Ten children, one big love story: the Konstantinou family

Local childrenNicosiaTop News Ten children, one big love story: the Konstantinou family Ten Children, One Big Love Story The Konstantinou Family Relevant News Ten children, one big love story: the Konstantinou family 5 September 2026 Cyprus leads European search for rare kidney disease treatments 5 September 2026 Most of Cyprus’s 1,000 gyms are unlicensed, association says 5 September 2026 Ioanna Mantzipa 5 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A blue t-shirt with a distinctive design caught my attention a few hours after I boarded the ferry with my family, bound for Piraeus. On one side was the Parthenon, on the other Thessaloniki’s White Tower, and in the middle, a large family. Between them, the words “Limassol – Piraeus.” And at the front, a number: 4. It wasn’t just a number, though. It was the fourth of ten children in a family that had decided to travel together, all at once, on the passenger ship AF Marina. Who was this family travelling by number? What lay behind this striking, uniform image that had already caught the eye of everyone on board? That was how I met Christina and Dimitris Konstantinou, and the ten small leading characters of their lives. Both parents, 41, are refugees living in Agia Varvara, Nicosia, and have built a family that, as anyone quickly senses, operates like a small, tightly bonded team. This was not their first trip by ferry. It was, however, the first time all 12 of them had travelled together. All the children wore matching shirts, each with their own number at the front, from the eldest, 12-year-old Angeliki, to the youngest, six-month-old Charalambos, who wore a onesie numbered 10. “We’re happy to be travelling all together, and we’ll be on holiday,” Christina says, describing the experience. For a family with ten children, though, such a trip is not easy. She admits that before they set off, she was anxious about how it would go and how they would manage the children on board. There were, she says, some remarks about the noise, but most fellow passengers were understanding. “There’s nothing that’s easy” Is it easy to raise ten children? Christina smiles. “There’s nothing that’s easy. Every family has its own struggle and tries to do its best for its children. Same with us.” Behind the ten children and their full daily routine is a family that works hard and struggles. Supporting them are close relatives who help whenever needed. The obligations are many, but for the Konstantinous, this is simply their everyday life, one they have learned to manage together. “We have a lot of clothes to wash, a lot of dishes, big pots,” Christina says, laughing. “The chores are the same as in other families. It’s just that with us, the quantities are bigger, and of course the expenses are higher.” In this large family, everyone has their role. Angeliki, as the eldest, takes on certain responsibilities of her own, mainly involving her younger siblings. The choice of a large family, and a message to the state Christina studied at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Thessaloniki and today works at a semi-governmental organisation. Dimitris studied Philology in Athens but went on to choose a different professional path: livestock farming. For Dimitris, the decision to have ten children was a conscious choice. “I’m happy with my life and with the love I share with my wife. I want to carry that forward, to grow it. And so, as a natural consequence, that includes my children too,” he says. His message to the state, he says, is that families who want to have more children need support. As he explains, that support should not be limited to large families, but should also extend to couples who already have two or three children and are considering growing their family, yet hesitate because of financial obligations. Christina, for her part, would like to pass on a simple message to the President: equal treatment. She says large families should be able to access the same benefits and opportunities as everyone else, without facing obstacles because of their family’s size. Financial difficulties and “God’s mathematics” Financial difficulties are an unavoidable part of daily life for a family with ten children. Christina admits she is the one who worries a little more, but says faith is an inseparable part of their lives. “Whenever we run into a financial difficulty, I start telling Dimitris, ‘money’s running low.’ Then something happens, and it comes from somewhere. God helps,” she says. “God’s mathematics works differently, not like ours,” says the 41-year-old father, describing how they see and cope with their lives. “Not everything is measured only in numbers. Not the expenses, not the difficulties, not the sacrifices.” Can a family of ten manage financially on a decent salary, covering everything the children need? Dimitris believes that with the right attitude and proper management, it can. “When there’s the will, and when the youngest child can wear the older one’s clothes, and with a bit of financial planning, you manage. Money isn’t happiness. Happiness lies elsewhere,” he says. When it comes to their children, though, there are things they won’t compromise on. If a child needs extra help with schoolwork, they won’t deny it. Other activities, on the other hand, may be limited. “They can’t go to extracurricular activities just for fun,” Christina explains. “But that doesn’t mean the children go without joy or play. They have each other, quite a few cousins, and a full daily life.” Eight boys, two girls and a farm Dimitris, despite having studied Philology, ultimately went into livestock farming, a choice he says he has never regretted. “I had passion and love for it. It was the right choice. If I were born again, I’d want to be a livestock farmer again,” he says. He has eight boys and hopes one of them will one day come to love the same field, though he doesn’t want to impose that path on any of his children. Christina and Dimitris both come from large families themselves, each one of seven children, which may be why a house full of children doesn’t strike them as unusual. “We don’t think it’s difficult to raise ten children,” they say. The five youngest, in particular, arrived almost one after another, with small age gaps between them, ranging from 13 to 18 months. “For us, it’s a normal routine. The only real issue is the laundry,” Christina says. Amid the ten children, the obligations, the chores, the expenses and the everyday difficulties, the Konstantinou family holds onto something they consider precious: their faith. They don’t give up easily, and, as they say, you’ll often hear them say “Glory to God.” The older children help the younger ones, and everyone contributes to the household chores in their own way. If there is one thing that seems to bind them together more than anything, it is love and gratitude. The parents smile, are optimistic, and look to the future with faith. They don’t talk about what they don’t have, but about what they do have. For their children: Angeliki, Kostis, Pantelis, Ioanna, Pavlos, Nektarios, Grigorios, Varnavas, Spyridon and little Charalambos. For their family. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus leads European search for rare kidney disease treatments Most of Cyprus’s 1,000 gyms are unlicensed, association says Hail possible as isolated storms hit Cyprus on Saturday Erato Athanasiou’s cause of death remains unknown after autopsy Culture sector workers call for fair pay as Cyprus spends 0.5% of budget on arts The Jacksons to perform at Monte Caputo, Limassol, in October Israel has just put Greece on the defence-industry map Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.