn’t start St Nic’s to have all these accolades. I started it just out of a pure need to provide education to children who really needed it, but I am so honoured and humbled to be recognised by my Greek community,” Anais said.
“It is this Greek community and its values that shaped me as a person and instilled in me the value of philotimo, which I carry with me in my work with St Nic’s. So it’s been really, really special.”
Anais was surprised when she was awarded ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award. Photo: Effy Alexakis.Anais Menounos, winner of ‘The Greek Herald Woman of the Year’ Award.
Anais also expressed her thanks to sponsors and her supporters, including James Stevens from Mr Roses, Harry Mavrolefteros from First Education and All Saints Grammar, as well as The Greek Herald and its team for their acknowledgement of her work.
“I just wanted thank you personally, and other members of The Greek Herald team… I’m so grateful for the fact you even remembered who I was and asked me to be on the panel and now the Award recognition. Genuinely, this has been such an amazing experience for me and it’s amazing exposure for the school,” she said.
If you would like to sponsor the school or find out more about what they do, you can visit the website at: https://www.stnicma.org/
The Organisation of Hellene and Hellene-Cypriot Women of Australia (OEEGA) hosted an inspirational event on Saturday, March 9, at AHEPA house in Rockdale, Sydney, to recognise and honour women in New South Wales for their remarkable service in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD).
L to R: Georgina Gravanis, Liana Vertzayias, Irene Anestis, Yannis Mallikourtis and Christine Manolakos.
The event was graced by a host of VIP guests and dignitaries, including Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Yannis Mallikourtis; Steve Kamper MP; Sophie Cotsis MP; and Bishop Iakovos, representing Archbishop Makarios of Australia. Other notable attendees included Irene Anesti OAM, honorary life president of OEEGA; Dimitri Papanagiotou, president of AHEPA; and former President of AHEPA John Kallimanis. The evening was expertly hosted by emcee Evi Georgakakos.
Sophie Cotsis MP. Evi Georgakakos.
The event’s opening remarks came from Poppy Stavrianou Skalkos, President of OEEGA, who delivered a poignant speech underscoring the invaluable roles women play in society and their homes.
Following her, Minister Cotsis commended OEEGA for its outstanding work and mentorship of women in Sydney’s Greek community, reflecting on her personal pride in being mentored by Greek and Cypriot women during her upbringing.
Poppy Skalkos and Irene Anestis.
Minister Kamper echoed Ms Cotsis’ sentiments, emphasising the crucial role played by women in the success of men. He specifically praised Ms Anesti for her pivotal role in the Greek community and commended OEEGA for their substantial fundraising efforts, which have raised over half a million dollars for the Children’s Cancer Institute.
Steve Kamper MP.
Consul General of Greece, Yannis Mallikourtis, shed light on stereotypes placed on Greek women. He explained that although there was historically limited female representation in the Greek government, present-day Greece boasts many female leaders both within the country and abroad.
Bishop Iakovos offered his blessings for the event.
The highlight of the evening was the recognition of four exceptional women for their social and cultural contributions to the Greek community in Sydney and their support for OEEGA over many years.
The first award was presented to Liana Vertzayias, President of the Hellenic Lyceum Sydney. Ms Vertzayias’ impactful work includes advocating for the Macedonia and Cyprus issues, serving as a scripture teacher, pianist, and actress in over 20 plays with the Hellenic Art Theatre. She also shared her reflections on collaborating with OEEGA for the ‘Children of the Black Sea’ program led by Sophia Catharios, founder of OEEGA, which supported children in Ukraine and Russia.
Liana Vertzayias accepting her award.
The second award was given to Christine Manolakos for her commendable legal assistance to many in the Greek community. Her involvement in Macquarie University Greek Association and the Marrickville Rotary Club, as well as her dedicated participation in the Red Shield appeal, has left a lasting impact on various sectors.
Christine Manolakos and Poppy Skalkos.
The third award was presented to Georgina Gravanis, a former committee member of OEEGA, for her steadfast dedication and ongoing support of many community causes. In her speech, Georgina emphasised the tireless work of Ms Catharios and Ms Anestis, and she reflected on her participation in the ‘Children of the Black Sea’ program.
Georgina Gravanis accepting her award.
The highest honour of the night was bestowed upon Ms Anestis, who recently stepped down as president due to health reasons. Ms Anestis has been the soul of OEEGA for decades, serving as president for 14 years. Her integral role in the organisation’s philanthropy has left an indelible mark.
Mr Mallikourtis presented Ms Anestis with a gold pin of the OEEGA symbol.
Irene Anestis accepting her award with OEEGA committee members.
In her acceptance speech, Ms Anestis paid tribute to the founder of OEEGA and extended heartfelt words of encouragement to the newly appointed president, offering her blessing for the continued dedication and hard work of OEEGA under its new leadership.
The evening drew to a close with a delightful dinner, accompanied by the sounds of live music, creating a harmonious atmosphere and inspiring dancing among attendees.
As the winners of the raffle prizes were announced, the event marked a joyous celebration of the exemplary contributions made by these women to the Greek community and society at large. OEEGA’s commitment to recognising and honouring the achievements of women remains a beacon of inspiration, continuing to uplift and inspire the entire community.
Sophie Cotsis and Georgina Gravanis.
Guests in attendance. Georgina Gravanis with her husband Christos and her family.
Guests in attendance. Guests in attendance.
Guests were treated to live music. Dancing was enjoyed by guests.
Two students at All Saints Grammar School in Belmore, Sydney, have been awarded the prestigious Watson School Leadership award by the Federal Member for Watson, Tony Burke MP.
The students were Year 12 School Captains, Vasileios and Karina.
The Watson School Leadership awards were established in 2009 and acknowledge high-achieving students who demonstrate strong leadership skills in their school environment.
In a post on Facebook, the School congratulated the students on their well-deserved recognition.
They also shared that Vasileios and Karina’s dedication and leadership serve as an inspiration to their peers and reflect the values of All Saints Grammar School.
