The philanthropist and founder of Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, Mr John Christodoulou, was awarded the Medal for Outstanding Contribution during a special ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 28th of July 2022.
The ceremony was organized by the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus in the presence of distinguished representatives of the local political, business, and social scene. During his speech, The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, paid tribute to all expatriates such as Mr Christodoulou, a successful businessman and a renowned philanthropist for their great achievements. Additionally, the President expressed his gratitude and honor for promoting Cyprus, their country of origin, worldwide as great ambassadors of the Cypriot values and ethics.
In his speech, Mr Christodoulou said that it is an honour to receive this medal and that through the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation he supports children in need. He continued by saying that he is proud to be Cypriot, but he is sad to see his homeland to still be divided. Mr Christodoulou emphasized that he is a refugee, as his father lost his business and his house in Sysklipos. ‘It is essential for all to work together to find a solution to the Cyprus problem before it is too late’ he said. At the same time, he noted that we should not forget the families who lost their children in the war. He ended his speech by comparing the GDP of Cyprus, which is only 24 billion, with Israel’s which is 400 billion. As he said, companies like Google with a GDP of 257 billion, Apple with a GDP of 365 billion, Amazon with 470 billion, have started off as home-based companies. ‘Cypriots’, Mr Christodoulou emphasized ‘are a clever nation. We all hold the key to achieve everything we want for our future’.
Mr Christodoulou the Founder of the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation has been well acknowledged for his charitable work, worldwide, but more evidently in his homeland Cyprus. Through his foundation, Mr Christodoulou is able to support children in need. The choice of the funded projects ties with the YCF Mission, which is to offer support and assistance to the many schools and communities that need to upgrade their teaching and learning facilities, for the benefit of the children. In the founder’s own words, “helping and empowering children is the main priority of the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, as our future depends on them”
