He was born in the village of Kellaki, Limassol District, and received his secondary education at the American Academy of Larnaca with financial help from his brother. In his last year of school because of health reasons he moved to Nicosia where he finished his studies in The English School, Nicosia. He then worked as a miner in Skouriotissa (Foukasa) and as a manual worker in Piraeus port.
