Filenews 21 February 2025 - by Dora Christodoulou
At Agia Paraskevi High School in Geroskipou, an innovative student business offers examples of creativity, sustainability, solidarity and social responsibility.
Kefi Lab (Kitchen Eficient Learning About Business), launched in 2023 as part of the Creativity, Innovation and Business Idea Program "Ideodromio" of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, coordinated by Kalypso Aperghi, integrates entrepreneurship with the philosophy of inclusion and sustainability, creating a model for school businesses.
The inspiration behind the Fun Lab came from teacher Maria Christoforou, teacher of Health Education and head of the Special Unit department of the school. Mrs. Christoforou, together with her students, created a food production laboratory, which not only promotes the cooperation of students of the special unit with students of typical classes, but also contributes to the fight against food waste.
In the laboratory, fruits and vegetables that have reduced commercial value due to appearance or over-maturity are used, as well as bread of the previous day, which would be rejected, for the preparation of meals and snacks.
Speaking to "F" about this pioneering initiative, Mrs. Christoforou stressed that this social enterprise promotes two core values: acceptance and inclusion. The students of the special unit collaborate with the students of the typical classes and actively contribute to the production of food, while at the same time reducing the waste of food that would end up in the trash, he explains.
With the support of the Director of Agia Paraskevi Geroskipou High School, George Louvaris, the students of Kefi Lab continue their initiatives in the local community. One of them, says the responsible teacher, is the free offer of snacks and delicacies once a month to the elderly of the Geroskipou Adult Center. This action has been warmly welcomed by the Director of the Center, Artemis Koupanos, who underlines the social value of this action.
At the same time, Kefi Lab participates in international humanitarian actions. As Maria Christoforou revealed, the children of the program proceeded to foster a child through ActionAid Hellas. Specifically, from the profits of their business, they proceeded to the annual subscription of 300 euros for the purposes of foster care and support of 7-year-old Ayla Bainca and her community in the Bahia region of Brazil.
Students, through this foster care program, offer financial and emotional support, creating a strong sense of social responsibility and solidarity. Ms. Christoforou clarified that foster care through ActionAid does not constitute adoption, but creates a personal relationship with the child supported. The donation of 300 euros a year does not go personally to the child, he explains, but funds projects aimed at improving living conditions and benefiting all children and families in the community such as schools, water projects, health centers and more.
By strengthening little Ayla Bainca and her community through ActionAid, she stressed, we are not just aiming at financial support, but we are aiming at something deeper and more substantial: the real change in the living conditions and development of these people.
We experienced something similar as a school community in 2023, he says. Being awarded the cash prize of 25,000 euros in the "Love Cyprus" contest held and organized by businessman John Christodoulou and his foundation, was an experience that offered us much more than the cash prize.
We greatly appreciate Mr. Christodoulou's contribution, as through this distinction values were highlighted and skills were cultivated that pushed us to become better. We went one step further as a school unit after using the prize money in projects and infrastructure. Thus, having as a model the charitable work carried out by Mr. Christodoulou, we in turn seek this action not to be limited to direct aid, but to invest in the future, offering children and communities the opportunities they need to improve their daily lives and ensure a better tomorrow.
Through this action, points out the head of the Kefi Lab of Agia Paraskevi High School in Geroskipou, our students teach us the value of cooperation and mutual aid and at the same time send a strong message that every small contribution has an impact even in the most remote corners of the world. Through this initiative, justice, inclusion, equality and humanity are promoted.
The Fun Lab is not just a business, but through it children cultivate values and develop skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy and responsibility, emphasizes Mrs. Christoforou. They learn how solidarity and cooperation can lead to meaningful results, not only for them but also for the community and wider society.
He also points out that through participation in such actions as social contribution and foster care, students enhance their self-esteem and develop communication skills that will help them in their future course.
"Solidarity is not just an act, it is a value that must be cultivated every day," he concludes. "The Kefi Lab is a great example of how students can combine entrepreneurship with social contribution, creating a positive impact not only on their own lives but also on the local and international community."
