MILEVA PROJECT kada putovanje postane povratak korenima when the journey becomes a return to roots
There are trips that are short and quickly forgotten, then there are much more important ones that remain forever in the memory. The Mileva Project - a non-profit foundation dedicated to connecting children from the U.S. who have Serbian roots with Serbia and their families, language and culture – emerged out of a desire to provide children from the Serbian diaspora with just these kinds of experiences. For many children who grow up in distant lands, Serbia is an emotion that they’re familiar with through their parents’ memories, photos, holidays and the language spoken at home. The connection with their ancestral homeland often remains incomplete, as they never gain the opportunity to really experience it. The Mileva Project turns that distance into closeness. Through the foundation’s programme, flights to Serbia for children aged between two and 18 are financed, which represents the biggest obstacle to enabling the children of many families to have such an experience. What at first glance seems like an ordinary trip often turns out to be much more – the first feeling that they truly belong somewhere, even if that’s far from where they are growing up. “Purchasing plane tickets is the first step, while in the coming years we are also planning summer camps, workshops, educational programmes, cultural exchanges and meetings that will create new friendships and experiences for young people,” explain the foundation’s organisers. The Mileva Project simultaneously invites individuals and companies worldwide to provide support through donations, partnerships and the spreading of awareness about the importance of connecting the Serbian diaspora with their homeland. Every gesture of support means a new opportunity for a child to create memories that will last a lifetime. Because belonging cannot be learned – it must be experienced.
Postoje putovanja koja traju kratko i brzo se zaborave. I ona druga, mnogo važnija, koja ostanu zauvek u čoveku. Upravo iz želje da deci iz dijaspore omogući takva iskustva nastao je „Mileva Project“ – neprofitna organizacija posvećena povezivanju dece srpskog porekla iz SAD sa Srbijom, njihovim porodicama, jezikom i kulturom. Za mnogu decu koja odrastaju daleko, Srbija je emocija koju poznaju kroz uspomene svojih roditelja, fotografije, praznike i jezik koji se govori u domu. Veza sa poreklom često ostaje nedovršena, jer oni nikada nisu imali priliku da je zaista dožive. „Mileva Project“ upravo tu udaljenost pretvara u bliskost. Kroz program organizacije, deci uzrasta od 2 do 18 godina finansiraju se avionske karte za put u Srbiju, koje za mnoge porodice predstavljaju najveću prepreku da svojoj deci omoguće ovakvo iskustvo. Ono što na prvi pogled izgleda kao obično putovanje, često postaje mnogo više – prvi put doživljeni osećaj da negde, čak i tako daleko od mesta u kom su odrasli, istinski pripadaju. – Kupovina avionskih karata predstavlja prvi korak, dok u narednim godinama planiramo i letnje kampove, radionice, edukativne programe, kulturne razmene i susrete koji će mladima doneti nova prijateljstva i iskustva – poručuju iz organizacije. Istovremeno, „Mileva Project“ poziva pojedince i kompanije širom sveta da pruže podršku kroz donacije, partnerstva i širenje svesti o značaju povezivanja dijaspore sa Srbijom. Svaka podrška znači novu priliku za jedno dete da sa sobom ponese uspomene za ceo život. Jer pripadnost se ne može naučiti, ona mora da se doživi.
www.milevaproject.org
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