The Wednesday, December 10, 2025 As announced, elections were held to appoint a new Board of Directors for the Trifyllis Foundation of Kythira for the five-year period 2026–2030. The elections were held in accordance with the current statutes, with no formal violations of the prescribed procedures.
However, the issue that has arisen and has been of great concern to the Kythirian community in recent days it is not only legal. It is profound. ethical, institutional, and value-based.
The absence of information and the feeling of exclusion
The only public reference to the elections was an announcement on the Foundation's website—a page that, as is widely known, not updated frequently and is not a reliable source of daily news for the people of Kythira.
There was no press release, no information bulletin to local or expatriate media, no wider publicity to the community of Kythira, on the island or in Attica.
Result?;
Η majority of Kythirians – especially those who are not members of the Boards of Directors of the Kythira Association of Athens and the Kythira Brotherhood of Piraeus – did not even know that elections were being held.
The Kythera.News received several phone calls from our fellow citizens. Some simply expressed curiosity. Others expressed dissatisfaction. One even used the heavy—and indicative of the climate—word «secret activities» (particularly well known in Kythirian folklore!), referring to the secrecy with which, in his opinion, the proceedings were conducted.
The question of legitimacy – and the bigger question of legitimization
It is true that the statutes of the Trifyllio Foundation provide for a specific and limited electoral body and do not explicitly require the publication of elections in the press. However, it does mention the participation of any reputable Kythirian, whether they live on the island or in the wider Attica region.
In this sense, the procedures appear to be in line with the letter of the law; however, in practice, it is impossible for Kythirians to be nominated or to nominate themselves when they have not been adequately and widely informed about the possibility of standing as candidates.
This is precisely where the essential question arises: Is formal legitimacy sufficient when social legitimacy is absent?;
A charitable foundation with a history, assets, and a role that transcends individuals and administrations is not a closed club. It is an institution. the entire Kythirian community.
And what do the electors believe?;
Another question that arises – reasonably – is what the opinion of the electors themselves is: the members of the Boards of Directors of the two historic Kythirian associations, and the members of the outgoing Board of Directors of the Foundation.
Do they consider that:
- Does limited information serve the Foundation's reputation?;
- Does social distancing strengthen cohesion?;
- Or that Trifyllio can operate without an active relationship with the wider community of Kythira?;
The answers are not self-evident. And that is why they are worth listening to.
Democracy is not just about rules – it is also about a spirit of unity, inclusion, and trust.
Democracy is not limited to compliance with articles and paragraphs. It is based on transparency, trust, and above all, the feeling that no one is superfluous.
At a time when social cohesion is being tested, Cypriot institutions and organizations must function unifying, not introvertedly. They should open dialogue, not create shadows.
This article does not attribute blame or question individuals.
However, it makes a calm, well-intentioned but substantial appeal:
- To be reconsidered in the future, not only what is «expected» or «customary», but also the what is appropriate.
- Strengthen information, outreach, and participation.
- All Kythirians should feel that the Trifyllio Foundation is truly their own and not the property of a group.
Because institutions that stand the test of time are not those that operate silently, but those that inspire. trust, unity, and common purpose.
In addition, it is worth suggesting that after the absorption of the Kythira Foundation in the 1980s and the centralized management of the estate of Nikolaos Trifyllis and other bequests, it would be institutionally reasonable the Board of Directors of Trifyllio to include at least one representative appointed by the local institutions of Kythira, such as the Municipality of Kythira.
Instead of an afterword – a proposal for the future of Trifyllio
With the appointment of the new Board of Directors of the Trifyllio Foundation of Kythira—which we congratulate, even though it has not yet been officially announced—it may be worth considering a simple but meaningful exhortation.
Trifyllio can and must be managed in the spirit that the late Dimitris Komis: with open doors, transparency, extroversion, and a genuine interest in the whole of Kythirian society. With steadfast support for youth, education, culture, and sports. With a presence that is not merely administrative, but substantive.
If the new Board of Directors is inspired by this example, Trifyllio can continue to be institution of unity and hope, investing in the most valuable asset of the region: the children, pupils, and students of Kythira and Antikythira.
Kythera.News
Below is the history and purpose of the foundation as published on its website, written by Gavrilis N. Nikiforakis.
History and purpose
Establishment
The Trifyllis Foundation of Kythira owes its name to its founder and great benefactor, Nikolaos Trifyllis from Trifyllianika. The late great benefactor of our island, Nik. I. Trifyllis, wishing to permanently cover the hospital care needs of our fellow citizens, in his public will 10494/26.6.48, he bequeathed his entire estate to the establishment of a charitable foundation entitled ‘TRIFYLLIO HOSPITAL OF KYTHIRA’ with the sole purpose of building and operating a hospital in Potamos, Kythira. Nik. Trifyllis' initiative was complemented by significant donations from many of our compatriots, including P. Panaretos, Mich. Semitekolos, the Kasimati brothers, Leon. Megalokonomos, and others. .
To achieve this goal, a Fundraising Committee was established, consisting of: Archimandrite Gabriel Kalokerinos, Theod. Katrakis, I. Fotiou, Greg. Kasimatis, Kritonas Efst. Dilaveri, I. Kontoleon, Dim. Marsello, Pan. Foteinos, Pan. Th. Panaretos, Nik. Kastrisios, Pan. I. Trifyllis, Pan. Gavrilis, V. Bavea, Th. Archontoulis, and I. S. Kasimatis. The fundraising committee completed its work very quickly and on May 21, 1953, inaugurated the hospital, which was built in Potamos, Kythira, in accordance with the wishes of N. Trifyllis, on a plot of land donated by one of the executors of his will and his nephew, Pan. Th. Panaretos.
As soon as the construction of the hospital building was completed, N. Trifyllis transferred the well-known restaurant ‘SYNTIVANI’ to the Eraniki Committee, on the condition that a foundation be established with its headquarters in Athens and the name ‘TRIFYLLEIO HOSPITAL OF KYTHIRA’, which would rebuild the property at 5 Themistokleous Street and use its proceeds for the operation of the hospital as well as for other charitable purposes. Indeed, the Fundraising Committee, despite the death of N. Trifyllis (May 1955), proceeded with the establishment of the Foundation with its minutes 62/14.11.56, based on the contract 359/14.11.56 contract of the Councilor I. Varypati, which was approved by Royal Decree on 25.6.57, thus creating the ‘TRIFYLLEIO HOSPITAL OF KYTHIRA’, which is a legal entity governed by A.N. 2039/39.
As stated in Article 2 of the Foundation's charter, its purpose is:
1) The Kythira Hospital, built by the Fundraising Committee, with funds collected from Pan-Kythirian Fundraisers, aims to provide medical and hospital care to patients, excluding the treatment of those suffering from incurable or contagious diseases., 2) In addition to the above objectives, in the event of a surplus in the Foundation's resources, the Board of Directors may allocate these to other public benefit projects and objectives in Kythira.
When the Ministry of Social Welfare took over its operation, which had the immediate effect of ensuring better care conditions for our compatriots and relieving the Foundation of expenses that its income did not allow it to cover, the management of the Trifyllio Hospital of Kythira decided to extend its charitable activities to the care of the elderly residents of our island. This was a need as vital as hospital care, due to the large number of elderly people who live alone and helpless because their children have emigrated.
Thus, paragraph 1 of the above article was supplemented by Act 13955/17.5.68 of Councilor I. Varypati with the following:
1a. Another purpose of the Foundation is the establishment and operation of a nursing home in Potamos, Kythira, for the accommodation and care of elderly people of both sexes, in accordance with specific regulations to be drawn up by the Foundation's Board of Directors.
Nikolaos Trifillis: the founder
Nikolaos Trifillis was born in the village of Trifyllianika in the region of the then Municipality of Potamia in 1873. Because his parents« financial means were very limited, as a child he was forced to leave Kythira and seek better fortune, first in Piraeus and then in Athens. There, working tirelessly, hard and persistently, he managed to become a very successful businessman. Before he turned thirty, he was already considered the greatest restaurateur in Athens, and his establishment, the famous restaurant »Synτριβάνι," was well known and served a large number of people.
When the Balkan Wars of 1912 were declared, he rushed to enlist as a volunteer in the Infantry, because as a conscript in the Navy he was not drafted due to his advanced age, and he went to the front, where he fought bravely. For his bravery in battle, he was publicly commended in a daily order by the Commander-in-Chief, then Crown Prince Constantine, and was decorated.
Despite the great wealth he acquired, Nikolaos Trifillis had nothing for himself. He lived in a small, semi-basement apartment in the Museum area. According to MP Giannakis Kontoleontas, his close friend and lawyer, Nikolaos Trifillis «was and always remained the most frugal and modest man, a true ascetic.».
It may not be widely known, but Nikolaos Trifillis was distinguished throughout his life by his intense philanthropic spirit. According to testimonies, during the Balkan Wars he offered the government of the time a very significant sum of money for the war effort. He also willingly and generously supported fundraisers for charitable causes, as well as financially assisting young people from Kythira who were distinguished for their intelligence and academic performance, but lacked the necessary resources to continue their studies. Nikolaos Trifyllis's constant vision was for Kythira to finally have an organized and, as far as possible, adequate hospital. So, in 1948, he drew up his will, bequeathing his entire estate, as it stood on the day of his death, to the foundation established by the above will under the name ’Trifyllion Hospital,« which would have the purpose of constructing a suitable building for the establishment and operation of a hospital in Kythira.
He then played a decisive role in the consultations that led to the formation of the Central Fundraising Committee, whose purpose was to establish a hospital in Kythira and pave the island's main road. In fact, on November 8, 1951, he signed a memorandum with Michael Semitekolo, appointing the members of the Fundraising Committee, and Nikolaos Trifillis declared that he would donate his property at 5 Themistokleous Street, known as «Synitrivani,» for the maintenance of the hospital that would be established. In fulfillment of his commitment, on March 15, 1954, the contract of donation during his lifetime, numbered 8239/15-3-1954, was signed by the then notary of Piraeus, Ioannis P. Simos, Simou, with which Nikolaos Trifyllis fulfilled his written commitment of November 8, 1951, and donated the «Fountain» property to the Fundraising Committee.
Unfortunately, however, this great benefactor of Kythira did not live to see the hospital in operation, as he suffered a sudden heart attack, which, after eight days of illness, he passed away on May 20, 1955, at the age of eighty-two. The hospital was inaugurated with great fanfare exactly one year later, on May 21, 1956.
However, with the significant assets he made available, on the one hand, he contributed decisively for many years and as long as it was legally possible to the operation, equipment, and staffing of the Trifyllio Hospital, he also created the financial basis of the Trifyllio Foundation, which, by making good use of both the assets of Nikolaos Trifyllis and many other Kythirian benefactors who entrusted their assets to the Foundation, has also developed impressive charitable activities in many areas on our island.
The Hospital of Kythira
The hospital was inaugurated on May 21, 1956, and named TRIFYLLEIO HOSPITAL, Legacy of N. Trifyllis. A bust of this great benefactor adorns the entrance to the hospital. The hospital initially operated under the responsibility and at the expense of the Fundraising Committee and the Foundation that succeeded it until August 1959. Subsequently, because the operating costs were disproportionate to the income from the Foundation's assets, it was leased to the Ministry of Social Welfare for a symbolic rent, so that it could operate at its own expense, establishing a public legal entity under the name «Trifyllio General Hospital of Kythira».
Subsequently, in 1983, it was incorporated into the National Health System (ESY), which has since been responsible for the recruitment and payroll of medical and nursing staff, as well as for the medical and technological equipment and the overall operation of the hospital. However, the Trifyllio Foundation, as the natural owner of the site and the building, has never ceased to be interested in the maintenance and improvement of the services provided in relation to the property. Thus, in the recent past, the Foundation covered the costs of purchasing and installing central air conditioning and a new telephone exchange. It also undertook the obligation to repair and maintain the roof whenever necessary. In addition, the Foundation responded to a request from the hospital administration to contribute to the procurement of medical and technological equipment to facilitate the operation of the hospital, bypassing bureaucratic delays. Thus, the Foundation purchased and donated a gas analyzer for the laboratory, a portable respirator, and a defibrillator with monitor for emergency needs. The total cost of all these items amounted to €45,000.00 (forty-five thousand euros). The hospital administration's request that the Foundation cover one year's payroll in 2004, for the assistant surgeon was unanimously accepted by the Board of Directors, but ultimately did not need to be implemented because the surgeon was hired on a permanent basis in the meantime.
Grant regulations
Within the framework of its mission, its financial capabilities, and based on the hierarchy of emerging needs as determined by its Board of Directors, the Trifyllio Foundation supports projects and activities carried out or promoted by organizations, groups, or individuals that aim to:
• Healthcare for the people of Kythira. According to its founding charter in 1956, the primary purpose of the Trifyllio Foundation was to build and operate a hospital in Kythira and, secondarily, to finance other charitable projects on the island. After the hospital was incorporated into the National Health System, the Trifyllio Foundation continues to support the hospital whenever its assistance is deemed necessary.,
• Care for the elderly, provided either mainly by the Kythira Nursing Home or through other non-institutional means.,
• Supporting the youth of Kythira in various forms and methods, by strengthening educational, sports, cultural, volunteer, and other activities and initiatives that promote the quality of life of young people and, by extension, the entire population of Kythira, and contribute to their smooth integration into modern society.,
• Supporting the youth of the diaspora by any means necessary, with a view to familiarizing them with and establishing meaningful contact with the land of their ancestors, its history, and its culture, in order to cultivate an awareness of their Kythirian heritage.,
• The development and dissemination of the scientific, cultural, and historical dimensions of Kythira, as well as providing information on issues of great concern to contemporary Kythirians, through studies, conferences, workshops, informational meetings, the internet, or other appropriate means.,
• The care and protection of historical and archaeological monuments and infrastructure, as well as the natural and man-made environment of Kythira,
• Further research to discover new elements of the island's archaeological wealth and enrich knowledge regarding the geophysical nature of Kythira.
Finally, the Trifyllio Foundation provides free permanent accommodation (separate offices), secretarial support, and payment of all utilities to the Kythira Association of Athens, the Kythira Studies Society, and the Kythira Foundation for Culture and Development.
(Board Decision 515/21.12.2011)
Student accommodation at the Trifyllio Foundation guest house
The Trifyllio Foundation announces that it is accepting applications from Kythirian students in higher education (universities and technical colleges in Attica), whether first-year or in advanced years of study, for free accommodation in an apartment it owns in Athens.
Beneficiaries are students who meet all of the following conditions: 1) at least one of their parents was born in Kythira, 2) they have attended all three grades of high school in Kythira, and 3) their annual family income is less than €22,000. Priority is given to first-year students in higher education, followed by current students.
The application must be accompanied by: a) the parents' birth certificates, b) a tax clearance certificate or a sworn statement from the tax office confirming that the parents are not required to file a tax return due to low income, and c) a certificate from the high school principal confirming that the applicant attended all three grades of the Kythira high school.
Those selected for accommodation in the student residence will be required to share (in separate rooms) with a second person of the same sex and will be required to pay the building's communal expenses and utility bills (DEI, OTE, EYDAP, etc.).
Companionship of Kythirian Ladies
Over the past thirty years, our Foundation and our Nursing Home in particular have been fortunate to have the continuous, unconditional, and above all, quiet support of an informal social action and volunteer group called the Kythira Ladies' Association.
A group whose guiding principles are «LOVE and CARE in our Nursing Home,» «LOVE on our ISLAND,» «LOVE AMONG US,» collectively, without primacy, methodically, consistently, responsibly, and above all with love, has contributed greatly to our Foundation, the Nursing Home, and our island.
It has mainly offered its presence, warmth, and care to the veterans of life who find refuge in their old age in the welcoming space of our Nursing Home. A space made even more welcoming by the vigilant care of the members of the Kythira Ladies' Association, who, with their feminine sensitivity, offer our elders companionship, gifts, affection, and smiles.
Over the course of its thirty-year history, the Association has organized a host of noteworthy events and activities. Particular mention should be made of its members' visits to the nursing home on Good Friday, the prayer service it organizes there on August 15, and the bazaars, the proceeds of which are used to buy gifts for the residents and staff or used to purchase everyday items that improve the quality of life of the residents. Finally, the members took the pioneering initiative of collecting traditional recipes from Kythira, which they then published in a simple but elegant booklet.
The Ladies« Club began in the fall of 1980, when Koula G. Kasimati pitched the idea to the late Kleio Nikiforaki, who, as an active member of the Foundation's Board of Directors at the time, took it to heart and turned it into »Salpisma Agapis« (Trumpet of Love), as it was aptly named. This »Salpismata" mobilized many women from Kythira and friends of Kythira, who, with touching enthusiasm and rich activity, helped our Foundation and our Nursing Home.
We will not mention names because we do not want to violate the greatest and most noble principle that they themselves decided with admirable modesty at the time, and which governs the Kythira Ladies« Association: »do good anonymously and quietly.".
However, we would like to mention the names of the pioneers of «Synτροφιά» who are no longer with us, as a small tribute and token of gratitude we owe to their memory: Kaiti Valsamou, Eleni Iordanidou, Sophia Kalligeri, Anna Emm. Kalligerou, Litsa G. Kasimati, Maria P. Kasimati. Titsa Th. Kalokairinou, Eleni Masselou, Toula Bouloubasi, Nitsa Bouloubasi, Kleio Nikiforaki, Maria Stratigou, Athina Sp. Stratigou, Kiki Pavlaki, Eleni Filosofof.
The Board of Directors of the Trifyllio Foundation gratefully acknowledges and honors the valuable and multifaceted contribution of the Association to its work. It hopes that this contribution will continue with the same zeal and principles in the years to come.
