the monster of intimidation, which is increasingly faced by young children, it hits like a superhero and it is born with excessity and kindness a 12-year-old victim of his. It is about the Cypriot Nikolas Nikiforos, who received physical, verbal and mental violence from his classmates, because of the marks on his face. As he explains, when he was born two-thirds of his head was covered by a rare type of pre-cancerous massive melanomas, the removal of which created the scars. The 12-year-old started a successful campaign against bullying, for which he was honored and awarded several times. In fact, yesterday Hope For Children awarded Nikolas the Children's Rights Defender 2019 award, which is the highest form of award for the promotion of children's rights. The event took place yesterday at the House of the European Union in Nicosia.
The campaign for rights and equality began three years ago when she took part in a Kinder personal portrait competition, in which entrants had to draw themselves. “The winner would enter a box of chocolates that would be sold across the UK (wherever they live). This set me in the process of thinking about how I see myself. I didn't see my signs until people started seeing them and pointing them out to me," she noted.
Nikolas will become the face of Kinder and begin his journey. "I don't feel different. Only when people treat me like I'm different. But what I try is not to allow myself to feel different, but to live normally. It is what I promote in my actions, equality", he said and added: "I have been told different things in cases of bullying. They have made me wonder several times if the situation is that bad. If what they said about me described me, if indeed it is so. The first time I encountered school bullying, I was in an elementary school class. A kid approached me with his friend making fun of me. I had told my parents. Now such incidents have decreased. That's because I defend myself and I'm not that vulnerable."
As he explains, he has spoken and helped some children who were in his position and have been bullied. "I hope that through my action I have helped even more children and encouraged them". His dream is to remain a defender of the rights, especially of children. “I would love to do work related to this field. To continue what I started. To give speeches and transmit the messages of respect, equality, acceptance".
POSITIVE ROLE MODEL
Nicolas' actions against school bullying led to him becoming the face of Kinder in 2016, winning the Diana Award in 2017, the British Citizen Award in 2018 and the same year the 'Positive Role Model' at the UK National Diversity Awards Basilio. In addition, in 2017 he was voted one of the 24 most aware Bristolians under the age of 24. He has been featured on BBC shows and other media, has held his own art exhibition, gives motivational talks at schools and universities to eradicate bullying.
“In my worst moments I wish I had never been born. However, I found the courage to go through what I went through and I believe it happened for a reason. To help people who are going through difficulties in their lives" notes Nikolas. He even explains that "we all make choices in our lives. Each one shapes what we become. Every day we have the choice to either wake up happy or sad. Every day we make endless decisions that are critical to who we are."
He further noted that he is proud that he had the courage to go through what he went through. “I did not do this without choice or without courage. I was lost among the fears I had in my mind. I didn't realize I had the choice to change the circumstances. Now, when people ask me how I managed to overcome it, I tell them 'it was my choice'".
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