Hidden poverty in Cyprus

 As most people who come to live in Cyprus realise, there is no real safety net here for people who fall on hard times. After six months (always assuming you were working and paying Social Security) any benefits stop and you are left to survive on your own.

The coronavirus disaster has put that very small safety net under impossible pressure because Cyprus is - as near as damn it - insolvent. They cannot print money as the UK has done (the Eurozone does not allow that), and since the “haircut” in 2013, Cyprus is frozen out of the international money markets and so cannot borrow. The pandemic, which has thrown so many people out of work, just makes matters worse.

We are shielded from this poverty, as I suspect many non-Cypriots are, and don’t really notice what is apparent. However there are individuals who try to help. One local couple started providing hot meals for those in need, and asked for donations - no money just food. We supported this initiative for some months, and had our local kiosk deliver the groceries to a venue in Polis.

They moved their operation out of the area and we looked to see if we could help someone else. A lovely local entrepreneur was doing things quietly behind the scenes, and Ann contacted her to ask if we could be of help. She sent us a list of items (mainly dried and tinned items) and we gladly contacted our kiosk who sorted things out. Ann contacted her again and asked what was needed. This time it was bedding (blankets and duvets) as winter was approaching. During this exchange we found out that one family had received all we had bought. We were told the eight-year old daughter of this family had not eaten for three days. THREE DAYS! How on earth can anyone be left to their own devices like that? We were stunned and upset.

So off to the charity shop to see whether we can buy some warm bedding to be in use this evening, and any surplus from the sum we have set aside will go to more food.

I mention this story not to tell the world how marvellous and charitable we are. I write this so that the hidden poverty in Cyprus can be unearthed and if only one person reads this and wants to help, they can. What is most noticeable is that these kind and helpful people are running businesses as well, and resolutely refuse money. Food, bedding, winter clothes - but absolutely no money. We have bitter memories when we raised money through Argaka Aid some years ago to help needy families in our village, and the snide comments and accusations that reached our ears. Sad, but true.

It is said that very crisis is a veritable honeypot for fraudsters and scammers. But the people in this story are as honest as the day is long, and we trust them without reservation.