Remember those questions everyone asked us all the time when we were kids? “What will you be when you grow up?” It was fun back then. We’d easily reply with – “A teacher. A pilot. A doctor”.

Every one of us dreamed those big dreams and more often than not, we enjoyed writing about them in our diaries.   Many years later, we’d find those same diaries among our old toys in the attic. We’d go back to re-reading these same lines again, proud to have achieved all we have ever wished for. Our distant and unattainable dreams have become our realities.

Unfortunately, some children don’t even dare to dream big. Why? Because they often lack opportunities to discover their passion, show their talents and to reach their full potential. Their diaries are probably full of dreams that will never come true.

When you come across the news that not all children in Serbia have equal access to preschool education, that many kindergartens and schools need urgent reconstruction and equipping, that some kids   are prevented to flourish and progress academically, you are either overwhelmed by sadness and compassion and feel there’s nothing you can do to change this for the better or you can get involved and try to make a difference. This year in September, I became part of the incredible NDF team, gained my first volunteering experience at the Friendship Games and joined the team of people who always choose the second option.

Children need us to believe in them and their dreams

Six days at the Friendship Games camp in Kopaonik really did make a positive and tangible difference in the life of over 150 boys and girls, first to fourth graders, from primary schools in Serbia. The event gave them new hope, inspired them to dream, helped them make new friends, created new possibilities, opened them up to new experiences, and brought lots of smiles and sweet, soft colors of childhood to remain in their memories forever.

The Friendship Games, hosted for the fifth time by the Novak Djokovic Foundation, so far welcomed hundreds of children from economically disadvantaged communities in Serbia. Every year they have the opportunity to participate in various educational and entertaining camp activities, connect with the natural environment, master valuable life skills, make new friends, have fun, show their creative side, learn together and from each other, and discover new interests and talents. The Games also promote the right values, like fair play, understanding, acceptance of diversity, healthy nutrition, the importance of teamwork and environmental awareness.

The chance to actively support this important project and do something great for kids at first made me happy and frightened at the same time. I started to question my abilities and whether I can fulfill volunteer’s duties. Uncertain of what to expect, I’ve busied myself preparing for this important responsibility ahead of time.

I tried to recall all the information I had about the camp, memorize all the children’s names and places where they come from – often too small to sound familiar to me. I went through the list of activities we’d do at the camp million times over, wondering whether the kids would like these adventures and workshops; if they would be able to follow the instructions and finish the tasks at hand.

Many of them have never experienced anything similar. However, from the moment they arrived at the camp, each day was filled with their curiosity, mind-blowing energy, and humor. Together, they were fearlessly walking into the unknown but with so much joy on their little faces.  

They easily navigated through difficulties and were completely absorbed in the camp activities. Their eyes would lit up with joy when their team won the “animal and ecosystem” quiz. They were interested to learn about recycling and the importance of solar energy for our environment. They were exhausted, cheeks red from the cold wind,  and yet they held the rope tightly, patiently waiting for the kite to lift  high  into the sky. They would run incredibly fast, leaving their teachers and other adults in the dust.

At the camp, a boy unusually tall for his age, much taller than his classmates, won my attention. He demonstrated the magic of play on the court on the sports day and I could vividly imagine him becoming a great basketball player in the future. But it was not just the sports that he was good at. He was even more brilliant during the science and technology workshops, quick to provide answers to complicated questions and solve mysteries only a few of us were able to understand. He was fascinated with the universe, physics and science experiments. No doubt he could also be a famous scientist or astronaut one day. I wondered how many more talents were still hidden inside him.

Another boy I met, had fear of heights. Despite his fear, he eventually  climbed the fake rock and finished a tough race in the Adventure Park backed by his friends’ encouragement. Then, there was an eight-year-old girl who mastered her swimming skills at the camp and a boy who made his first video game within our IT workshop. I couldn’t have been more proud of their achievements and victories.

I was equally enthusiastic as all these kids, listening carefully to nice ladies who ran the Red Cross workshop. They instructed us how to clean the wounds, treat injuries, help people in a first aid emergency and how to stay safe in the sun.

At one point, I almost teared up and had to struggle really hard to act naturally when I received shiny snowflake and a colorful bracelet as a present from the kids.

“We made them just for you in the creative workshop”,  tiny voices were saying. On the other hand,  actors who came to the camp to perform were also taken aback by so many smart and witty questions kids asked them after their play.  

I frequently checked the kids at bedtime to make sure they’re ok. Doors of their rooms were open and I could hear them talking with new friends about their last adventure. In the hall there was a boy, holding a phone in his hand. He dialed the number, eager to tell his parents everything that happened to him that day.   “Mom, I had the best time ever! ” was all that mattered.    I promised myself that I will forever treasure the moments I spent together with kids, hoping they won’t forget me either.

The last day came and we organized the masquerade party for the kids. I can’t even begin to describe how excited they were to dress up as fairies, clowns, pirates, or Pippi Longstockings. I looked at them, their faces flushed with hapinness and that night, my only wish was that some of these little heroes would write about their big dreams in a diary before they fall asleep. Before they return to the real world. So their dreams keep on living and so they don’t forget any part of these wonderful 7 days we’ve spent together.  

Be the change you wish to see in the world

When the Friendship Games ended, many people asked me why I said yes to volunteering. What did I get from charity work?

Volunteering at the Friendship Games  was a unique experience for me. I was truly privileged to contribute towards creating some of the most memorable moments in these children’s lives, to widen their horizons and make them happy. If I helped at least one child to learn something new, to find out what he was good at or if I just made him smile a bit, then there was nothing more I could ask of this experience.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to meet  well-rounded young people – my fellow volunteers, and to share with them the same enthusiasm, ideals, big-heartedness, positive mindset and belief that even our small act of kindness can produce greater good for others in need.

If we provide children with proper support and guidance, we will empower them to do anything they want in life. The Friendship Games are more than just an annual retreat for the less fortunate children. The Games helped some of them discover their passion for science, others were able to show their talent for programming and many boys and girls started to dream of becoming doctors, sport and film stars or artists.

When governments and policymakers worldwide are at the forefront of seeking solutions to global problems, I think of my Friendship Games experience. Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world“. That’s exactly what I wish to do. What I wish that all of us do. For the sake of children and their better future.

The post Volunteering as a life-changing experience appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Even though our 5th Friendship Games have come to end, we hope that our little guests had the time of their lives playing games, enjoying outdoor activities, learning and discovering new things, visiting local sites and forging new friendships over the six days they spent together with their teachers and NDF staff and volunteers in Kopaonik. This year, the Friendship Games, traditionally hosted by our Foundation every fall, gathered more than 150 boys and girls, first to fourth graders from primary schools in Sokobanja, Pozega, Cuprija, Vranje, Paracin and Uzice. We did our best to ensure them a pleasant stay and give them the types of experiences that will remain in their memories forever: laughter at sunset. Flying kites in the midst of a breathtaking scenery. Looking up at a starry, night sky.

One of the goal of the friendship camp is to promote right values among children, like team spirit and team work. Thus, we couldn’t be more proud of them seeing how they support one another to overcome challenges in the adventure park or cheer for their friends during the sports competition.“You can do it, Marta! We believe in you.” These words of encouragement made every one of them a true winner.

In the evening it was time for a theatre performance. We’re glad the kids liked it so much. After the show, we spent a lovely time chatting with actors. Unsurprisingly, children asked them a lot of interesting and tricky questions. “Is it hard for you to be an actor?”, “Do actors and actresses really kiss on-screen?”, Which one of you is the princess and who are the trolls?”…

Red Cross workshop was designed for the Friendship Games participants learned essential first aid skills and practiced helping people in a first aid emergency. The workshop also proved successful in an unexpected way, revealing that some of the kids had a natural talent for acting. The “wounded” and “injured” did their part perfectly. They undoubtedly picked up a thing or two from the actors on and off the stage.

Swimming pool was our next stop. The idea was to teach kids water safety and enable them to improve their swimming skills beside having fun in the pool. “Now I can swim better than my mom and dad” they frequently shouted. On the other hand, not all children shared equal passion for swimming and sports in general. Some of them started to dream of becoming a scientist thanks to the amazing science experiments we had prepared just for them.

It’s no fun being an adult, isn’t it? The magic of childhood disappears as we get older. Farewell to making and smashing piñata and dressing up for a masquerade party. We no longer fly a kite, make a colorful drawing  or pretend  to be superheroes or characters from our favorite fairy tales. That’s why we are eagerly looking forward to our Friendship Games. After so many years, we can experience and enjoy all these things again with our little friends. They help us rediscover that it doesn’t matter WHAT, but HOW.  They see the world differently from us – through the lens of imagination and every friendship camp reminds us of what we have forgotten on our journey towards the adult future. Therefore, we like to say that the Friendship Games are a valuable opportunity to learn from each other. We might have helped kids understand the process of making video games, teach them how to manipulate the robots, get them interested in astronomy and engage them in various forms of art… However, their lesson is far more priceless. They teach us what life is all about.

I was passing down the hall, tired and sleepy, yet aware that a lot of work still had to be done. Suddenly,  I noticed the boy I met just a day ago running to greet me. His small hands gave me the warmest hug. Another boy came shortly after . “I want to hug you, too”.  Is volunteering hard?,  people frequently ask me. No, it isn’t hard at all.

The post A Look Back: Our 5th Friendship Games appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Cool, misty mornings beneath the shade of enormous, old trees, their branches hatching together above you, letting the early filtered sunshine speckle light upon the well-worn path before you. The smell of breakfast, subtle and wonderful, cutting through the crisp autumnal air, before the mellow warmth of the day sends you to the pitch, where you find a group of your peers waiting with a ball, ready to play. Running until your cheeks turn rosy and breathless, you throw yourself down on the grass, exhausted, but feeling as though everything is just as it should be. Taking trips to important buildings you’ve heard about, but never seen. Getting a glimpse of your nation’s history, and realizing you fit into something so wonderful and complex, like a small but essential piece of an enormous puzzle. Meeting new friends who come from places you’ve never been to before, funny sounding and strange at first, perhaps, but you discover, to your amazement, that they love horses as much as you do. Or comic books. Or repairing old, broken-down radios. That they’re also having a hard time at school. You talk it through around a bonfire, roasting marshmallows. Or you don’t talk, you simply laugh and listen to everyone’s stories, play the games that seem silly but you secretly enjoy beyond measure. You find, incredibly, that you’re gifted at archery. That your heart thumps with satisfaction when you’re kicking around a football. That you distinctly loathe volleyball. And when it’s over, you find that in knowing you’re not alone, in reveling in the simple, unutterable security of perfect inclusion, you feel stronger, more whole, somehow. The newness and the excitement of it all has settled into old, familiar joy. You can’t wait to go back. You’ll spend all year comforted and buoyed by these memories. School trips. Sound familiar?

3rd Friendship Games

Most of us have school trip experiences that flicker into memory now and then and send us running for our photo albums. We’re eager to reimburse ourselves in those slower, simpler days; we want to share them with our children, show them there’s more to life than a computer or a tablet screen. But the reality is that, increasingly, trips away from home are becoming more difficult with each passing year, that as areas become more industrialized, as costs of living sky-rocket, field trips become much more of a rarified privilege that fewer and fewer children are able to experience. These activities are cost and time prohibitive, and children from economically depressed areas are almost never able to participate. We want to change that.

In 2013, we began to think about new ways we might engage children from disadvantaged communities and transform their lives in positive ways. We kept coming back to the idea of a summer camp-like activity – to be held in the fall, when the weather turns crisp and lends itself to a variety of both outdoor and indoor activities – and what better way to give these kids a life-changing experience than a retreat designed specifically for them? With this in mind, the idea for The Friendship Games was born.

3rd Friendship Games

The Friendship Games is an annual retreat held each autumn for deserving kids, who will benefit from the experience in ways that will span the course of their lives. We select a new location each year and spend several days playing games, learning new and valuable skills, enjoying outdoor activities, taking excursions to see local sites, and forging new friendships. The Friendship Games represents everything the NDF believes in: positive change, integrity, growth, and health.

So far, we’ve held three Friendship Games, and are currently organizing our fourth, to be held beginning this Sunday, October 2nd through Saturday, Oct 8th, 2016. With special thanks to the Princess Charlene of the Monaco Foundation, Cajetina Municipality, Aleksandar MN, Lavirint, Nutribullet, Eucerin, and many others for their help and support, we are continuing to give children the types of experiences that will remain in their memories forever: laughter at sunset. The thrill of a goal. Collecting jewel colored leaves on a walk through an ancient forest. Looking up at a wide expanse of starry, night sky. Close your eyes. Can you just see it?

The post Friendship Games – Once in a Lifetime Experience appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Start at the end of the story to know what it’s about. Our story ends with children’s smiles, their happiness and joy. That means we have managed to do something good for over 85 wonderful boys and girls at the Friendship Games Novak Djokovic Foundation organized at Zlatibor mountain, and bring colours to their lives. I participated in it as a volunteer, and I carry many great impressions from the last week spent there.

There is a great sense of responsibility related to any project, being traditionally and successfully implemented every year such as the Friendship Games. Expectations are even higher: people remember previous events hosted on Kopaonik and in Belgrade, hoping that this year’s camp would be the best ever. Children just want to have fun… As for me, all I wanted was every child to spend as many enjoyable and memorable moments with us as possible, learn and discover something new and make new friends. We also wanted them to feel welcome and appreciated, encourage them to show their talents and creativity, and remember the Friendship Games with a smile.

The fact that children were of different age groups and came from different environments was a big challenge itself. Children deserve their individuality to be respected. Therefore, we did our best to build a relationship with them full of trust so they could feel free and able to express themselves. At the same time we have tried to instill in them a sense of group belonging when surrounded by other kids they’ve met for the first time. Building a good relationship with children requires a lot of patience, care and understanding. However, we knew our efforts would pay off eventually. Just seeing them so happy and cheerful was enough. A hug… Then another, and another… Glimpse in they eyes… Readiness to give you their heart… Honesty… Brightness… All of a sudden we found ourselves in a completely different and charming world. A better world. Nicer.

Spending time with the children and carefully observing them I became aware that every adult should embrace the child inside in order to become a better person. In the same time, I reflected on the phrase that you need to get down to be at children’s level. But, this is wrong, since often you need to “get up” in order to be the same as kids, to understand them! In many things they are above our level. We need to improve to be like them.

Children showed us how to love and how to be sincere all the time. We were wrong thinking that our task was to reveal them secrets of the adult world. Instead, they reminded us of the willingness to accept and to welcome other people in our lives, or to say simple but strong words – “I’m sorry”. They taught us how to overcome our fears, how to celebrate the joy of life with song and dance, how to be open to new things, how to be self-motivated to constantly learn and progress, how to be different and yet never lose ourselves. The friendship camp has provided us the opportunity to grow up with them, learn together and from each other, freely express our creativity and abilities as well as make great friends.

It seems that children’s unique talents were just waiting for the right opportunity to reveal themselves, and the kids readily grasped that opportunity as it was nothing. It was incredible how good they were at dancing, swimming, sports, drawing, song writing or singing. Yet to our even greater amazement, they didn’t let us compare their talents, considering themselves equal in everything.

At the beginning of the Friendship Games I guided the children. It was my role. However, the roles have completely changed as the time passed. At the end I was the one who needed a guide. Thus the courage of my friend Ankica from Skupljeni helped me overcome my fear of heights. Bojana from Lucani and Branko from Mackat taught me how to keep the tradition, thanks to Ivana I became fond of flying a kite, with Stefan, Mihajlo and Iva I’ve learned how to be happy and joyful all the time…I finished my journey guided by their pure hearts to realize there is a child who still lives inside me wishing to play and learn new things.

All men know their children mean more than life, Euripides once said. What do you say?

The post All Men Know Their Children Mean More than Life appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.