President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades praised the role and work of the humanitarian organisation Hope for Children.
Addressing a gala dinner at the Presidential Palace on Monday, Anastasiades said that the organisation, with its many years of contribution, has managed to become synonym with the welfare and safeguarding of the rights of children and to promote their active participation in society.
The organisation’s work, said the President, is well known for building a society that is centred on children and a society which can offer them protection and safety, knowledge and opportunities so they can develop their abilities to the fullest extent possible.
The President said the government has established for the first time, the Children’s House, which is a specialised centre offering to more than 1,230 children support. At the same time, it introduced a number of programmes implemented in 131 schools, also helping children with an immigrant status to integrate, at a cost of 23 million euro.
He also referred to the operation of the Homes for Hope, with funding from the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior and the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare. These shelters, he said, offer accommodation and rehabilitation services to unaccompanied children, while on the same basis, the Organization operates a semi-independent living programme for unaccompanied children, with the main goal to smoothly assist them in the transition to adulthood.
He said the government financially supports the organisation’s actions and programmes and provided 1.2 million euro in financial assistance in 2021 while a similar amount will be allocated for 2022.