The World Organisation for Young Overseas Cypriots or NEPOMAK (Νεολαία Παγκόσμια Ομοσπονδία Αποδήμων Κυπρίων) recently held two of its programs in July and August.
The youth organisation that brings Cypriots across Australia, New Zealand and the world together saw two successful trips to Cyprus in the NEPOMAK Discover Cyprus Program (NDCP) and the NEPOMAK Cyprus Culture Tour (NCCT).
The three-week NDCP trip for 18-22-year-olds provided a crash course into Cypriot culture, history and heritage – from taking language classes at the University of Cyprus to visiting historical sites and experiencing the nightlife. This year saw 10 young Cypriots from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane and Wellington, NZ.
Two of the young Cypriot Australians to attend the NDCP were Kira Stephanos from Brisbane and Raphael Andrews from Melbourne.
Kira says Cyprus became a “home away from home” and brought her closer to her heritage and culture but her biggest takeaway was the connections with new “lifelong friends.”
“NDCP’s biggest impact was from the incredible people I met on the trip,” she said in a statement supplied to Neos Kosmos from NEPOMAK.
“Within three weeks, I made connections with my fellow diaspora Cypriots, and it felt like I had known them for my entire life.
“Our common background and heritage quickly transformed strangers into lifelong friends.”
Raphael also says he made “friends if not family” with his diaspora while in Cyprus especially while getting to know each other on bus rides – where he says they built solidarity over the quirks of language – sharing that “South Africans refer to traffic lights as ‘robots’ and roundabouts as ‘circles’.
His highlights were the little things.
“Waking up for sunrise and walking to Zorbas for a coffee before class, late-night chats in the kitchen over a game of tavli or engaging in a highly competitive Mario Kart tournament,” he said.
“But, above all, savouring παττίχα (watermelon) with haloumi, just like my grandparents used to describe it from the old days.
“Other highlights would be the breathtaking beaches, churches, and monasteries. The view from Troodos is like no other, and walking the streets of Pano Lefkara on ancient stone truly transports you back in time. The picturesque villages nestled in the Troodos Mountains offer a glimpse into a simpler, more peaceful way of life.”
The NCCT is for 23-30-year-olds and saw participants learn about their heritage and culture by visiting historical, archaeological, natural locations and many cultural and culinary hot spots. 21 people took part from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Wollongong, Canberra, Brisbane, as well as New Zealand, America, Canada, the UK and South Africa.
The participants also attended The World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora which included an invitation to the House of Representatives by President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, the Opening Ceremony at the Presidential Palace hosted by President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, and participated in interactive sessions relating to matters of interest to the diaspora, as well as the Cyprus Problem and other matters of interest.
Marie Trikkis from Wollongong and William Panayi from Canberra both took part in the NCCT program.
They too share that they have made lifelong friends while in Cyprus but both spoke about experiencing Cyprus and building a connection to their ancestral home they never would have thought possible or done otherwise.
“My father always spoke to me about his connection to Cyprus. A connection that I never thought I would have. I didn’t know the language or much of the history so never thought I would go,” Marie said in the supplied statement.
“The experiences and knowledge I gained in those 10 days are more than any book could have taught me.
“It was more than I could ever have hoped and left me with such an appreciation and newfound connection to the Cypriot culture and history.”
She especially loved their trip to Omodos, exploring the village and watching lace being hand-made.
William really took in the historical, archaeological sites and churches/monasteries of Cyprus, which included “sites like the Tombs of the Kings, Temple of Dionysus as well as visiting castles and amphitheatres such as the one in Kourion.”
He describes the World Conference of Cypriot Diaspora as an “eye-opener” that shed light on the “challenges and opportunities facing the country.”
“I will forever cherish the memories of this incredible journey… Cyprus will always hold a special place in my heart.”
For those interested in attending next year, you visit NEPOMAK website and sign-up to become a member.
