The Ministry of Education will always be next to the children of Rizokarpasos and will consistently cover their educational needs, with the aim of continuously upgrading the quality of education, the responsible Minister Athena Michailidou assured on Tuesday evening.
In her greeting, which was read by the Inspector of Primary Education, Dr. Giorgos Giallouridis, at an event in Paphos, in the presence of trapped students and teachers of the school, the Minister noted that this year marks 50 years since the events of 1974. Therefore, she continued, the event dedicated in Rizokarpasos it takes on special importance.
Mrs. Michailidou welcomed the children and teachers of the occupied Rizokarpasos, noting that their presence in Paphos conveys "messages of endurance, courage, competitiveness and strengthens the hope and faith that we will soon manage to have a fair, sustainable and functional solution which will truly reunite our homeland and allow all the Cypriot people to live peacefully in conditions of security and prosperity".
During the event organized by the Petrideo Foundation and the Folklore Society Ktima, the Mayor of Rizokarpasos, Michalis Mikkeli Pantelis, spoke of a "magnificent place" that is a "beacon of hope and anticipation of the daily, uninterrupted struggle for physical and national survival in the land of of our ancestors, in the land of the Apostle Andrew and of the ancient Greek civilization".
"For us who were born after 1974, Rizokarpasos before the invasion seems like something dreamlike in our minds," said the Mayor of Pafos Phaidonas Phaidonos. He added that Rizokarpaso "has something special" and said that culture and tradition are not only a habit but "living values" that contribute to building the future on solid foundations.
The President of the Petridei Foundation, Michalis Marathevtis, referred to the students of Rizokarpasos, saying that he was impressed by their "maturity and their way of thinking". They lack a lot, but they are happy to be next to and close to their parents, he said, noting the courage, strength and endurance of those trapped.
The event was also welcomed by the President of the "Ktima" Folklore Club, Christakis Papanikolaou, who mentioned, among other things, the Pan-Cypriot Student Folklore Competition, in which the school of Rizokarpasos also participated, while students of the school also received a prize for their work "The Carpathian house".
The event continued with a short presentation of the customs of Rizokarpasos and the screening of a related film, while an artistic part followed with songs and traditional dances.
Source: KYPE