Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation

Mission

The aim of the Foundation is to establish Messinia as a model for sustainable development, by supporting and promoting related projects. In addition to that it supports similar efforts nationwide.
The Foundation focuses on three main axes, namely agricultural development, social support, and cultural development, while it supported environmental activities as well.
The Foundation works on a “bottom up” basis while keeping in close contact with all technical experts on its fields, ensuring relevance and technical expertise in its actions.

Geographic Focus

Greece, Southern Europe

Programme Areas

Agriculture:
– Centre for agricultural entrepreneurship: Since 2016 the Foundation with the technical advise of the American Farm School, has established and operates the Messinian Centre for Agricultural Entrepreneurship (KAEM).
The Center’s main goals are to teach the “art of entrepreneurship,” to support outreach and to develop collaborations with businesses in the agri-food sector, through actions pertaining to:
1. The development of experiential seminars on agri-food topics.
2. The development of entrepreneurial thinking and consulting services.
3. The start of entrepreneurial activities, and observation of their progress.
4. The creation of a pool of similar collaborative entrepreneurial activities.
5. The grouping and interconnection for the outreach of producers and products in collaboration with other relevant sectors.
– Precision Farming: Since 2018 we started a pilot project of precision farming in the area to train local farmers in the new technologies of farming. The project has delivered and soon we will move to more extensive coverage as well as new cultivations (grapes etc)

Culture:
The Foundation supports a series of cultural contemporary events in the area such as the Kalamata Dance Festival, the Oxbelly initiative (film initiative) as well as a series of excavations of archaeological importance such as the Nestor’s Palace, the Thuria excavation, Iklaena excavation, Ancient Messini etc

Social support:
The Foundation runs together with Children SOS Villages a Centre for Family and Employment Support. Its aim is to support families in all aspects. Children follow up activities after school while parents follow capacity building projects with a social worker, psychologist and employment consultant. In Athens together with “Metadrasi” the Foundation supports “Stepping Stone” a refugee integration project through employment and capacity building. CVCCF also supports a series of projects that support and engage people with special needs.

Environment:
The Foundation supports WWF to monitor cetaceans in the Ionian sea. CVCCF also supports “Enaleia” organization in training fisherman in sustainable fishing. The Foundation also runs a series of local clean ups to enhance awareness and capacity building to the Municipalities.