In the region of Kozani, in northern Greece, a small semi-mountainous village with 250 permanent residents has made blood donation a true local culture. Almost every household has a volunteer donor. In Foufa, it is not considered a one-time act of solidarity, but as a component of the community’s daily culture. A value passed down from generation to generation.
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In Foufa, donating blood is part of the local identity
22-med – June 2026
• In this Greek village of 250 inhabitants, blood donation has become a collective culture.
• The Foufa association goes beyond collections and builds a local support network.
#greece #health #solidarity #volunteering #village #mediterranean
In 2015, five friends decided to structure this commitment by launching the Association of Volunteer Blood Donors of Foufa. Created without responding to any particular urgency, the association now has 250 volunteer donors from both Foufa and neighboring villages. To date, it has managed to collect more than 1,180 bags of blood that have helped meet the needs of patients and emergency situations throughout Greece. These volunteer donors also mobilize during emergencies, such as road accidents.
At the origin of the project and a regular blood donor since 1982, Sifis Parlamis is one of the five founding members of the association. He has been following its evolution since the first day of its operation. “At each blood drive, it’s as if we’re having a village party. There are more people than during elections. There are families with four children and all four are blood donors,” he explains, emphasizing that the most difficult part is not keeping the older donors active, but attracting the younger ones. “Perhaps because the new generations have rarely experienced difficult situations. Conversely, older people, who have gone through many trials in their lives, more easily come to donate their blood for others.”
He himself conducts awareness-raising activities almost daily on the importance of blood donation in neighboring villages. This daily effort has paid off as their example has inspired the creation of two similar structures in Galateia and Olympiada, while a comparable initiative is already in preparation in Variko. “Our village is losing inhabitants over the years and this seems likely to continue. That’s why we try to spread the ‘virus’ of blood donation to neighboring villages and, at each collection, we have almost ten new donors.”
When fear becomes an obstacle
According to Sifis Parlamis, one of the main obstacles remains apprehension. Many hesitate to become donors because they fear needles or the sight of blood, while some people feel unwell and faint during their first donation.
“This has happened to us many times. A donor who feels faint regains consciousness after about three minutes once we have raised their legs. Then, we give them some water and natural orange juice. Some people decide not to donate blood again after this experience, they get scared. That’s where we need to work to convince them to come back. It’s difficult,” he explains.
He and the other members of the association take care of people who are frightened by their first experience to reassure them and encourage them to try again when they feel ready. “Not immediately, only when they feel safe. Some feel ready after six months, others after a year, everyone needs their own time. We don’t put them under pressure. Others do not wish to donate blood again after such an episode. Of course, we fully respect their choice.”
A Culture of Giving
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