Last year, people from all around the world came together and donated an amazing $31k for Novak’s 31st birthday fundraising campaign. Thanks to these donations, our Foundation got the needed support to equip two new preschools for children from small villages Crkvenac and Bobovo. We went to visit these preschools again and there we met a remarkable boy called Lazar.
Little Lazar, attends a preschool in Bobovo – a village close by city Svilajnac, with no more than 1000 people. Most of the people have left to work abroad, so there are only a small number of children living in the village. Houses in this village are very far away from each other, so all the kids are usually playing by themselves in their house yards. They rarely spend time and talk to other children their age.
Since he didn’t have a chance to form a bond with children his age, he developed some communication difficulties early on.
His mother, Anita, started to worry that this could have a negative impact on the rest of his growing up. Fortunately, it all changed for the better when the Foundation and the local authorities opened a preschool in Bobovo.
City Svilajnac adapted and reconstructed the preschool, and thanks to donations for Novak’s birthday last year, the Foundation equipped it with all the necessary furniture, didactic, sports materials and consumables. The preschool is currently attended by around all children from the village aged 3-6 years old, who have by now become best friends. When we visited them, they were busy working on their art project. They were painting their very own t-shirts! Lazar was painting a volcano on his t-shirt, while his friends and teacher helped him.
Lazar, who will soon turn 6, overcame all his communication difficulties. He proudly showed us his art project – a t-shirt with a volcano painted over it.
Lazar’s parents were overwhelmed with joy when they heard that the preschool will be opened. It comforted them to know that their child is learning and playing in a safe environment while they are at work.
„It is much easier now when all the children from the village are grouped at one place. We are so happy that Lazar now has a chance to play and talk to children his age. With the help of the teacher and the school’s speech therapist, he overcame his communication difficulties very quickly! Now he communicates with his friends much better. Every day he comes home with a new song or a new story from the preschool“, says his mother Anita.
Lazar and his preschool friends from the village Bobovo.
Look! Look! – Lazar yelled while proudly showing his t-shirt with a big volcano over it. It was so inspiring for us to see him fearlessly hugging and laughing with his little friends. He couldn’t stop smiling and sharing his joy. We were happy to see that all those donations that came from selfless people from all over the world had made such a big change for this village. We left children from Bobovo with a sweet feeling in our hearts, wondering what lays ahead for those creative, kind and bright young minds.
If you want to give more children like Lazar a chance to grow up, learn and play in safe environments, you can join Novak’s 32nd birthday fundraising campaign right here. Help us a give children from Serbia a solid foundation for their bright future.
