Father Antonios Papanikolaou grew up in poverty in Greece and felt called to help others as a priest. After becoming a priest, he was assigned to a parish with high rates of juvenile crime, drug trafficking, and school absenteeism. He established Ark of the World in 1998 to help abandoned and at-risk children by providing for their basic needs, education, and social integration. Currently, Ark of the World cares for over 200 children of various backgrounds, helping them develop hope and potential through the support of volunteers and donors. Father Antonios' goal is to keep children with their mothers by also providing assistance to homeless and low-income mothers.

1. Candidate: F.ANTONIOS PAPANIKOLAOU
Malala Prize
2015
for freedom and
human rights

2. Candidate: f. ANTONIOS
PAPANIKOLAOU
«…Seeing
abandoned
children
involved in
drugs,
made me
wondering
why….
and how I
Could help
them…»

3. …His life…
 Father ANTONIOS PAPANIKOLAOU
He was born and lived as a small child in Chios in
'71, in a large family. His father had nothing to do
with the church, he was a merchant. His mother was
the housekeeper. He grew up in Drapetsona. He
tasted too much poverty there. As a child he had the
tendency to help and to sympathize people. Later in
his life he decided to become a priest in order to
better help people. He finished the University
(Pedagogical and Theological School) and traveled
enough abroad in missions. Source: www.lifo.gr

4. He says: “After my studies I was ordained in
a very difficult area, in Plato's Academy, in
St. George. I fell like a paratrooper in this
parish, I had no idea where I was going. The
problems were huge. The Kolonos first
comes to juvenile crime rates, drug
trafficking, children not attending school.
What I saw around me was abandonment,
children 16 to 17 years who had not even
finished primary school, children of single-
parented families… Some of the parents
were in use of drugs or were confronting
heavy psychological problems. I had to go
out in the parish, to approach these children,
because they were not coming to the church.
It was a doom.” Source: www.lifo.gr

5. The vision of father Antonios Papanikolaou
 Thus, with the help of volunteers, the Ark of the
World was established . An Organisation with aim to
oppose poverty and Children abandonment and offer the
chance to children to :
”stand on their own feet”.
Children must feel that another world exists as well, a
caring one, beyond the one that they have known.
“Our motive is love”, he says, and we count on that.
The ARK was Established in 1998 by the 26 years old
Priest, in order to provide the very best care and support
for each children.
The purpose of Ark is to improve their living conditions
and inspire them with hope for a better Future.

6. The logo of the organisation “THE ARK OF THE
WORLD”

7.  The Ark is taking care today about 200 children - infants to eighteen years
old children- in a multi-religious and multicultural community, which
flourishes and achieves great things with the love of God.

The 150 Greek children along with children from Romania, Bulgaria,
Albania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Afghanistan and Iraq,
experience harmoniously the affection and peace of the Ark that relieves
them from poverty, hunger, illnesses, misery, exploitation and illiteracy.
There are volunteers that unselfishly take care of the basic needs of
children as feeding, clothing, entertainment, nursing and school
integration. Other volunteers take care of their education with free tutorial
courses and professional training. Volunteers and donators contribute in
the social integration of the children with the continuous care of Father
Antonios and his wife.
The goal of Father Antonios is to keep the children with their mothers and
not to be institutionalized.

8.  In order to achieve this goal, homeless and no income mothers, are
strengthened with economic aid on a monthly basis (rents for small
residences, water and electricity bills etc.). Moreover, these mothers
are helped to find a job in order to stand on their own feet and be
responsible of their children.
Despite the serious shortage of means that Ark faces, such as lack of
money and infrastructure, its efforts are very important and have
been recognized with national and international distinctions.
The Ark has been awarded by two Presidents of the Greek Republic
Mr. Konstantinos Stefanopoulos in November 2003 and Mr.
Karolos Papoulias in December 2005, as one of the best
organisations for the wellbeing of children in Greece.

9.  The European Observatory against Racism and Xenophobia
has described Ark as “The brightest example against
Racism and Xenophobia in Greece” for the year 2003.
In December 2004 the Ark was awarded by UNESCO.
In December 2008, Father Antonios Papanikolaou has
been awarded by the Athens Academy for his humanity and
his exceptional voluntary work.

10. f. Antonios Papanikolaou and children helped by
his organisation, the “ARK OF THE WORLD”

11. See by yourself on:
http://kivotostoukosmou.org/kivot
os/content/view/13/40/lang,en/
Why we believe this
person should win the
STUDENT EUROPEAN
COUNCIL “Malala Prize”?
He is so devoted in this
mission and he offers so
much in all the children in
need regardless their race,
without any
discrimination!
“ARK OF THE WORLD" is
a non-profit voluntary
Organisation.
The Organisation’s main
concern is helping
children and their families
to STAND ON THEIR
FEET, not just on paper
but in practice as well. It
helped till now about 400
children-in-need!