CNN made a report on the case of Greek teacher Julie Koukliati working at a private school in South Africa, where she is teaching the Greek language to the children of the Greek migrants there.

Full of optimism and despite the cuts in her salary from the Greek government for her teaching abroad, Koukliati told CNN: “You only hear bad things about Europe and Greece but people there still have hope. They are still falling in love, going on vacation, they are getting on with their lives.”

More and more people begin expressing their interest in travelling overseas to make ends meet while Greece is suffering from the fifth consecutive year of recession.

In South Africa, the Greek Community includes up to 50,000 people, according to the Consulate General of Greece in Johannesburg.

According to the CNN report, community organizations are receiving more job applications from electricians and artists desperate to escape the tough economic conditions in Greece, which could boost the declining numbers of the Greek population in South Africa since 2004.

Owner of the historic patisserie “Delices”, Mrs. Antoniou’s distinction was also featured in the last issue of the weekly “Al Badr Gadida”. During the Awards’ ceremony, all “effective tourist agents” have been recognized for their contribution to the Egyptian economy.

The event was attended by a representative of the Press and Communication Office of Greece in Cairo.

The business activities of the Antoniou family in Egypt began in 1922, and Mrs. Aliki Antoniou has been a shining example for the Greek Community, with her contributions to the Lyceum of Hellenic Women.

HS HYDRA is a MEKO 200HN type multiple role frigate which has been in the service of the Hellenic Navy since March 1992. She has a displacement of 3,350 tons, a crew of 189 and carries an SH-70 Sea Hawk helicopter.

The Greek ship joins EU NAVFOR to protect merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program, other vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, as well as operating in a manner to deter and disrupt piracy while monitoring fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

The Late Bishop Petros of Nikopolis (Karatroupkos) was born in Naousa, Macedonia. He held a degree from the Theological Faculty of the University of Thessaloniki, was ordained Deacon in 1953 and Priest in 1960. He served as Archdeacon of the late Metropolitan Seraphim of Ioannina, who was later Archbishop of Athens, and as Priest he served at the Holy Metropolis of Verroea and Naousa, the Holy Archdiocese of North and South America, the Holy Metropolis of Toronto and the Holy Metropolis of Carthage, serving as its Vicar.

On February 22nd, 2001, by proposal of the late Petros VII, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, he was unanimously elected as Bishop of the newly-established Diocese of Zambia. He resigned on March 14th, 2003. On the same day he received the title of Bishop of Nikopolis.

(Source: Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa)

The carnivorous reptile has attacked a 15-year-old boy in the African country on Christmas Day, and when another one went missing, the local authorities called on Prodromou to help them get rid of the beast.

Prodromou flew to Uganda on Monday, January 9, and made it clear that his intentions were, on the one hand, to help the local people triumph over their fear and anger against the animal, and, on the other hand, to deal with the crocodile in the best possible way.

The teenager was swimming in a lake when the crocodile attacked. Another boy is missing and locals fear he may also have been taken.

Prodromou, who lives in Highbury, UK, said that this is not the first time he is being asked to deal with crocodiles.
“It might take a week or so before I track down this killer croc in Uganda. It will surely take some weird tricks to lure it, such as a big doll smelling of human scent. Although there are certainly other crocodiles in the area, the one that attacks the doll more aggresively and sooner than the others it is most probably the one we are after” said Prodromou before leaving London.

Admiring the giant reptiles, Prodromou has been hunting crocodiles for 12 years and is now and passing on his knowledge to the younger generations by holding talks at schools and giving free training to the Ugandan government.

The meeting was officially initiated on Tuesday 27 December at the St George’s Hotel in Pretoria. The keynote speaker at the opening ceremony was George Bizos, a prominent Human Rights lawyer, as well as Nelson Mandela’s lawyer. Mr. Bizos spoke about the importance of rule of law, identity and his experiences in South Africa. Other speakers who addressed the opening ceremony were the Archbishop of Pretoria and Johannesburg Damaskinos, Mr. Cleopa Elia (President of the Cyprus Brotherhood of South Africa), Mr. Christos Karaolis (President of NEPOMAK), Mr. Philip Papathanasiou (President of NAHYSOSA) and Mr. Michael Pappas (President of NEPOMAK South Africa).

The meeting of the Executive Council focused on establishing new programmes for members, new partnerships with other NGOs and charities as well as outlining ways in which NEPOMAK can continue to support Cyprus and lobby decision makers even more effectively.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to begin developing the plans for the celebrations of NEPOMAK’s 10th anniversary in 2012. The Executive Council discussed the recently launched NEPOMAK logo re-design competition, how to coordinate events across member organisations to celebrate NEPOMAK’s 10 year anniversary, and also how to refresh and update NEPOMAK’s strategic goals to ensure NEPOMAK remains relevant over the next 10 years.

NEPOMAK President, Christos Karaolis, said “We are exceptionally grateful to the South African and Zimbabwean Cypriot communities for the warm welcome that they gave us. During the course of our meeting we put in place proposals for new programmes and initiatives that will ensure we continue to deliver on our core aims: raising awareness of the Cyprus issue and maintaining Cypriot culture and identity across the diaspora. With these activities, I am confident that NEPOMAK will continue to go from strength to strength over the next 10 years”

Members of the Executive Council also visited the Hellenic Cypriot Brotherhood of South Africa and Cypriot communities in Cape Town and Zimbabwe.

“The Greeks of Egypt have offered much to the homeland. It is our duty to preserve and strengthen the presence of the Greek element, in these ancestral homes of Hellenism”, stated Mr. Samaras.

It is worth noting that in his term as Foreign Minister he showed interest in saving the house of Cavafy in Alexandria, which is currently a museum and a benchmark of Hellenism in the city.

“We want to keep Hellenism alive; we are not asking anything from the Greek state, apart from a guarantee that Averofeion Greek High School will remain exclusively Greek. We are ready to offer help in action, founding an orphanage to offer a warm embrace to Greek children, especially now that existing institutions in Greece are facing so many problems. We will undertake all costs and tuition fees so as to establish the new generation of Greeks in Alexandria”, stated Mr. Siokas.

The book, dedicated in memory of Costis Moskov, analyzes the terms and conditions under which community intellect was developed amid the vast cultural melting pot of Egypt, not primarily aimed at confirming its Greek character.

Moving his research forward beyond Cavafy and Tsirkas, two of the most significant figures of Hellenism in Egypt, on whom studies up until this point have been primarily focused, the author seeks encounters between the Egyptian and Greek tradition in a broad spectrum of texts produced by the Greek – Egyptian intelligentsia.

Manolis Maragoulis has published – among others – several studies in Greek and Arabic scientific and literary journals, focusing on ideological movements and the literary production of Greeks in Egypt from the last quarter of the 19th century to the 20th century interwar period.

The book, published by Gutenberg Publications and Cyprus University Press, will be presented on Thursday, December 22nd in Thessaloniki at P. Kyriakidis Bookstore.

Artscape and the Siyasanga Cape Town Theatre Company will present Greek classic comedy “The Birds” of Aristophanes in the Kirstenbosch open-air theatre from December 20 2011 until January 15 2012.

The timeless comedy performances are scheduled to start at 7am. This peculiarity of the early morning performances is explained by the fact that ancient Greeks used to go to their theatres at dawn time because they had no lighting and it got too hot to sit outside later in the morning.

Theatre goers can either bring their own picnic with them or book for breakfast at the Kirstenborch Tea Room (021 – 797 4887).

Roy Sargeant directs, with choreography by Nhanhla Mkhwanazi, costume and mask designs by Keith Anderson and original music by Michael Tuffin. Jeroen Kranenberg and Nhanhla Mkhwanazi star in the play with Francis Chouler, Armand Aucamp, Riaan Visman, Wiseman Sithole, together with the Siyasanga Acting Company, Michael Inglis, Zondwa Njokweni, Lee Roodt, Frans Hamman, Anele Situlweni and Melissa Haiden.

Tickets can be booked via the Kirstenbosch Box Office (021 – 761 2866) or at the gate leading to the theatre from 06:30 before each performance.

For more information contact 021 – 799 8783

The evensong doxology was attended by members of the Greek community in Cairo, as well as by many Arabian Orthodoxs. General Consul of Greece to Egypt Mr. Yiannis Chatzantonakis, the Vice President of the Greek Community of Cairo Mr. Nikolas Vadis were also present.

His Beatitude Theodoros II could not hide his affectionate emotions towards Archbishop Damianos and the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine, who originated from the city of Alexandria.

The Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa congratulated and thanked Archbishop Damianos on his exceptional work at Mount Sinai and urged him to continue doing so. On his behalf, His Grace Damianos thanked the Patriarch and called his visit a “historic event” for the Greek Orthodox Church of Egypt.

The celebrating Doxology was attended by Greek Ambassador Mr. Christodoulos Lazaris and his Cypriot counterpart Mr. Sotos Liasidis. After the doxology was over, Archbishop of Sinai offered a big chandelier and a historical volume from the holy monastery to Patriarch Theodoros II and the two Ambassadors.