The small village of Anavra in Thessaly has managed to do what most European couldn’t dream of achieving. It has zero unemployment.
Anavra is the only region in Greece that, even during this period of financial crisis, continues to have negative records concerning unemployment, the crisis and criminality.
All the 500 village residents are livestock farmers, owners of modern and environmentally friendly farms. The annual income per resident is €30,000 to €100,000, while the residents’ average age is under 40 years old.
There are indeed a lot of perks. Anavra offers free electricity, free heating in the winter months, free parking for all, free gym, two all-day schools, football and basketball fields, a Folklore Museum and an environmental-cultural park of 240 acres.
Amazingly, the village’s windmill park can supply 13,000 households and sells electricity for €100,000 euros a year.
It was the dream of a local to re-energise his home town after studying in Athens. Dimitris Tsoukalas, the president of the non-profit company Voluntary Organization Of Anavra Magnesia For Environment, Sustainability And Culture (ANAVRA-ZO) saw an opportunity to invigorate the local economy and make it environmentally friendly.
Through a way of self-government and volunteerism, the psyche of the locals changed. People didn’t get engaged in political parties, personal ambitions and political games and instead focused on being profitable through hard work and good produce.
Source: Greece Greek
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