Gefsi is a 45-year-old mother of six children, living in the Xanthi region of northern Greece. In 2014, together with her husband Hercules, they started a small family business that produces honey and bee products, run out of their house. But when the financial crisis hit Greece hard, their business struggled, and they were left with few options.
In her search for solutions, Gefsi heard about an IOCC program implemented through local partner Apostoli, equipping small businesses with the resources they need to stay productive.
“We are a very small family business, we try to survive. The financial crisis destroyed us. The production expenses, the packaging material and overall logistics kept increasing in cost, and we were out of hope. This equipment was a present sent from God. Now we can dream and make plans and feel that we are not completely alone,” Gefsi shared.
Their business received two crucial pieces of equipment: a honey extractor used to extract honey from beehive frames, and an uncapping machine that prepares the frames for this extraction. Now Gefsi can extract honey faster and easier for increased productivity. Also, the honey is extracted cleaner, thus saving time in the filtering process.
“We are immensely grateful that IOCC supported us. When we share our experience with our neighbors and other locals, they find it difficult to believe that a charity organization donated equipment to us! God bless you!”
