NDCP is an annual summer program that is run by NEPOMAK, the World Organisation for Young Overseas Cypriots. The abbreviation NDCP stands for NEPOMAK’s Discover Cyprus Program NEPOMAK has eight global member branches including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Greece, Zimbabwe and Continental Europe. I hope this review of the programme gets to grips with what NDCP is all about.
Many past participants have referred to NDCP as a “life changing experience” and by completing the program I now understand as to why this statement is true. NDCP gives its participants the opportunity to socialize with other young Cypriots worldwide, which is beneficial in a variety of different ways. Although a culture clash between participants might be expected, it has been interesting to see how, no matter how different the cultures may be between two people, their heritage will still enable them to relate to one another.
The thought of being placed on a trip to your motherland with 40 other strangers may sound daunting, but I am confident in saying that it is inevitable those strangers will have a memorable impact on your experience of the program. The picture below shows how a group of participants from up to 5 countries can be united through the program!
NDCP gives its participants the opportunity to improve their Greek language and build on their knowledge of the history of Cyprus. I was truly impressed with how, in the duration of three weeks, the University of Cyprus improved the Greek language of all participants including the beginners, intermediate and advanced classes.
The ability to learn a language, especially from scratch, in the duration of less than a month is proof that this program excels in showing participants their capability of learning something new. As a young Cypriot, if you want to improve or learn Greek then this is the program for you!
The other academic classes of the program are the culture and history classes, which were very insightful into how important it is for the new generation of Cypriots to be educated about past significant historic events which still have an impact on the island today.
The culture and history classes would often coincide with the excursions of the program as it would be discussed in class and then chosen to go and visit. These not only included visiting museums but travelling around the island to explore different sites and landmarks.
One of the most interesting activities that the program offers is the traditional Greek dance lessons, which were super fun and became a good way of burning off all those kebabs we were eating.
For more information about the organization, you can visit the NEPOMAK official website: http://www.nepomak.org . Applications open soon for NDCP 2018, so if you’re 18-23 with proof of Cypriot heritage, a passion to meet other fellow young Cypriots whilst improving your Greek language, and broadening your knowledge of the history of Cyprus and Cypriot culture, then make sure you apply to this fantastic opportunity as it may bring you more than you would expect. Good Luck!
By Tara Antoni
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