Homeless numbers are on the increase in Paphos and it’s easy to dismiss people because we may feel they are to blame for their current predicament. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve often turned my nose up at people I’ve see slouched in a drunken heap dotted around the streets of my hometown, but when you understand more about their story, pre conceived ideas seem judgemental and harsh.

Many of us are only steps away from finding ourselves in a similar situation and it’s easy for us to look down on others and judge them. But where is the compassion and understanding.
Yes, its true to say a lot of the homeless in Cyprus are Poles and they drink, but maybe we would too as a way of escaping the reality of our lives or as a way of numbing the pain. I’m not condoning drunken behaviour in any way but sometimes we are too quick to judge from our lofty heights.

Imagine you have no savings and lose your job through no fault of your own. Your family turn their back on you and you suddenly find yourself with no money, home or food.

We shouldn’t say-‘send them home its not our problem’. It is our problem and we should all show some responsibility towards each other as human beings.

As humans we should try and understand each other, it doesn’t mean we should agree with each other’s actions but we should try and show some compassion.

Some people are weaker than others and some find even the day-to-day living of a ‘normal’ life very hard. This doesn’t mean we should dismiss these people as the dregs of society, but instead extend the hand of friendship.

We are all the same underneath and the dirty, dishevelled man we cross the road to avoid could be any one of us.