What can we do to save the world?

We have probably all noticed that the situation in the world is not, to put it mildly, ideal. It is unlikely that it has ever been, but consciousness comes when the problem is completely close to us and when it starts to be widely talked about. Then we become confused, powerless, we want to help, but we don't know how and to whom, and in the depths of our being, we also want someone to help us fight the fear of helplessness. It seems to me that the only solution in such situations is to focus on a specific problem where we can do something about.

A few months ago, in an attempt to help myself and do something for society (because I miss having a direct impact on the world around me), I decided to volunteer as part of the Education Program, which is one of the projects organized by CIM. If you don't know what the Education Program or CIM is, I didn't know either. A friend asked me "why don't you apply to volunteer at Svratište" and so I stumbled upon this program, which was started by the same organization that started Svratište. CIM is an abbreviation for the Center for Integration of Youth and from the name itself, their basic goal is quite clear.

They have worked hard enough to make their project bigger and more important than the organization itself, at least in the eyes of the public, while the Education Program received much less attention because, unfortunately, we live in an environment where education is still not seen as a basic need.

The goal of the Program is to include children from informal settlements in Karaburma in the education system at the youngest possible age, to keep them in schools for as long as possible, and to provide them with the necessary support to prevent them from dropping out. They receive additional support in classes, in workshops where they do homework they need help with, but also by the fact that volunteers, together with field workers, take the children to preschool and return them home. Keeping children in schools and motivating them to learn helps them gain a better education and later provide themselves with better living opportunities. Currently, the program includes about 170 children. This kind of program requires a huge commitment, but the people who run it do not give up because of it. On the contrary.

I worked at the school for several years before I started marketing and I hoped to always see the atmosphere and dedication that the volunteers and the professional team of the Education Program have. The reason for their enthusiasm is simple ‒ all these people wanted to volunteer and have been part of this program for years. They became educators because that is exactly what they wanted to do, so their enthusiasm is a natural consequence of the desire to change the world for the better and their dedicated work. They know each child in the Program and their story, as well as ways to approach them as best they can. The educators I met and worked with were formally educated to respond to the needs of the children, and each of them strives to constantly improve to motivate the kids to work as much as possible.

It is a special pleasure to see the children rejoicing over these people, but also for us volunteers, even though we are just the temporary elements of their story. Even though you see children's joy, tenderness, desire to play, to make friends, and be at the workshop, therefore, everything you normally see in children, you also see things that we avoid seeing in everyday circumstances.

We see that children often do not go to school when it rains or snows because they do not have adequate shoes, and if they leave today, they will not be able to do so tomorrow, because their shoes will simply not dry by then. It is possible that I lived separated from this reality, but this very justified reason for missing school never crossed my mind. We see that they get sick and they will lie to you when you ask them if they are cold, and they will hug you for so long, so small and frozen because these children simply embrace everyone. You will see summer sneakers in the middle of winter and shallow socks and hold a hand that freezes as you lead them from the settlement to the school and you will realize that they simply DO NOT have what seems "normal" to us and that their parents do not have the opportunity to give it to them. But some of us have, and that's a good start.

After the workshop, the children get a snack they look forward to, and they will NEVER forget their snack package when you take them back to the settlement, even when you brought it because they didn't have a bag. Children rarely leave the settlement and are especially looking forward to additional activities with a professional team, such as visits to the cinema, theater, museum, or zoo. Everything that seems to us to be the default part of growing up, is simply not taken for granted here and we should be aware of that.

The Education Program is led by people who do their best to motivate children to learn, to help them with the material they find too difficult, and to educate them so that they know that we are all equal when we are in the workshop, but also anywhere in the world. Slippers are always taken out for everyone, snacks are the same for everyone, tenderness and attention are the same, the rules are the same. And all those responsible for the kids have a deep awareness that we are not able to understand everything that is happening in the lives of these children, but we can at least try to make it easier for them.

Volunteers give their time, educators provide additional support in learning, and others, perhaps companies looking for a CSR project, can help by enabling children to have better conditions and easier schooling.

What we all know is that children always need snacks, hygiene, materials for work (they get something from school materials within the Program). In addition, winter shoes and clothes are always a problem, because children all outgrow them quickly. Later on, the younger children „inherit“ these things.

One of the main challenges, when a company is looking for a suitable CSR project, is the visibility of certain organizations and problems. Fortunately, Svratište has received attention and often receives donations, while the situation with the Education Program is not the same, and we could change it ‒ little by little and all together to show that we care and that we can save at least some part of the world we have an influence on.

Author: Natalija Jovanović, Senior Content Manager