OUR PROGRAM @
University of Nicosia (UNIC)
stories and experiences
meet their experiences
Enrique’s unique experience at Hope for Children!
My name is Enrique Kattou, and I am a psychology graduate from Cyprus. My journey with Bridges by Mentors began in the summer of 2025, when I joined the project through a volunteering opportunity at Hope for Children. At first, I viewed it as a chance to contribute, meet people
Embracing inclusivity and Ethical Awareness: Kyriakos’s experience as a Mentor
Having the opportunity to serve as a mentor through Bridges by Mentors helped me further embrace the concept of inclusivity, cultural differences and increased my ethical awareness. Working with children from vulnerable populations and difficult backgrounds was challenging. Some of the children had language barriers that made communication more difficult,
Crossing Cultures for Mentoring: Understanding the significance of Guidance and Support
Coming from Mozambique, a country that is often underrepresented on the internationalscale, I grew up immersed in diverse communities from being in international schools. Thisbackground helped shape my ability to adapt to new environments, yet it did not make thetransition to moving and studying in Cyprus any easier. Being surrounded
Enhancing Social and Personal Skills in Youth: Outcomes of the Bridges by Mentors Project
The collaboration between ‘’Hope for Children’’ CRC Policy Center CRC Policy Center andthe University of Nicosia (UNIC) under the “Bridges by Mentors” project has been avaluable and impactful initiative. The implementation of a structured group mentoringprogram provided a meaningful framework for engaging youth aged 12–18 throughinteractive and experiential activities. The
Bridges by Mentors in Action: Mentoring Activities at the University of Nicosia
Over the past months, Bridges by Mentors participants at the University of Nicosia have been actively engaged in mentoring activities focused on youth development, communication, and intercultural learning. Through hands-on sessions and close collaboration with local partners, students gained valuable experience in working with children while reflecting on the importance
Learning to Understand, Not Just Observe: Angelique’s story
During my time with Hope For Children, organized by Bridges by Mentors in Nicosia, Ifaced challenges that pushed my understanding. The boys, aged 7 to 10, were curious andsmart, but often their attention drifted, and some days tested my patience. Workingclosely with the officers, I helped run sessions on communication
Mentoring in Higher Education: A psychologists’ perspective
I am glad to be contributing to this great project, Bridges by Mentors, by sharing my experience with mentoring programs from the standpoint of a professional psychologist. Being involved in mentoring programs for vulnerable populations has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life. Drawing from this
Preparing mentors for activities at “Hope for Children” CRC Policy Center’s shelter for unaccompanied minors
University of Nicosia Mentor Training Phase 1 The collaboration between the University of Nicosia and Hope for Children has prepared a new cohort of student mentors to support unaccompanied minors living in the organisation’s shelter. Over several weeks, undergraduate volunteer students from psychology took part in training to develop their
Empowering Students through Mentorship and Social Engagement
As the Practicum Coordinator for School Psychology and teacher of the Practicum in Psychology at the University of Nicosia, I have had the privilege of closely observing the transformative journey of our psychology students through their participation in the Bridges by Mentors programme. Over the past year, the integration of
Bridges by Mentors: Having someone to guide you
Being an international student in Cyprus has its advantages and disadvantages, while it does give a lot of helpful things when you are first trying to settle down here, it also poses a lot of challenges that each international student must overcome so they can enjoy their temporary or maybe
Bridges by Mentors: Enovi’s Excellent Experience
Hey everyone! My name is Enovi, and I’m from the U.S.A. (Idaho, to be exact.) I am currently studying psychology as a full-time student at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. I have lived in many places over the years, but moving to a new country always has challenges. Things
From the Mountains of Corfu to the Heart of Psychology in Cyprus
My name is Kimon, I’m 25 years old, and I come from Corfu, an island in the Ionian Sea of Greece. I grew up in a small mountain village where life was calm and familiar. For most of my life, I studied music, and for a long time, I thought
Reflections from Sunny Cyprus!
Reconnecting, Realigning, and Reaffirming Our Mentoring Mission The recent project meeting, hosted by the University of Nicosia in Cyprus on March 17-19, brought together Bridges by Mentors partners to reconnect and reflect on the project’s core mission, and realign future actions. Learning from the Journey With the piloting of the