This summer, the “Music and Arts” workshop opened a lively world of expression for our little friends. Weekly meetings with professional musicians, artists, and a variety of creative workshops connected the children to the wonders of music, arts, and creativity. Below are some highlights that made this summer unforgettable.

Music and Expression with Talented Artists

Under the guidance of professionals in the arts, the children explored various workshops that promoted expression and creativity. Participating in different activities, the children found new ways to connect with music and art, discovering talents and passions they didn’t know they had.

Yoga with Charis Marathefti

Our beloved yoga teacher, Charis Marathefti from Healthy Yogis, was with us every week. For the past five years, she has been an integral part of our Summer Workshop for LITTLE VOLUNTEERS in Music and Arts, helping children embrace mindfulness and physical well-being through yoga.

Cartooning with Sotos Voskaridis

We were thrilled to have our favourite cartoonist, Sotos Voskaridis, in our workshop. Under his guidance, the children learned to create their own sketches and perfect simple techniques. We express our gratitude to Mr. Voskaridis, president of the Cypriot Cartoonists’ Union “GEL.A”, for his visit and the invaluable knowledge he provided.

Changing the World, One Child at a Time

Beloved educator Maria Kannaurou narrated the book by James Norbury, “The Big Panda and the Little Dragon”. The story is about two dear friends, the Big Panda and the Little Dragon, who embark on a journey through the seasons of time. They explore thoughts and feelings, the difficulties that unite us, and happiness. We read with the children and discussed the wise words of the panda! We shared thoughts and feelings!

In the words of the Panda: “If you want to change the world… start with the next being that needs your help!”

Exploring Scents, Arts, and Generosity

Our little friends had an unforgettable day with the “Young Volunteers”. Guided by our dedicated volunteers Anastasia, Elena, Liana, and driven by their curiosity and enthusiasm, they had a day filled with exciting activities, having the opportunity to get to know the aromatic plants of Cyprus, enjoy cooking, and play joyfully in the yard. Our president took the time to carefully answer their questions, deeply moved by their vision and interest in volunteer work.

In the kitchen, Elena and Anastasia invited the children to cook together the lunch, immersing them in the joys of cooking. Under their guidance, our little friends participated in the process of preparing our favorite lemonades, from squeezing to bottling to decoration.

They also prepared special gifts for sale, with the proceeds going to families in need, and of course, for the delicious meal they prepared together with our children, under the guidance of our President, Liana Hatzimina, and other volunteers of our association.

During these weeks, we tried to convey to them the values of volunteering and how they can contribute in their way. We believe we made a start in the beautiful world of volunteerism and giving, and the happy faces of the children reflected the achievement of this goal.

Arts and Inspiration

A special thank you goes to the graphic arts professor Evangelos Stergenakis for conducting a silkscreen workshop. The children showed particular interest and enthusiasm for this unique technique. They decided on the theme, collaborated on the design, prepared colors, materials, and each child created their silkscreen, resulting in unique masterpieces! In addition, Evangelos Stergenakis, along with educator Zina Dimitriadou and with the help of our educator Kyriaki Kyriakou, conducted an experiential workshop on paper recycling. The children watched the creation of paper pulp and made beautiful constructions.

Volunteer Action with the “Little Volunteers” and the “Paws” Organization

With pride and enthusiasm, we announce our collaboration with the animal protection organization “Paws”. The organization’s experts visited the “Young Volunteers” and shared with them the importance of caring for and protecting animals. Excited by this experience, we decided to undertake our first volunteer action to help this cause. We collect food and books in good condition that we will donate to the organization for sale, with all proceeds going to animal protection.

Visit by Angelos Doukas

This year, our friend of the “Young Volunteers” Angelos Doukas, visited us along with some of his students, where they showed the children how to play the accordion, how it’s used, and its role. Later, each played a song, and the children accompanied them by singing, and they had the opportunity to explore the instrument themselves, pressing the keys, the bass, and changing the various musical voices of the instrument. We thank the Music Moments Studio school for its longtime support of our summer workshop, Angelos Douka, and his students for their beautiful presentation.

Wheeling2Help

This year, Anastasia Symeou from the Greek organization Wheeling2Help visited us, which helps children and families in countries like Africa. Anastasia spoke to us about their significant work there and how children live in Africa, specifically in the Gongo area of Tanzania. So this year, since our motto is “from children to children”, we decided, in addition to the various campaigns we conduct and the families and children we help here, to allocate €1,500 for the children there. With this amount, they will be able to have better conditions in their schools, and their spaces will be more functional. We thank Anastasia Symeou and Wheeling2Help for giving us the opportunity to make our small contribution to the significant work this organization accomplishes. Some of the members of the Youth Team M.E. will be there for this purpose. See you in Africa!