Group Serving Migrants in Greece Wins Hilton Humanitarian Award

An organization that helps refugees in Greece by providing translators and other services is the 24th recipient of the Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

The $2 million prize, presented Friday, is one of the largest humanitarian awards in the world.

METAdrasi’s mission is to support the integration of refugees and migrants, especially unaccompanied children, throughout the country.

“I saw the need for quality and accuracy in interpretation during refugee intake,” said Lora Pappa, the group’s founder. “We needed a way to train and test interpreters, as well as monitor and coordinate interpreters in the field.”

The organization, founded in 2009, has more than 350 interpreters working in 43 languages to help displaced migrants.

Newsworthy Organization

Peter Laugharn, president of the Hilton Foundation, said METAdrasi was selected by an independent committee for its work on the migration crisis straining Greece.

“They offer a lesson in humanity and compassion when often world leaders are looking the other way,” he said. Since the start of the Syrian civil war, refugees to Greece by sea have increased sharply. In late August, 650 people arrived on the Greek Island of Lesbos from Turkey, the first major influx of migrants in three years.

The jury felt migration is the most compelling issue today, he said.

Pappa said the organization will use the money to support overstretched Greek state services, especially public hospitals, by upgrading their technology so they can use the group’s interpretation services effectively.

“Philanthropy is doing a lot of creative things, but philanthropy can’t solve the problem,” Laugharn said.

METAdrasi will also expand its educational programs for children.

The value of the humanitarian prize was initially $1 million but was raised to $1.5 million in 2005 and $2 million in 2015 to mark its 20th anniversary.

Past winners include BRAC, and last year’s winner, Shining Hope for Communities. Hilton is currently working with the leaders of previous winning organizations on ways to provide continued support.

Ariella Phillips is a web producer at the Chronicle. She often writes the monthly Face of Philanthropy column, which focuses on small nonprofits around the world. She recently wrote about a charity helping poor people living in the rainforest . Email Ariella or follow her on Twitter .