About us
Katheti is a cultural and educational center that serves the people of the Poros, Troizinia and Methana region. We support local artisans and entrepreneurs, students preparing for their futures, and all those who seek to expand their horizons, learn new skills, share knowledge, and celebrate the richness of our culture.
Our mission is to galvanize the deep expertise and creativity already resident in the local community and to provide the additional resources that encourage sustainable growth.
What is the significance of the name “Katheti”?
Katheti is the traditional fishing gear that has been used by generations of local families. Made from rectangular pieces of native cork, a weighted line, and simple hooks, it is a symbol of ingenuity and self-sufficiency.
Our name also reflects the inarguable insight of the adage: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Katheti is an organization with deep roots in Poros. Co-founders Eva and Fay are inspired by their grandmothers Lili and Froso, two remarkable sisters who spent their entire lives on Poros island. The name Katheti honors their legacy of self-sufficiency and their life-long love of fishing and the cultural traditions of the island.
As policy, Katheti does not endorse any political candidate or party. Katheti collaborates with the island’s elected government of all sides, other non-profit institutions, and local associations for the wellbeing of our local area.
The people
Leadership
Fay Orfanidou
Founding Board Member & Executive Director, Fay Orfanidou, completed her undergraduate studies in Greek Civilization and holds postgraduate degrees in Social Science as well as in Education and Human Rights. For 20 years, she has worked as a translator of English, Spanish, Italian, and German and also worked in the civil society field, for WWF Hellas and Fair Trade Hellas. In 2013, she co-founded Litrivi, a cultural center in Poros. She comes from a family with deep roots on Poros and has chosen to make the island her permanent home.
Eva Douzinas
Founding Board Member & Chair, Eva Douzinas, is the current President of the Rauch Foundation based in Vermont. Prior to this, she co-founded Veson Nautical Corporation, a shipping software company with offices in the US, UK, Greece, Singapore and Japan, and served on the leadership team for nearly 15 years. As an experienced entrepreneur, Eva is now focused on establishing Katheti as a model for sustainable growth and community development. In addition, Eva serves as a trustee of Anatolia College in Thessaloniki, Greece. She studied Economics and Classics at Wesleyan University and completed an MBA at New York University. A dual citizen of Greece and the United States, Eva has been a part-time but devoted member of Poros community her entire life.
Staff & Volunteers
Tasos Rodis
Programs Coordinator, Tasos Rodis, is a sport scientist with Masters’ degrees in Applied Exercise Physiology and Sport and Exercise Psychology. He grew up on Poros and is a permanent resident of the island. He is a highly motivated, dynamic individual, with a career in sports, exercise and health that spans over more than 20 years. He has worked as a Sports Psychologist with elite Swedish swimmers. He has also efficiently collaborated with elite athletic teams, individual athletes as well as patients with musculoskeletal injuries and cardiac problems, as an Exercise Physiologist. He has coordinated several Katheti projects, while his favorite are the ones related to the environment, photography and health.
Sofia Zarani
Programs Coordinator, Sofia Zarani, is a qualified musician, specializing in classical and modern singing. She is a graduate of the F. Nakas Conservatory and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has sung in operatic plays, recitals and other concerts in Greece and abroad, with orchestras or smaller independent musical ensembles. She has collaborated with composers and poets in new music projects, participated vocally in the discography of famous and lesser-known artists and in children’s songs published by F. Nakas. For the last 10 years, she has taught music theory and singing in public and private schools in London and to adults. She grew up on Poros and during the last years she has returned permanently to the island.
Iro Lampiri
Communications Coordinator, Iro Lampiri, is a graduate of the Department of French Language and Literature of the University of Athens. She started training in classical and contemporary dance from a very young age taking part in student performances and charity galas. With her love for art and humanities she wishes to contribute to the place where she spent all her summers.
Flora Giova
Finance Coordinator, Flora Giova, is a graduate of ASOEE and DEREE College and holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from PACE University in New York. For almost 25 years she has worked in private sector companies and the broader financial industry in various roles and positions of responsibility. Originally from Poros, she divides her time between Poros and Piraeus and is familiar with the history of the island and the region. As a true Poros resident, she has a great love for the sea and the land she takes care of.
Advisory Board
Elias Papatheodorou
Advisor, Elias Papatheodorou is a seasonal resident of Poros. Professionally he is active in the development of novel therapeutics mainly for orphan diseases. He has 30 years of work experience in Greece, USA and European countries. He has been involved with multiple international biotechnology companies as an executive manager or Board member. He has been active member of the Green Ecological movement for many years with a special interest in the well-being of marine ecosystems, sustainable transport and the transition to a sustainable zero emissions economy. He has served as secretary, international secretary and representative to the European Green Party of Ecologist Greens. He has studied at Ithaca College and Cornell University.
Nancy Douzinas
Advisor, Nancy Rauch Douzinas, became president of the Rauch Foundation in 1990 after a career of 20 years as a psychologist and family therapist. In keeping with her broad range of community concerns and personal interests, Nancy serves on the boards of Teachers College, Columbia University; Greentree Foundation; the North Shore Land Alliance; the Stony Brook Foundation; and Accelerate Long Island. Nancy graduated from Smith College and received an M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University in community psychology. She has strong connections to the island of Poros through her family and is a seasonal resident.
Timon Karamanos
Founding Board Member & Advisor, Timon Karamanos, is a litigator, specializing mainly in shipping, international trade, and commodities disputes, with clients extending across the world. Timon is experienced in handling High Court and arbitration proceedings conducted in accordance with the terms of major trade associations. Timon obtained his BA from the University of Cambridge, and his PGDL and LPC at BPP in London. He comes from the renowned Karamanos family of Poros and has a strong bond with the island, spending significant time there over the years.
Elias Rizos
Advisor, Elias Rizos, studied Naval Engineering at NTUA and works as a Technical Director in a shipping company. He lived long periods abroad, mainly in Asian countries including China, Korea and Singapore. When professional circumstances allowed, he moved permanently to a small village in the mountainous Methana and became actively involved in the sustainable development of the Methana peninsula, pioneering the exploration, opening and maintenance of the ancient paths of Methana and founding Volcanotrails, a key source of information for the region.
Volunteers
Since Katheti’s beginning, several people have supported Katheti as volunteers. Each volunteer has played a part in what we’re trying to achieve at Katheti: offering Greek language lessons, teaching workshops, translating, organizing events and activities and informing the pulic about Katheti’s work. You can read more about volunteering at Katheti here.
Join us
You can support Katheti in different ways, such as by donating in money or kind, or by volunteering, gaining useful professional experience in different projects next to skilled mentors and receiving a certificate, whilst giving back to the community. Contact us for more information by leaving your name and email below.
Our Vision
- To share our love for Greece and our belief in its great potential
- To act as an incubator for the promotion of alternative ways of thinking, living, and working on a local, national, and global level
- To serve and support the success of the region by fostering the artistic and educational community in the local area
- To adopt best practices from around the world and make the local area a model for sustainable growth
Our Values
- Do the right thing
- Help others to reach their potential and help themselves
- Continue to improve and seek out best practices
- Take responsibility for ourselves and our future
- Be open-minded and Inclusive
Our place
Katheti started operating in 2017 from Galatas, and since May 2023 is housed in a wonderful building at Pounta, on Poros island, Greece. It is the building of the old “Sotiris” tavern, which was renovated with absolute respect to the island’s architecture. From its new home, Katheti organizes its programs and events, in its building as well as in other local venues. Its activities include: environmental actions; cultural events, such as music and theater performances, and exhibitions by local and other artists; seminars; skill-building and professional development services; Greek language and culture lessons.