Dimitris Zilos

There are three main issues that would make it easier for young people and young families to settle in Rapsani: a fast and reliable internet connection, a large and friendly place to work, and the possibility of finding a house. 

Regarding the first one, the internet connection is currently facing problems, and the wifi provisioning only covers the village square. Mr. Zilos points out that he has already made a study, which showed that the installation of wifi for the whole village would cost about 7,000 euros. “If we didn’t have the coronavirus, we would have held two events and raised the money”,  he notes. This study was also submitted to the “uptight” (as the president called it) Tempi municipality, but this discussion needs to be repeated with greater insistence. Regarding the workplace, things are easier, as the village can provide its primary school building to people who come to work remotely. For housing, the chairman suggested that the community should collect all the properties available for sale and promote them collectively. He cites an example from the past, from the 1960s, when Rapsani was a place of recovery for tuberculosis patients. During the summer months, it used to host up to 300 families, and even the stables were used as accommodation after suitable preparation.

The lack of young people today is decisive for the character and the continuity of the village. The chairman says that there are about fifteen 45- to 50-year-olds, but they are not married. “If these people had families, then even the primary school would be open”, he says. 

Mr. Zilos’ vision is the touristic growth of Rapsani. “I want new people to come and walk around Rapsani”, and for this, there should be at least 4–5 small guest houses so that people can stay overnight in the village. Another thing he is trying to create is a kind of museum he calls a “historical memory hall”, a place where old photos of Rapsani people will be displayed, mainly from important events for the place such as festivals, thus preserving the names and memory of the families.

However, he emphasises the lack of any support: “We have no financial help whatsoever. I have been the village president for a year, and I have not collected a single euro from municipal resources. Everything that is done is done by us.”. The fact that there are no cleaning workers due to their expired contracts is telling. “The municipality has 80 employees, and 75 are doing office work”, Zilos points out. 

The President does not deny his responsibilities, but, as he stresses, “I am pulling the Rapsani chariot alone; no one is helping. Unfortunately, there are no youths or people who could get involved.” There are the 80-year-olds who cannot do too much. They had created groups and associations, such as the Cultural Association or the Women’s Association, but their membership has now aged. Ending on a more optimistic note, however, he says that “there are some people who care about Rapsani; we rely on them a lot, and the PPA people also love the place; they have offered and continue to offer a lot.”