The weekend of 10- 12 Of October, I traveled to the Metropolitan Expo exhibition center, where “Pets in Action” was taking place, to fulfill a personal dream of mine, to reach my hand, as a volunteer of help to whenever she might need it , to unique Ioanna, to hold her in my arms and admire from close the trainees of Guide –dogs of Lara school, along with many people, 15000 , we’ve pet them, they shook their tails to us, and showed their abilities to agility and tunnel games, climbing and swinging.32 members of Lara group and 25 people who gave their best , carried and set obstacles, remained in their place, took care of the Guide dogs, took pictures and video. 6 shows, 2000 broushoures , 1 press conference, 3 interviews to media, 16 children and 23 adults that where guided by dogs and hundreds of others that just pledged their support to the school, everyone in their own way.
7 unique dogs and what makes them special is their love and the services they provide to people with special needs.. With the motto “A dog is the man’s best friend” and “A guide –dog is their eyes” they showed to visitors of their School’s achievements and the training they gave to those really important dogs that really captivate the harts of all.In the “International Dog Festival- Athens 2014” Ioanna –Maria Gertsou was the leading personality, the creator of Greek Guide Dog Training School “ Lara”. Together with Lia and Giorgo Sravaravdi, dog trainers with a long and important experience abroad, they founded “Lara” on their own expenses and with the help of people, with no whatsoever help of the authorities , their aim is to help with the training of guide dogs, people with sight problems.
On Saturday the 11 of October at 12.00 , Ioanna- Maria Gertsou, gave a press conference to make public of their work of life and their future plans. In this press conference also talked Paris Diamantidis , a mobility trainer with a Guide Dog, as well as Guide Dog Handlers Eygenia Stamati and Panagiotis Kolias, the director of the scientific department and business Communicator of the “Royal Canine” that supports the work of “Lara” Eirini Tatla.
It was very moving to see all this unfold in front of your eyes. Τhis great life travel has been announced in 2013 in aim to support and care for the 50000 people with some or complete loss of sight. Mr. Diamantidis was about to travel to Florence Italy with his one year old female Labrador Retriever “Crystal” to be trained by National Guide Dog School of Italy under the supervision of International Association of Guide Dogs.
That first Greek trainer, has returned to Greece to support the very important work at Lara School. Moreover Crystal, after completing her training, will be given to her new owner in Fall 2014, as an offer to a non seeing person- which we met together in the press conference. It is very important to mention the fact that this will happen due to the total financial and technical support of “Royal Canine Hellas”.In this interview Ioanna-Maria Gertsou, founder and chairman of the School, mentioned that this program is “ a big step towards founding the institution of guide dogs in Greece”.Mr. Diamantidis was thrilled to be a part of this program, and said that he is ready to lead with great responsibility the training of guide dogs, with respect and with the dream that there will be a day that every handler and his dog will become better .
The director of Scientific Department and Business Communication of “Royal Canine Hellas” mrs. Eirini Tatla, praising the initiative , underlined that “ a guide dog is a living tool that promotes the equal treatment the self efficiency of those people and their participation in the public life.”
It was also known to us that such schools abroad are financed by national expenses .The aim of this group is to train guide-dogs for blind people without any cost, as the president of the school said “ It is very important to start here in Greece, the tradition of guide-dogs, as it exists in other European countries for more than half a century.
When I returned from Athens I was asked by friends to describe the person Ioanna –Maria Gertsou, I simply answered that everything I have ever red about her great scientific and research work was not enough to compose the aura , the safety, the respect and positive energy her personality and unique way to talk to you with her specially developed senses.
A person in whose eyes glows the bright flame of a vision. She talks with no rest for her creation- guide dogs- and her being able to gain free social care, to have the opportunity to sensitize even more the community to the numerous difficulties that blind people face every day.
Her struggle to found and operate the first guide –dog school, against the state bureaucracy, and the luck of sensitivity and self knowledge that thrives the Greek society and prove she can be triumphant. “ I have fought for the rights of guide- dogs. The main project of the school “Lara” is to train and give guide –dogs to people with sight problems. But this is not the only subject in such a school. It also helps to count every person with sight problems , the construction of evaluation tools for guide – dogs, the constant watch of guide-dog/ handler with sight problems relationship , the breeding of lines and training of stuff.
All expenses are private donations by institutes, banks and private firms, like “Royal Canine” , she says. Her dreams and breath of perfection goes against the Greek reality but yet she managed to consolidate the right of possessing a guide –dog and it’s access in every part of the country , under the shield of state approval. She carries away all of us volunteering on her side and make us shout out loud “We want to go against all odds , because the relationship and interaction between dog and blind man, is still shocks all….”just as everybody who see us take care of dogs as if they were our children are shocked.
If I should say something about the person ‘Paris Diamantidis” I could simply say that he is a man of great understanding of his brilliant task, in Greece 2014, where the blind are accounted to more than 50.000 and there is not one specialist to train guide-dogs, when abroad it is very common. Guide dogs are the eyes to people with sight problems. If there were more trainers there would be more guide –dogs solving everyday problems in this sensitive group of people.“Lara school was not founded by any marathon, or ladies of charity. The six founding members, with only a few capitals or scientific knowledge, signed up a contract with the friendly advice of a layer with a guide –dog and a vision but not a clou how to make something like this come true.
They were just hoping to find the right people in the right time.
Against to all those who say that they wouldn’t make it in a country with such a bad building plan, with so many obstacles and the guide –dogs wouldn’t be able to work, Ioanna and her partners knew that they were lucky enough and played all their cards for ‘Lara’, their work, their life, their money to reach to the point that in 2014 ‘Lara’ guide dogs are becoming ,every day, proud representatives of their work.
Our life is made of unique moments only. And the time when the school gives away a new guide dog to a blind handler who embraces’ the dog crying and saying that his life is changed, all of us bow and say thank you for making us happy and on the same time feeling lucky enough to have met them.After six years of successful march “Lara” school must have new privately owned installations – kennels, gest house, offices, training terrains , stuff and of course guide- dog trainers , and mobility trainers.
We all owe , respect to their work, each one in their way and with any means we have to help them.
Ioanna, Pari, Tzouzeppe, Christo, Ioanni, Marina, Athina, Maritzorgia, Kosta, Dimostheni, Demmian, Matina, Vasia, Stauroula, Eirini, Christina, Nektarie, Katerina, Hliana, Evi, Taki, Athanasia, Lara, May, Diamond, Crystal, Hera, Sissy, Lazy, Mario….be always well….“In my dreams I no longer have mobility problems. I dream with sounds and I can run or fly. I know what I touch. If an object is beautiful, if I can understand, I was trained to understand and to co exist with other people.
I can understand the other from his mood, the way he moves, the way he talks or breaths. I am realistic and I struggle for this numerous hours.” I say this in remind of the words of Ioanna , she who has offered with her action a breath of perfection to the chaotic flow of human actions and my small but foul of surprises life, waiting to join their great loving group very soon.
Great people of Lara Guide Dog School…..see you soon….
Papapostolou Katerina
Translation by Koula Papadopoulou
