A friend – a person you know and love, who is not a family member. Hmm”¦ not bad, thank you, dictionary. However, how often do we wonder who our friends are? Are they those people who give us surprises, embarrass us in public, make up funny nicknames and make fun of our style, or those who tell us to text them when we get home, or proudly talk about us to people that never met us? The answer is not simple, and one thing is certain: friends give meaning to our lives and make our lives better. There is no dictionary able to put the heart and love of your friend into a single definition.

Friends give meaning to our lives and make them better.

We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, are lucky to have so many friends worldwide – friends who share the same values and sincere attentions with our founders and believe in dreams of children whose better tomorrow we aspire to secure. As time goes by, the number of our friends and the support we receive are on the rise. The way we have paved together and the steps we are yet to take is in itself the prize we should be proud of.

During this Season of Giving, one friend of ours has stood out with his generosity – he decided to gift himself the feeling of gratitude that he will carry in his heart. His selfless donation will change the lives of a thousand children. Thousands of little hearts will be beating in one – his own. The amount of our friend’s donation is not negligible either – it’s enough to open three new preschools! Although we had his support in the past, and we knew we could always count on him, we were surprised and deeply moved by his generosity. This only showed us again that our vision and way of thinking are perfectly aligned. Of course, as fantastic as the amount of the donation sounds, and it truly is fantastic indeed – it is not nearly so important as the gesture of a person willing to give up the material and physical pleasures in order to promote life quality in children he may never get to know. Instead of buying himself a new apartment or a luxurious automobile, he will contribute towards a significant number of children getting their new second home, 365 days a year. This only confirms what we already knew – that he is someone who loves people. What you do is what you become. Even though he asked for the donation to be anonymous, this brief text is the least we could do as a token of appreciation.

During this Season of Giving, one friend of ours has stood out with his generosity – he decided to gift himself the feeling of gratitude that he will carry in his heart.

This atypical example reminds us that, even in the time when everyone is in a hurry and does not look back when we barely have time to ourselves, let alone for other people, there are still people of pure heart who are grateful for what they have and are willing to share their blessing with others. It is true that we all are in different financial situations, and that one may have what another one desires. The key is that we should find happiness within ourselves, not in others. The need for giving and supporting others, who are less fortunate than us, should be sincere and personal, and not imposed or forced by someone else.

A majority of us can afford to renounce something and share it with others, which is a kind of privilege in its own right. Like sharing a snack in school, remember? Or, in sports terms – a basket makes one  person  happy  but an  assist makes two people happy.

With true friends by our side, we are yet to achieve many more great things.

It is true that the way our projects affect entire communities makes it harder for us to sleep at night because of all the excitement, but we still get enough sleep and we are ready to start over the next day with the same enthusiasm – we promise!

Together with true friends – like yourself and the one we have just told you about – we are sure that we are yet to achieve many more great things.

Thank you for your unconditional support! And, lest we forget, happy birthday!

The Season of Giving campaign is underway, as part of which we raise funds for launching kindergarten for 100 children in Niš. Join the campaign from anywhere on the planet and donate at fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org.

The post Foundation Receives a Precious Donation From a True Friend on His Birthday appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Caravan of Happiness is on its way! If you notice these days a traveling house reminiscent of the most beautiful New Year’s card, and you wonder what this could be, let us tell you the secret: Novak Djokovic Foundation and Santa Clause are traveling from town to town sharing New Year’s joy with children in 12 towns. The entire team of the Foundation led by our Global CEO Jelena Djokovic and National Director Maja Kremic, is spreading a good mood and festive spirit. Sing and dance along with us!

About to hug Santa for the first time!

In cooperation with preschool institutions, local municipalities, and Social Welfare Centres, this noble idea brought together a total of 17 socially responsible companies – Foundation’s friends who made their contribution in various donations: toys, board games, books, cosmetics and hygiene products, wardrobe, vehicles, food products, consumables, branding, transport of presents, as well as Santa Claus and his costume.

“Our Foundation is active in all parts of Serbia. We travel a lot and sometimes we don’t spend much time together. This journey was a great opportunity for our team to enjoy the wonderful ambiance, which was easily passed on to people in all towns we visited. Everyone provided us with a warm welcome and we are happy to have brought smiles to children’s faces. On our journey, we reflected on how we felt and how this event affected us, and to what extent this happiness, no matter how short, will affect the lives of these children and their families. We have concluded that every good deed is engraved in time, and we will keep trying to make children in Serbia happy, just like these children today, who saw that there are people outside their micro-community who love them and who are happy to be able to help them. We hope that this event with us, the Santa, and other children would give them an impetus in further development”, said Jelena Djokovic, Co-Founder and Global CEO at Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Jelena Djokovic and Team NDF are grateful for the many friends we met on this journey!

Companies that supported the project: Raspberry Plum Ltd., Integral Technic d.o.o., Jumbo Travel d.o.o., BIG TC, Imperijal d.o.o., Orbico d.o.o., Pertini d.o.o., Transfera d.o.o., Henkel Srbija d.o.o., Endava d.o.o., Clarivate d.o.o., JRJ Publishing House, Aksa d.o.o., ChipsWay d.o.o., employees at Generali osiguranje Srbija d.o.o., Studio Glumionica, and Pepsi Srbija.

Santa and his new friend in front of the Caravan of Happiness!

Currently, the foundation is touring the following municipalities and towns: Nis, Vranje, Pirot, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Kursumlija, Vlasotince, Vladicin Han, Bujanovac, Dimitrovgrad, Bela Palanka, and Doljevac.

Novak Djokovic Foundation traditionally supports children from socially disadvantaged groups during the New Year and Christmas holidays – children in shelters and children’s hospitals, children without parental care, beneficiaries of social assistance, etc. This year, 277 planned presents will grow to nearly 300 and, at least for a short time, improve the lives of these children growing up in a difficult financial situation.

Greetings from Vladicin Han!

In parallel with this project, the Novak Djokovic Foundation is implementing the 2021 Season of Giving campaign as part of which funds are raised for the launch of a new kindergarten in Niš, with the capacity of 100 slots. Support the campaign at fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org.

The post Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

A friend – a person you know and love, who is not a family member. Hmm”¦ not bad, thank you, dictionary. However, how often do we wonder who our friends are? Are they those people who give us surprises, embarrass us in public, make up funny nicknames and make fun of our style, or those who tell us to text them when we get home, or proudly talk about us to people that never met us? The answer is not simple, and one thing is certain: friends give meaning to our lives and make our lives better. There is no dictionary able to put the heart and love of your friend into a single definition.

Friends give meaning to our lives and make them better.

We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, are lucky to have so many friends worldwide – friends who share the same values and sincere attentions with our founders and believe in dreams of children whose better tomorrow we aspire to secure. As time goes by, the number of our friends and the support we receive are on the rise. The way we have paved together and the steps we are yet to take is in itself the prize we should be proud of.

During this Season of Giving, one friend of ours has stood out with his generosity – he decided to gift himself the feeling of gratitude that he will carry in his heart. His selfless donation will change the lives of a thousand children. Thousands of little hearts will be beating in one – his own. The amount of our friend’s donation is not negligible either – it’s enough to open three new preschools! Although we had his support in the past, and we knew we could always count on him, we were surprised and deeply moved by his generosity. This only showed us again that our vision and way of thinking are perfectly aligned. Of course, as fantastic as the amount of the donation sounds, and it truly is fantastic indeed – it is not nearly so important as the gesture of a person willing to give up the material and physical pleasures in order to promote life quality in children he may never get to know. Instead of buying himself a new apartment or a luxurious automobile, he will contribute towards a significant number of children getting their new second home, 365 days a year. This only confirms what we already knew – that he is someone who loves people. What you do is what you become. Even though he asked for the donation to be anonymous, this brief text is the least we could do as a token of appreciation.

During this Season of Giving, one friend of ours has stood out with his generosity – he decided to gift himself the feeling of gratitude that he will carry in his heart.

This atypical example reminds us that, even in the time when everyone is in a hurry and does not look back when we barely have time to ourselves, let alone for other people, there are still people of pure heart who are grateful for what they have and are willing to share their blessing with others. It is true that we all are in different financial situations, and that one may have what another one desires. The key is that we should find happiness within ourselves, not in others. The need for giving and supporting others, who are less fortunate than us, should be sincere and personal, and not imposed or forced by someone else.

A majority of us can afford to renounce something and share it with others, which is a kind of privilege in its own right. Like sharing a snack in school, remember? Or, in sports terms – a basket makes one  person  happy  but an  assist makes two people happy.

With true friends by our side, we are yet to achieve many more great things.

It is true that the way our projects affect entire communities makes it harder for us to sleep at night because of all the excitement, but we still get enough sleep and we are ready to start over the next day with the same enthusiasm – we promise!

Together with true friends – like yourself and the one we have just told you about – we are sure that we are yet to achieve many more great things.

Thank you for your unconditional support! And, lest we forget, happy birthday!

The Season of Giving campaign is underway, as part of which we raise funds for launching kindergarten for 100 children in Niš. Join the campaign from anywhere on the planet and donate at fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org.

The post Foundation Receives a Precious Donation From a True Friend on His Birthday appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Caravan of Happiness is on its way! If you notice these days a traveling house reminiscent of the most beautiful New Year’s card, and you wonder what this could be, let us tell you the secret: Novak Djokovic Foundation and Santa Clause are traveling from town to town sharing New Year’s joy with children in 12 towns. The entire team of the Foundation led by our Global CEO Jelena Djokovic and National Director Maja Kremic, is spreading a good mood and festive spirit. Sing and dance along with us!

About to hug Santa for the first time!

In cooperation with preschool institutions, local municipalities, and Social Welfare Centres, this noble idea brought together a total of 17 socially responsible companies – Foundation’s friends who made their contribution in various donations: toys, board games, books, cosmetics and hygiene products, wardrobe, vehicles, food products, consumables, branding, transport of presents, as well as Santa Claus and his costume.

“Our Foundation is active in all parts of Serbia. We travel a lot and sometimes we don’t spend much time together. This journey was a great opportunity for our team to enjoy the wonderful ambiance, which was easily passed on to people in all towns we visited. Everyone provided us with a warm welcome and we are happy to have brought smiles to children’s faces. On our journey, we reflected on how we felt and how this event affected us, and to what extent this happiness, no matter how short, will affect the lives of these children and their families. We have concluded that every good deed is engraved in time, and we will keep trying to make children in Serbia happy, just like these children today, who saw that there are people outside their micro-community who love them and who are happy to be able to help them. We hope that this event with us, the Santa, and other children would give them an impetus in further development”, said Jelena Djokovic, Co-Founder and Global CEO at Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Jelena Djokovic and Team NDF are grateful for the many friends we met on this journey!

Companies that supported the project: Raspberry Plum Ltd., Integral Technic d.o.o., Jumbo Travel d.o.o., BIG TC, Imperijal d.o.o., Orbico d.o.o., Pertini d.o.o., Transfera d.o.o., Henkel Srbija d.o.o., Endava d.o.o., Clarivate d.o.o., JRJ Publishing House, Aksa d.o.o., ChipsWay d.o.o., employees at Generali osiguranje Srbija d.o.o., Studio Glumionica, and Pepsi Srbija.

Santa and his new friend in front of the Caravan of Happiness!

Currently, the foundation is touring the following municipalities and towns: Nis, Vranje, Pirot, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Kursumlija, Vlasotince, Vladicin Han, Bujanovac, Dimitrovgrad, Bela Palanka, and Doljevac.

Novak Djokovic Foundation traditionally supports children from socially disadvantaged groups during the New Year and Christmas holidays – children in shelters and children’s hospitals, children without parental care, beneficiaries of social assistance, etc. This year, 277 planned presents will grow to nearly 300 and, at least for a short time, improve the lives of these children growing up in a difficult financial situation.

Greetings from Vladicin Han!

In parallel with this project, the Novak Djokovic Foundation is implementing the 2021 Season of Giving campaign as part of which funds are raised for the launch of a new kindergarten in Niš, with the capacity of 100 slots. Support the campaign at fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org.

The post Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Since last weekend, it’s been all about number 7! Within our “Support, NOT perfection” program (SNP), we opened another Parenting Center in “Pcelica“ (Little Bee) preschool in Sremska Mitrovica. Centers represent a unique project that is being implemented in Serbia for the very first time and it emerged with the aim to further empower the SNP participants in order to take better care of their children. The funds have been secured through The Human Safety Net’s “Scale Up Impact“ – an innovative multi-year strategy for amplifying the social impact for the most vulnerable families and aspiring entrepreneurs.  

With the project having commenced in September, the cities that have gotten their Centers are: Kovacica, Pancevo, Sabac, Bac, Jagodina, Sremska Mitrovica, Uzice. During 2021 and 2022, a total of 15 Centers will be opened.  

“The opening of this new Parenting Center in Sremska Mitrovica is a great indicator of the importance we place on parenting in our SNP workshops. We at the NDF, together with our long-term partners, are rather pleased because the education, support, and experience that parents and caregivers take from our workshops will play a crucial role in the development of their children. As always, the partners and we will keep overseeing the whole process, while making sure that all our Centers are are recognized by a friendly atmosphere, top-notch conditions, and the impact they will have on families’ lives,” said Maja Kremic, NDF National Director.

The back four any team would be proud of: Natasa Djurdjevic and Dragan Filipovic in the middle, with Smiljana Grujic and Maja Kremic (NDF) providing threat out wide.

Support, warmth, sincerity, directness, and mutual respect are the values by which parents are at the workshops are led. By discussing different topics such as discipline, unacceptable behavior, and emotion management, they are strengthening their capacities in order to develop a more constructive and stimulating relationship with their children. Today, we are happy for extending our mission to Sremska Mitrovica!” – added Smiljana Grujic, NDF Head of programs.

This Parenting Center in Sremska Mitrovica, like all others, will be characterized by support, warmth, sincerity, directness, and mutual respect.

“The year highlighted by uncertainty and the continuation of the pandemic has only strengthened our friendship with the Novak Djokovic Foundation, as well as our mutual values and the ever-growing wish to help others. Hence plenty of humanitarian activity, among which a significant place is occupied by the Parenting Centers in 15 cities in Serbia. I am glad that we will thus enable parents and caregivers to seek professional advice, acquire new skills, and exchange experiences””all of which will contribute to their being better at this most challenging role,” retorted Dragan Filipovic, President of the Executive Board and CEO of Generali Insurance Serbia.  

Little Bees buzzing to the tunes of an accordion, followed by a round of applause.

“The opening of this Parenting Center is just a continuation of a successful collaboration with the Novak Djokovic Foundation and their partners, that successfully started with the implementation of the “Support, NOT perfection” program in 2019. I am thrilled because we furnished this space together, where workshops will be taking place,” concluded Biljana Cvijetic, director of “Pcelica”, a.k.a. The Queen Bee of The Little Bee.  

By the end of 2023, the “Support, NOT perfection” program will have encompassed an additional 2800 and almost 5600 children, in close collaboration with government institutions and local authorities.  

The post Another Parenting Center Opened in Sremska Mitrovica appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Since last weekend, it’s been all about number 7! Within our “Support, NOT perfection” program (SNP), we opened another Parenting Center in “Pcelica“ (Little Bee) preschool in Sremska Mitrovica. Centers represent a unique project that is being implemented in Serbia for the very first time and it emerged with the aim to further empower the SNP participants in order to take better care of their children. The funds have been secured through The Human Safety Net’s “Scale Up Impact“ – an innovative multi-year strategy for amplifying the social impact for the most vulnerable families and aspiring entrepreneurs.  

With the project having commenced in September, the cities that have gotten their Centers are: Kovacica, Pancevo, Sabac, Bac, Jagodina, Sremska Mitrovica, Uzice. During 2021 and 2022, a total of 15 Centers will be opened.  

“The opening of this new Parenting Center in Sremska Mitrovica is a great indicator of the importance we place on parenting in our SNP workshops. We at the NDF, together with our long-term partners, are rather pleased because the education, support, and experience that parents and caregivers take from our workshops will play a crucial role in the development of their children. As always, the partners and we will keep overseeing the whole process, while making sure that all our Centers are are recognized by a friendly atmosphere, top-notch conditions, and the impact they will have on families’ lives,” said Maja Kremic, NDF National Director.

The back four any team would be proud of: Natasa Djurdjevic and Dragan Filipovic in the middle, with Smiljana Grujic and Maja Kremic (NDF) providing threat out wide.

Support, warmth, sincerity, directness, and mutual respect are the values by which parents are at the workshops are led. By discussing different topics such as discipline, unacceptable behavior, and emotion management, they are strengthening their capacities in order to develop a more constructive and stimulating relationship with their children. Today, we are happy for extending our mission to Sremska Mitrovica!” – added Smiljana Grujic, NDF Head of programs.

This Parenting Center in Sremska Mitrovica, like all others, will be characterized by support, warmth, sincerity, directness, and mutual respect.

“The year highlighted by uncertainty and the continuation of the pandemic has only strengthened our friendship with the Novak Djokovic Foundation, as well as our mutual values and the ever-growing wish to help others. Hence plenty of humanitarian activity, among which a significant place is occupied by the Parenting Centers in 15 cities in Serbia. I am glad that we will thus enable parents and caregivers to seek professional advice, acquire new skills, and exchange experiences””all of which will contribute to their being better at this most challenging role,” retorted Dragan Filipovic, President of the Executive Board and CEO of Generali Insurance Serbia.  

Little Bees buzzing to the tunes of an accordion, followed by a round of applause.

“The opening of this Parenting Center is just a continuation of a successful collaboration with the Novak Djokovic Foundation and their partners, that successfully started with the implementation of the “Support, NOT perfection” program in 2019. I am thrilled because we furnished this space together, where workshops will be taking place,” concluded Biljana Cvijetic, director of “Pcelica”, a.k.a. The Queen Bee of The Little Bee.  

By the end of 2023, the “Support, NOT perfection” program will have encompassed an additional 2800 and almost 5600 children, in close collaboration with government institutions and local authorities.  

The post Another Parenting Center Opened in Sremska Mitrovica appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Children Need to Build a Relationship with Nature

As our lives quickly move into unknown territory, we may wonder what answers to provide our children to guide them through such an uncertain future. How will they live? As cities overpopulate and the gardens in the countryside are uncultivated, children around the world collectively adapt to see nature and themselves as separate entities. We may begin to wonder: what kind of climate will they come to know? The most begging question being, will they know how to survive?

Concrete jungles and poor air quality have become our new normal. More fruits and vegetables are available year-round in grocery stores, enabling us to lose the simple knowledge of seasonal crops. In recent years, children spend more time indoors and in front of screens; an increasing habit especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online schooling. Such normalization needs to be counterbalanced because each day our children grow further from nature and, inherently, from themselves. We have to provide opportunities that allow them to build a relationship with nature; one where the child and the landscape coexist rather than one where the child observes nature from a distance. That’s how we ensure that our children will adapt to the changing world while preserving natural practices. It’s imperative that we create everyday opportunities to help foster young stewards of the natural environment.

A garden can teach children how to give back to nature rather than take from it. Within the “ABC of Better Me” program, Novak Djokovic Foundation teaches children how important it is to live in accordance with nature.  

1. Co-existence

Caring for a garden is a great way to teach kids how to coexist with nature. Our first step to gaining respect towards earth is to learn from nature rather than exploit it. A garden can teach kids how to give back to their landscapes, rather than take from them. Gardens teach kids that they do not need to leave the city or the suburbs to be in touch with the environment. Sustainable and healthy city life is achievable if we consciously create ways for nature to thrive with our built environment. Teaching children to be ecologically friendly also helps with keeping them grounded. It shows them to be aware of their impact through co-existence rather than dominance over nature. This helps children realize their place and role in nature is not superior.

2. Creating Access to Nature

The impending climate crisis makes it clear that our children are inheriting a problem they cannot solve by the time they are old enough to understand and attempt to do something about it. While we are all at risk, climate change disproportionately affects children of color as well as those of poorer backgrounds. Nature often isn’t accessible to these children and children who live in cities also feel this burden. What we can do is design natural environments that are incorporated into daily life and accessible to all. Creating access to nature for these children can start with their own garden.

Through “ABC of Better Me”, children learn about the importance of natural processes and seasonal fruits and vegetables.  

Although a great deal of the responsibility for climate change is due to corporations, and at times it can feel like the situation is out of our hands, we can still ease our climate anxiety by teaching younger generations how important individual responsibility is and how great our collective impact can be. When we have this bond with the earth, we learn to both lessen and improve our individual impacts. We also raise a generation of environmentally-conscious human beings.

3. Building a Relationship

It’s great to incorporate nature into education, having more outdoor classrooms, and embracing forest learning, but we need to take things a step further. Rather than just learning about nature and taking children into nature, we need our children to establish emotional feelings of responsibility towards nature. They need to feel their impact and build a relationship with nature rather than learn about one. Finding ways to allow children the opportunity to interact with nature can include giving them space to build their own garden. Even one plant can teach a child immense responsibility while simultaneously enhancing their connection with nature.

From A to Z: ABC of Better Me enables children to acquaint themselves with fruits and veggies that they otherwise would be able to see only at street markets and supermarkets!

Having a garden can instill responsibility in children and while there is a myriad of ways to teach responsibility, parents often turn to pets. Nevertheless, plants, like pets, are living things that require time and attention to ensure their survival. As important as it is to teach children to care for and respect animals, plants offer a different kind of respect. This respect cannot be found in the innocence of an animal but in the power of nature. Learning to honor the home we inhabit, creates a closer connection to nature that can help reduce stress in children and teach them how to mindfully approach situations later in life. Bonding with nature early on can contribute to a child being more active outside and more mindful of their food from a young age. When you have a relationship with nature, the possibilities are endless.

How to help your child start a garden

1. Begin with one plant (any plant) and have them keep it alive. Succulents or house plants are good starters.
2. Transition to a flowering plant. Have them choose one that sparks their interest.
3. Continue adding to their garden. Herb plants are a great way to expand.
4. Add vegetable or fruit plants – these plants help aid seasonal knowledge and teach the circle of life.

Back to school – and bell peppers wake up to the sound of school bells! Exciting times ahead!

A garden provides children with the ability to learn sustainability and self-sufficiency. The knowledge children retain from taking care of their personal gardens can ease our impending questions of how and if our children will be able to live in a world rapidly changing. Creating a relationship with nature has exceeding benefits, and for a child, it can all start with one plant.

While we should never force our children into any of these activities, we should always provide them with the opportunity to take on such tasks without shaming them into doing so. If they are not up for such activities, take them on yourself, being a conscious role model for gardening can also go a long way!

“ABC of Better Me” is an NDF educational program that, through practical examples and experiments, aims to bring the knowledge of nature and natural processes to children’s attention. Through establishing organic gardens in preschool yards, children have an opportunity to learn about different kinds of plants, soil, the relationship between people and nature, and the ways in which we should treat our environment in order to live in harmony with it.  

About the Author:  Diana Randjelovic is a writer, designer, and artist. With a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Diana’s designs and writing focus on the memory work of people and place. She is behind the online community,  mala mgzn  which focuses on community care for Serbian women and daughters of  immigrants.

The post Why Every Child Should Have Their Own Garden appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Children Need to Build a Relationship with Nature

As our lives quickly move into unknown territory, we may wonder what answers to provide our children to guide them through such an uncertain future. How will they live? As cities overpopulate and the gardens in the countryside are uncultivated, children around the world collectively adapt to see nature and themselves as separate entities. We may begin to wonder: what kind of climate will they come to know? The most begging question being, will they know how to survive?

Concrete jungles and poor air quality have become our new normal. More fruits and vegetables are available year-round in grocery stores, enabling us to lose the simple knowledge of seasonal crops. In recent years, children spend more time indoors and in front of screens; an increasing habit especially since the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online schooling. Such normalization needs to be counterbalanced because each day our children grow further from nature and, inherently, from themselves. We have to provide opportunities that allow them to build a relationship with nature; one where the child and the landscape coexist rather than one where the child observes nature from a distance. That’s how we ensure that our children will adapt to the changing world while preserving natural practices. It’s imperative that we create everyday opportunities to help foster young stewards of the natural environment.

A garden can teach children how to give back to nature rather than take from it. Within the “ABC of Better Me” program, Novak Djokovic Foundation teaches children how important it is to live in accordance with nature.  

1. Co-existence

Caring for a garden is a great way to teach kids how to coexist with nature. Our first step to gaining respect towards earth is to learn from nature rather than exploit it. A garden can teach kids how to give back to their landscapes, rather than take from them. Gardens teach kids that they do not need to leave the city or the suburbs to be in touch with the environment. Sustainable and healthy city life is achievable if we consciously create ways for nature to thrive with our built environment. Teaching children to be ecologically friendly also helps with keeping them grounded. It shows them to be aware of their impact through co-existence rather than dominance over nature. This helps children realize their place and role in nature is not superior.

2. Creating Access to Nature

The impending climate crisis makes it clear that our children are inheriting a problem they cannot solve by the time they are old enough to understand and attempt to do something about it. While we are all at risk, climate change disproportionately affects children of color as well as those of poorer backgrounds. Nature often isn’t accessible to these children and children who live in cities also feel this burden. What we can do is design natural environments that are incorporated into daily life and accessible to all. Creating access to nature for these children can start with their own garden.

Through “ABC of Better Me”, children learn about the importance of natural processes and seasonal fruits and vegetables.  

Although a great deal of the responsibility for climate change is due to corporations, and at times it can feel like the situation is out of our hands, we can still ease our climate anxiety by teaching younger generations how important individual responsibility is and how great our collective impact can be. When we have this bond with the earth, we learn to both lessen and improve our individual impacts. We also raise a generation of environmentally-conscious human beings.

3. Building a Relationship

It’s great to incorporate nature into education, having more outdoor classrooms, and embracing forest learning, but we need to take things a step further. Rather than just learning about nature and taking children into nature, we need our children to establish emotional feelings of responsibility towards nature. They need to feel their impact and build a relationship with nature rather than learn about one. Finding ways to allow children the opportunity to interact with nature can include giving them space to build their own garden. Even one plant can teach a child immense responsibility while simultaneously enhancing their connection with nature.

From A to Z: ABC of Better Me enables children to acquaint themselves with fruits and veggies that they otherwise would be able to see only at street markets and supermarkets!

Having a garden can instill responsibility in children and while there is a myriad of ways to teach responsibility, parents often turn to pets. Nevertheless, plants, like pets, are living things that require time and attention to ensure their survival. As important as it is to teach children to care for and respect animals, plants offer a different kind of respect. This respect cannot be found in the innocence of an animal but in the power of nature. Learning to honor the home we inhabit, creates a closer connection to nature that can help reduce stress in children and teach them how to mindfully approach situations later in life. Bonding with nature early on can contribute to a child being more active outside and more mindful of their food from a young age. When you have a relationship with nature, the possibilities are endless.

How to help your child start a garden

1. Begin with one plant (any plant) and have them keep it alive. Succulents or house plants are good starters.
2. Transition to a flowering plant. Have them choose one that sparks their interest.
3. Continue adding to their garden. Herb plants are a great way to expand.
4. Add vegetable or fruit plants – these plants help aid seasonal knowledge and teach the circle of life.

Back to school – and bell peppers wake up to the sound of school bells! Exciting times ahead!

A garden provides children with the ability to learn sustainability and self-sufficiency. The knowledge children retain from taking care of their personal gardens can ease our impending questions of how and if our children will be able to live in a world rapidly changing. Creating a relationship with nature has exceeding benefits, and for a child, it can all start with one plant.

While we should never force our children into any of these activities, we should always provide them with the opportunity to take on such tasks without shaming them into doing so. If they are not up for such activities, take them on yourself, being a conscious role model for gardening can also go a long way!

“ABC of Better Me” is an NDF educational program that, through practical examples and experiments, aims to bring the knowledge of nature and natural processes to children’s attention. Through establishing organic gardens in preschool yards, children have an opportunity to learn about different kinds of plants, soil, the relationship between people and nature, and the ways in which we should treat our environment in order to live in harmony with it.  

About the Author:  Diana Randjelovic is a writer, designer, and artist. With a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Diana’s designs and writing focus on the memory work of people and place. She is behind the online community,  mala mgzn  which focuses on community care for Serbian women and daughters of  immigrants.

The post Why Every Child Should Have Their Own Garden appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The season of sport is well underway. The Olympics have started, football didn’t come home, and we all know what happened at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The country of tennis is organizing yet another international tournament – Belgrade Ladies Open. The donation of balls and the public practice announced the tournament in the best possible way.

Our founder Novak Djokovic is someone who lives his dream but also wants to inspire others to believe in themselves and their own dreams, follow them and fight for them. However, in most situations, dreams and wishes are not sufficient to succeed, because they must be supported by parents, teachers, and coaches, and all others that genuinely care about children at a young age. This donation of tennis balls will allow children all over Serbia to train and play in better conditions because sport at this age should be precisely that – play.

“We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, and within our program Path of a Champion, are very proud and happy to donate kids’ tennis balls to clubs in Serbia who are actively working on the popularization of the sport. With their dedicated work, they confirm time and again that they are on the right path of a champion that leads to success through play. The enlargement of this donation to clubs in the neighboring countries encompasses Novak’s personal beliefs and values that sport connects people, overcomes differences, and transcends boundaries – while uniting them into one winning team on all world meridians, whether they are in our part of the world or, like Novak at the moment – in Tokyo!” – said Ana Jovanović, manager and author of the program Path of a Champion, and a former international of Serbia’s Fed Cup team.

You might be wondering what were our future champions doing during public practice. Well, they were jumping, collecting balls, running through drills, practiced forehand and backhand”¦ some may have tripped on clay or dirtied their clothes, so what? What matters is that we had fun and made new friends! Under the watchful eye of Kaća, Robi, Dragan, and other coaches at Novak Tennis Center, children from Kragujevac, Šid, Valjevo, and other cities trained and went home overjoyed.

 “It’s important for children to take up sports at the age of five in order to better understand teamwork and healthy competition. Up until they are ten, it’s essential that, through play, they experience as many sports as possible. Today we practiced on two courts divided into four drills. We developed kids’ motor skills and coordination, and we also explained different ways of movement on a tennis court. Kids learned contact, forehand and backhand. Some clubs from Serbia got new balls which is very important in their further development as it will give them an opportunity to practice according to the Tennis 10s standards.” – observed Katarina Vranić – Kaća, one of the wonderful coaches at Novak Tennis Center.

When asked what they liked best during practice, kids provided interesting answers: Vera, Lena, Nadja, and Misha fancied drills and running, whereas Andrea, Ray, Sasha, Moma, Andrej, and Andreja preferred hitting balls and perfecting their forehand and backhand. Tara, Luka, and Janko, our little diplomats, said that there was nothing that they didn’t like and that everything was super!

Why, thank you, lads and lassies, that’s what we like to hear!

Now, what are their dreams and what would they like to be when they grow up? Well, Ray is determined to become a tennis player, Andrea will be an actress, while Andreja will become a waiter! Wow, how cool is that!

For all our future athletes, pilots, seafarers, and astronauts who are paving their path of a champion, Novak Djokovic Foundation is actively working on providing valuable support to everyone in the children’s environment who wishes them well, just like us.

Novak’s sincere wish is to bring closer together and unite all people through sport while making it more accessible and affordable to a growing number of children. This donation of tennis balls does not end here, as it is about to continue in the neighboring countries as well.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Keep following the kids and the balls on their path of a champion!

The post From THE Champion to Future Champions: Novak Djokovic Foundation Continues to Encourage Children to Play Sports appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

The season of sport is well underway. The Olympics have started, football didn’t come home, and we all know what happened at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The country of tennis is organizing yet another international tournament – Belgrade Ladies Open. The donation of balls and the public practice announced the tournament in the best possible way.

Our founder Novak Djokovic is someone who lives his dream but also wants to inspire others to believe in themselves and their own dreams, follow them and fight for them. However, in most situations, dreams and wishes are not sufficient to succeed, because they must be supported by parents, teachers, and coaches, and all others that genuinely care about children at a young age. This donation of tennis balls will allow children all over Serbia to train and play in better conditions because sport at this age should be precisely that – play.

“We at the Novak Djokovic Foundation, and within our program Path of a Champion, are very proud and happy to donate kids’ tennis balls to clubs in Serbia who are actively working on the popularization of the sport. With their dedicated work, they confirm time and again that they are on the right path of a champion that leads to success through play. The enlargement of this donation to clubs in the neighboring countries encompasses Novak’s personal beliefs and values that sport connects people, overcomes differences, and transcends boundaries – while uniting them into one winning team on all world meridians, whether they are in our part of the world or, like Novak at the moment – in Tokyo!” – said Ana Jovanović, manager and author of the program Path of a Champion, and a former international of Serbia’s Fed Cup team.

You might be wondering what were our future champions doing during public practice. Well, they were jumping, collecting balls, running through drills, practiced forehand and backhand”¦ some may have tripped on clay or dirtied their clothes, so what? What matters is that we had fun and made new friends! Under the watchful eye of Kaća, Robi, Dragan, and other coaches at Novak Tennis Center, children from Kragujevac, Šid, Valjevo, and other cities trained and went home overjoyed.

 “It’s important for children to take up sports at the age of five in order to better understand teamwork and healthy competition. Up until they are ten, it’s essential that, through play, they experience as many sports as possible. Today we practiced on two courts divided into four drills. We developed kids’ motor skills and coordination, and we also explained different ways of movement on a tennis court. Kids learned contact, forehand and backhand. Some clubs from Serbia got new balls which is very important in their further development as it will give them an opportunity to practice according to the Tennis 10s standards.” – observed Katarina Vranić – Kaća, one of the wonderful coaches at Novak Tennis Center.

When asked what they liked best during practice, kids provided interesting answers: Vera, Lena, Nadja, and Misha fancied drills and running, whereas Andrea, Ray, Sasha, Moma, Andrej, and Andreja preferred hitting balls and perfecting their forehand and backhand. Tara, Luka, and Janko, our little diplomats, said that there was nothing that they didn’t like and that everything was super!

Why, thank you, lads and lassies, that’s what we like to hear!

Now, what are their dreams and what would they like to be when they grow up? Well, Ray is determined to become a tennis player, Andrea will be an actress, while Andreja will become a waiter! Wow, how cool is that!

For all our future athletes, pilots, seafarers, and astronauts who are paving their path of a champion, Novak Djokovic Foundation is actively working on providing valuable support to everyone in the children’s environment who wishes them well, just like us.

Novak’s sincere wish is to bring closer together and unite all people through sport while making it more accessible and affordable to a growing number of children. This donation of tennis balls does not end here, as it is about to continue in the neighboring countries as well.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Keep following the kids and the balls on their path of a champion!

The post From THE Champion to Future Champions: Novak Djokovic Foundation Continues to Encourage Children to Play Sports appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.