Ten volunteers from Finland, Italy, Germany and Serbia traveled to the southern serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija during this year’s Mission-Kosovo 2018 from October 8 to 13. As in previous years, first and foremost was the delivery of relief supplies to needy families and institutions, which have been accumulated over the past year under our modest opportunities. As in our last mission in October of last year, this time we should emphasize the support of our friends from Poland, which, in view of the sometimes difficult relationship between Germans and Poles, is an outstanding feature of our volunteer work. The total volume of material and financial donations this year’s mission amounted to at least 2.010,95 EUR.
After our arrival on Monday morning in Kosovska Mitrovica, the actual Mission began with a visit to the serbian „enclave“ in Orahovac. Here we supported the 5 children of the preschool with different school materials. For the students of the elementary school „Dositej Obradović“ we handed the director a large amount of exercise books, pens and other daily necessities. We handed over a cash donation of 400,- EUR to the high school for the purchase of a new printer. For primary school and high school together, we handed over a larger amount of printer and copy paper, as well as white and colorful chalk. Afterwards we paid a visit to the local infirmary, where we handed over some walking aids and got a picture of the situation and the working conditions. Another 100, – EUR, as well as a home trainer to train motor skills, we handed over to the priest of the serbian-orthodox church, Velja Stojković, in support of a needy student who needs medical care.
For the second time in the Gračanica Monastery, we visited the peoples kitchen and the organization „Majka devet Jugovića“, to which we were once again able to hand over many clothes donations to the poorest of the poor. With one of their employees, we also visited the depot in Novo Brdo, where the organization runs one of its kitchens for feeding the poor. Back in Gračanica, we got acquainted with a teacher of the local football school „28. June“, which we handed over, more or less symbolically for our first meeting, four footballs for the training with the children.
In Priluzje, one of the main objectives of this year’s mission, we met with the children of the athletics club. Despite adverse training conditions, these children deliver consistently top athletic results and are therefore among the most successful athletes in the whole of Serbia! For his work, we presented the teacher with various utensils, such as two starting blocks, marker shirts, a new stopwatch, a starting flap and similar items worth a total of 237,35 EUR. The subsequent football match ended with a score of 11 : 2 for the home team.
In the village of Banje, in the north of Kosovo, we visited the elementary school „Milun Jakšić“ in addition to our friendly family Šapić. As in Orahovac, we handed over another part of the large donation from Poland for the daily work with the children to the director. Likewise, larger amounts of paper and chalk were among the delivered relief supplies. The handing over of a thank-you card by the children and the singing together of the song „Oj, Kosovo“ once again created deeply emotional moments. For another year we also took over the costs of the Internat for Dejan Šapić (360, – EUR), so as to ease the financial burden of the family of five (a mother with four children) a little.
The end of this year’s Mission-Kosovo took place in Velika Hoča, where we first visited Mrs. Zlata Kostić, who told us a bit about her sad family history. She now lives alone in a house that has neither a bathroom nor reasonable sanitary facilities. Improving this situation will be one of our next projects.
At the end, we also met the Micić family, who, thanks to the help of many good people, we bought a new cow in April of this year, after the family’s livestock had been stolen last November. Unfortunately, the family has become the victim of theft again. With the proceeds from the sale of a calf, surveillance technology has now been installed around the property. Together with the family, we hope that this will make a small contribution to the increased security of the Micićs who live from the yield of agriculture.
More important, however, was our visit itself and the fact that we try to be the voice of the Serbs in Kosovo in our home countries. For everyone involved, it has been very emotional days. Therefore we publish a last weeks photo gallery and invite you to follow us on Facebook, where you can find short texts for all our different stations.
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