The Greek Australian youth of South Australia have initiated an intergenerational project with the community’s elderly to preserve and document their stories for future generations.
The intergeneration project is the product of a collaboration between Neoléa (the youth platform of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA), Adelaide High School and the Pan-Laconian Society of SA.
As part of an ongoing initiative titled “Our Greek-Speaking Community”, Year 9 Greek language students from Adelaide High School visited the Pan-Laconian Society’s Kafeneio Lakonias on Wednesday 30 July.
The students spoke with the various members to chronicle the lives, stories, and wisdom of its senior members, with each set to create a short biography and video tribute as a keepsake for families and to be part of a broader archive for future generations.
“Thanks to Neoléa for capturing these precious moments between the generations,” said Dimitra Rozaklis, Greek teacher at Adelaide High School, in a press release on the initiative.
“The broader community enriches the lives of our students. The kindness and filoxenia of the Laconians and of course, the delicious food made this day unforgettable. I’m truly blessed to come from such a supportive community.”
Anastasia Mavrides, Chair of Neoléa, stated the project is “about building bridges between generations”.
“We’ve loved working with Dimitra and Adelaide High School to share these stories in meaningful ways. Seeing the room filled with conversation, music, and laughter was a powerful reminder of what community is all about.”
In addition to the interviews, the pupils presented a handcrafted bench to the Pan-Laconian Society as a gift.
Two students delivered a musical performance while participants also enjoyed a lunch prepared by club members.
Neoléa, the youth platform of the Greek Orthodox Community of SA, partners with schools offering Greek language to create engaging cultural projects; from oral history interviews to creative arts linked to heritage.
For the young participants, seeing their peers actively engage in cultural preservation is inspiring and reinforces the value of community involvement.
