A "solidarity holiday" is being offered by the Community of Sant'Egidio until the end of August as a way to help refugees on the island of Cyprus. Activities for adults and children, as well as communal meals, are on offer to help improve integration.
On July 24, Italy's Catholic organization Community of Sant'Egidio opened up a 'Friendship Tent' on the island of Cyprus, to help provide a holiday experience for refugees on the Mediterranean island.
The so-called "solidarity holiday" has been conceived on Cyprus to help refugees in the Pournara reception camp, about 20 kilometers from the capital of Nicosia, and in Kofinou.
Volunteers from various Italian and other cities across Europe have arrived on the island and will take turns providing activities for refugee children and families until the end of August.
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200 refugees in Pournara mostly from Syria
Holiday activities began on July 24, with the opening of the friendship tent in Pournara. There are currently 200 refugees residing at the camp. Every evening, those who wish to attend are invited to eat around a large table and provided with a 'family-style' environment.
Last Thursday (July 24) a 'friendship tent' was opened in Pournara, where the 200 refugees currently present at the camp will be able to eat every evening around a table in a family-type environment, away from the very high temperatures of the area and served by volunteers, who are there to help and also to build relationships with the refugees.
The initiative is meant to help restore a sense of dignity for those seeking to build a new future after a great deal of suffering, hardships, and often violence.
The largest number of the refugees present are from Syria but some are also from Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, and Gaza, as well as some sub-Saharan African countries.
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600 refugees including 120 children in Kofinou camp
All the refugees arrived in Cyprus with the dream of Europe but remained on its borders while applying for an official protection status, which is difficult to obtain.
Similar activities have begun in the Kofinou camp as well, where over 600 refugees including 120 children are present. Volunteers will provide educational games for the children in both camps, and will also invite refugee families from Nicosia to join in the fun.
There will also be English courses for both adults and adolescents.
For unaccompanied minors, of which there is a large number, trips are being organized to help them get to know the most interesting places on the island.
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