By Nicolas Bard

Year after year, Evros shrinks dramatically. Villages that have once fought for life are now measured by few permanent residents, many schools were finally closed and there are few who have decided to seek a better fortune in large Greek cities, but also abroad. The camera of “where there is Greece in SKAI” took a voyage to the village of Ardio in Evros, gave the locals a speech and recorded the harsh reality, which, no matter how much they want to see, exists.

A few decades ago the village numbered more than 1,000 inhabitants, the children were playing in the square, the cafes had permanent bubbles and no stables were left empty on Sundays.

Today there are about 200 inhabitants, most of them elderly, who see their village deserted. Many houses in Ardanne are now uninhabited, there are few patrons in cafes, and no childish laughter sounds in the atmosphere, except for one spooky, almost frightening quiet.

The few youths and businessmen left in the area call on the state to support them and motivate the world so as not to leave their birthplace. The primary sector has been irreparably affected in recent years, and many factories in the area have put a padlock, resulting in many being in a financial impasse. Indeed, the accuracy of recent years has pushed locals to go shopping and gasoline in neighboring Turkey, which is cheaper.

The state made some efforts to relocate people to the remote areas of Evros, but from what the results showed, nothing changed. Even in these remote areas the cost of living is very high. A typical example is heating, as the winter there is heavy and large. So difficult, then, a family can go beyond so much expense. A small allowance, or a small financial support is not enough to radically change one’s life, and go to stay in a remote place.

In the farthest parts of our homeland, such as Evros, we have learned about them in the geography lesson at school, there is still a lot of people who are struggling daily to keep Hellenism alive on a difficult border. It’s not just a place on the map. It’s the beginning of Greece! The state should put them priority and try to resolve everything that plagues them.