euronews reporter – Greece: a rural exodus

www.euronews.net Angeliki Mihou has decided to take her future into her own hands. Last year, this Greek mother of two returned to her parents’ village to start a new venture… snail farming. Unable to find a job in Athens or in the city where her husband works, Angeliki now lives in a small town some 100 kilometres from the capital. She is hoping that raising and selling about three thousand kilos of snails per year will lead to a better life for her and her family. The farm however, is not without its risks. After investing her life savings, about 17 thousand euros into this new business, Angelika tells euronews about the uncertainty she faces: “I didn’t borrow any money and even if I had wanted to, the banks wouldn’t have given me any. It’s all my money. All my savings. So I hope this works and I’m doing all I can to make sure it does.” Angeliki is one of the 60 thousand Greeks who has gone into farming over the past two years. She is also part of a new Greek exodus – a young generation which instead of going abroad, is going back to its roots, its rural villages, its home and especially its family. Angeliki Mihou explains her new farm would never have been possible, were it not for the backing of her father: “I needed some land and I would never have been able to do this without this land which belongs to my father. Also I needed help with the children and financial support. Right now it’s my father who is helping us and I couldn’t have done it without him.” Almost …