The Greek Australian Gerasimos Georgatos, donated more than 26,000 wheelchairs to children from 68 countries, mostly from Afghanistan and other countries in the region of Africa.
The founder of the movement “Wheelchairs for Kids,” was recently a candidate for Senator of Julian Assange’s Wikileaks party, in Western Australia, but he wasn’t elected.
Georgatos is also the founder of the organization “Students Without Borders.” The Greek Australian, academic and journalist who mainly dealt with issues of Aborigines became famous in Australia in 2009, when a boy caught his attention while visiting the prisons of Western Australia under a program for prisoners’ rights.
The boy was too young to be in an adult prison. The 13-year-old Ali from Indonesia and their accidental meeting was the trigger for the revelation of an unbelievable case of illegal detention of minor refugees. Georgatos’ fight lasted three years, but it led to the release of more than 100 children.
His humanitarian action, his involvement with the rights of Aborigines and his fights for transparency in the administration, have many times caused problems with the authorities.
“Many times I’ve been taken to court and I have fought on my own,” he said recently, adding: “Sometimes they call me an idealist. I don’t mind…..”
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