Cyprus Mail 5 February 2020 - Press Release
The International School of Paphos (ISOP) thanks its art department and all the parents and students who have recently raised funds for the Cyprus Samaritans.
The Samaritans is a charity organisation running telephone helplines for people in emotional need. It is a listening service that anyone can call free of charge. The trained listeners provide confidential, non-judgemental support for people who are experiencing feelings of loneliness, distress or despair. The helplines are open from 4pm until midnight every day of the week with both Greek and English speakers waiting to answer people’s calls.
A total of €1,000 was raised by ISOP pupils selling personalised Christmas decorations, nail painting and a “mufti day”, i.e. coming to school in casual clothes instead of a uniform. The philanthropy club contributed to the amount from their stall at the International School’s annual winter fair. Most of the money was used to create a huge, eye-catching sign for the wall of the Samaritans’ premises in Chlorakas. This was designed by ISOP’s A Level art students to raise awareness for the Samaritans’ services, using the charity’s signature colours. The donation was handed over to Russell Robinson, director of Cyprus Samaritans.
“This is a worthwhile cause that is not yet well-known in Cyprus. It was also a great experience for our students who saw their design being taken from concept to reality,” Antigone Afxentiou, head of art at ISOP, said.
Special thanks also go to Anneliese Gordes, ISOP’s coordinator for German, who brought the school in contact with the Samaritans in the first place.
You can call Cyprus Samaritans on 8000 7773.
