On September 23, the website riznica.net reported on this year’s relief efforts as part of our Kosovo 2020 mission.
Orahovac: The ESFK organization donated scholarships for three high school students
The humanitarian organization “European Solidarity Front for Kosovo” (hereinafter abbreviated to “ESFK”), which brings together young people from numerous European countries, awarded grants for one year to three students from the high school in Orahovac.
Many school children will remember the regular visits by young people from Europe, which take place annually in September and are organized by the ESFK, as they regularly received accessories and other materials for school as gifts.
Due to the corona virus this year, the members of the organization could not travel to Kosovo and Metohija. But that didn’t stop them from still giving help to their friends.
“For the first time in many years we can no longer organize a September mission to help in the ‘enclaves’ in Kosovo and Metohija”, wrote Maik Müller from Dresden, one of the founders of the organization, and added:
“Unfortunately, this decision was not easy, but due to the global situation we cannot organize trips this autumn due to the corona virus pandemic. The only merit of this infamous “Covid 19” was to remind us of the fragile conditions of the most vulnerable people. For this reason, the ESFK has decided to continue its solidarity campaign with a series of organized aid measures. We have started collecting donations from our German benefactors to give scholarships to students from Orahovac. Friends from Finland and Poland who have supported us in recent years took part in the campaign, as well as new donors from Russia and Germany. In the first week of September we sent the director of the High School, Dobrila Vitošević, 1,735 euros for three full annual scholarships to the students they selected, and we are planning to send a scholarship to the fourth student by the end of the year.”
During their regular visits, Maik and his friends made numerous new friendships that they maintain through the Internet.
“Not a day goes by when we don’t think about our friends big and small. What are they doing and how are they? We eagerly follow every news and our hearts ache, especially now that we cannot travel to Kosovo and Metohija. That is why it means a lot to us to support the children and their families with scholarships. It’s just a ‘drop in the ocean’, as we like to say in Germany – and a little more than a symbolic act, but after many years of visits we know how much it can mean for the people who receive this little help”, said this young humane German.
The opportunity to donate also means a lot to the donors and therefore Maik announced on his behalf and those of the supporters:
“After all these years we would like to show where we find ourselves in the situation of not being able to travel, that we have not forgotten you and are not tired of reporting about your situation. Many of us have also left part of our hearts in Kosovo. I can say for myself that I have found a second home, both humanly and religiously / spiritually. Therefore, God willing, we want to continue our humble work.”
The director of the Orahovac High School, Dobrila Vitošević, thanked the supporters and said that the scholarships will be given to three students who travel daily from Velika Hoča to the school in Orahovac (Miroslav Bojić, Mihajlo Mihajlović and Adelina Beriša):
“All three come from families with four children each and the scholarships will be of great help not only to them, but also to their parents. Let me add that one of our friends, the Frenchman Francois Gauruel, heard about Maik and the action and he and his friends joined the action. Our student Milica Đorđević from Prizren also receives the scholarship through them.
On this occasion I thank everyone with the message: Kindness is a glimmer of hope in which evil ceases to win as soon as it is illuminated with a warm smile, a beautiful word, a gift … Noble souls from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia , Finland, France, Australia … bring us the sun of hope every school year. Your goodness warms our sad and imprisoned days. Thanks that you exist. Thank you for sharing some of your free time with us.”
Humanitarians from the Czech branch of the ESFK not only help the students from Orahovac, but also collect funds for the purchase of an ambulance for Gračanica and the branch from Italy is starting a project these days to support the Orthodox community in Istok.
Author: Olivera Radić
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