Bridging Occupational Gaps with Refugees and Asylum Seekers

24/06/2026

🌍 World Refugee Day 2026 | Occupational Therapy for Participation, Inclusion, and Belonging

On World Refugee Day, Occupational Therapy students from European University Cyprus coordinated the Kids' Corner at the Street Festival in Nicosia, creating opportunities for children and families to come together through play, creativity, and shared experiences.

Play is more than a leisure activity. It is a way for children to participate in community life, build relationships, express themselves, and experience belonging. For children affected by displacement, opportunities for participation can contribute to wellbeing, connection, and inclusion within the communities they now call home.

As future occupational therapists, our students actively contributed to creating an inclusive community space that celebrated diversity, dignity, and the right of all children to participate in meaningful occupations.

This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment through the Bridging Occupational Gaps with Refugees & Asylum Seekers programme to learning with displaced communities, fostering participation, and promoting occupational justice.

A sincere thank you to UNHCR Cyprus and the Cyprus Refugee Council for organizing this important event and for their continued efforts in supporting refugees and asylum seekers in Cyprus.

Together, we celebrate not only resilience, but also the right of every person to belong, participate, and shape their own future.

💛
🧡

10/06/2026

‼️ Make sure you won’t miss this upcoming session in the webinar series “OTs Practising in Crisis Contexts”, on Sunday, the 14th of June at 7:00 PM Beirut Time.

➡️ This session will bring together occupational therapists from Haiti, Gaza, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and Kenya to share what occupational therapy practice looks like from within crisis-affected settings.

📌 The discussion will explore how practice is adapted, sustained, and reimagined amidst displacement, conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crises. I believe it will be particularly relevant to those interested in refugee health, forced migration, and occupational justice.

09/06/2026

New publication by the Bridging team! 🩷

Occupation-centered interventions use everyday activities to help children and adults live healthy and meaningful lives.

This review explores whether these approaches help refugee children participate in their everyday activities.

Current evidence suggests that occupation-centered interventions may improve refugee children's participation, although further research is needed to draw stronger conclusions.

Refugee children may particularly benefit from interventions that respect their cultural and social backgrounds, while participation in familiar and meaningful activities can support their development, well-being, and sense of belonging within a new community.

We are especially grateful to our co-authors, collaborators, occupational therapy students, and Erasmus+ visiting students who contributed to different stages of this work. Their commitment, critical thinking, and enthusiasm made this project richer and more meaningful.

https://research.aota.org/ajot/article-abstract/80/4/8004205030/28632/Occupation-Centered-Interventions-to-Enhance?redirectedFrom=fulltext

This review looks at whether occupation-centered interventions help refugee children take part in their daily activities.

02/06/2026

On World Refugee Day we come together to honour refugees around the world. Here in Cyprus, we celebrate their journey and contributions by coming together for the 13th Street Festival at Faneromeni Square.

📍 Location: Faneromeni Square, Nicosia
🗓 Date: Friday, 19th of June
🕕 Time: 18:00 – 22:00
Join us for an evening of celebration, culture, and community in the heart of Nicosia!

What to expect?
🎶 World Music by DJ Cotsios o Pikatillis

🥙 Global Flavours
Taste your way through international cuisines/delicious international food

📄 Information Stands
Learn more about the activities of various refugee-led organisations and civil society organisations in Cyprus and explore opportunities for collaboration and networking.

🎨🧸 Kids’ Corner
A dedicated space for kids to play, create, and learn with fun activities, art and crafts.

Clown storytelling performance of “Mr Hat & the Adventures of the Newspaper at 7p.m

Solidarity

Organisers: Cyprus Refugee Council and Bridges for Tomorrow
Under the auspices of: UNHCR Cyprus and Nicosia Municipality

The following organisations are supporting and participating in this event / Tην εκδήλωση υποστηρίζουν και συμμετέχουν οι:
African LGBTQ+ CY; AIDS Solidarity Movement; Caritas Cyprus; CODECA – Center for Social Cohesion, Development and Care; Cyprus Red Cross Society; Emphasys Center; Generation for Change CY; European University ; "Hope For Children" CRC Policy Center; HUB Nicosia; Humanitarian Organization for Protection and Education - Vela; Mission Solidarity; NGO Support Center; Nicosia Municipality Multifunctional Foundation; Q***r Collective; Refugee Support Europe- Dignity Center Nicosia; TAPSEU POUH; Vymata; YEU Cyprus

15/05/2026

Missed the live session?
Don’t worry!

The full 🟢 𝙊𝙏 𝙀𝘾𝙃𝙊 recording is now online!

Find the 🔗 link in the comments!

01/05/2026

Spring finds its way everywhere. 🩷🌸

Spring reminds us that growth and possibility can emerge even in the most complex environments. In a refugee camp, children still seek out moments of play, curiosity, and joy, which become powerful acts of participation.

Occupational therapy plays a key role in enabling these opportunities. It creates space for play, for connection, and for expression, supporting participation, joy, and belonging.

25/03/2026

25/03/2026

The Bridging Occupational Gaps project has been included in the European University Cyprus SDG Report 2024–2025 🧡🖤

Our work focuses on supporting refugee and asylum-seeking children, adults, and families through occupational therapy, promoting inclusion, participation, and equal access to everyday life.

It’s meaningful to see this effort recognised as part of the university’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in advancing equity and improving living conditions through education.

A big thank you to our students, collaborators, and the communities we work with 🙏

You can read the full report here: https://euc.ac.cy/en/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/

04/03/2026

Last June, we had the honor of hosting the 1st Scientific Occupational Therapy Two-Day Workshop at the European University Cyprus, a milestone event for our academic and professional community.

Over two inspiring days, students, academics, and practitioners came together to exchange knowledge, share research, and critically reflect on contemporary occupational therapy practice. The workshop created a vibrant space for dialogue, collaboration, and the co-construction of ideas grounded in evidence and social relevance.

Today, we are excited to share the official video of the event, a glimpse into the energy, engagement, and meaningful discussions that shaped this initiative.

We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to strengthen occupational therapy as a dynamic, research-informed, and socially responsive profession.

Photographic material from the event is also available. Presenters and participants interested in receiving photos from their session are welcome to contact us directly.

https://youtu.be/JU6ehp_GdVo?si=B4sZ5agBzVFYvYG3

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.