Participation of "Bread of Life" Seniors at the National Library of Serbia

• July 9, 2026

It was a special honor for the "Bread of Life" singing group to perform on Wednesday, July 8, at the "Dragan's Award" ceremony — an event marking the best written travelogues by seniors for 2026 and for the presentation "Journey from Person to Person". The goal of this competition is to support and promote active aging—specifically, to help create an environment where seniors, along with their thoughts, emotions, knowledge, and life experiences, are respected and honored as they truly deserve. We promote active aging so that people may live longer, healthier, and have more fulfilling, and more dignified lives.

The "Bread of Life" singing group opened the event in the National Library's amphitheater with the song "This Is Serbia."

The singers enjoyed the presentation of the written works; the authors themselves chose the excerpts to be read before an audience of over 150 people who attended the event.

Three prizes — first, second, and third place — were awarded in each of the four travelogue categories. In addition to entries from seniors in Serbia, there were submissions from Republic Srpska, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

Alongside the awards ceremony, a special milestone was celebrated: the 60th wedding anniversary of Jovanka and Žika, who are competition participants and long-time members of the "Bread of Life" club.

To conclude the event, the singing group performed the song "If I Had Two Hearts" and was met with thunderous applause.

Performance by the Bread of Life ensemble at the Danube Quay in Zemun

• July 6, 2026

On Sunday, July 5, the senior folklore and singing group of "Bread of Life" performed at the Zemun Danube Quay, having been invited by the Municipality of Zemun to mark "Vidovdan" holiday. Our singing and performing ensamble has been receiving this invitation annually for several years now.

Both groups were greeted with thunderous applause by the audience or residents of Zemun who were out for a stroll and were pleasantly surprised by the program.

Following the concert, the organizers provided suitable refreshments.

"Bread of Life" Ensemble at the Folklore Festival in Nessebar

• June 30, 2026

The "Bread of Life" senior ensemble received an invitation to participate in the International Folklore Festival in Nessebar, Bulgaria, held from June 25 2026 to June 29, 2026. In addition to the folklore group, there was great interest in the trip among seniors involved in other sections of the "Bread of Life" active aging club, as well as members of other cultural and artistic groups: KUD "Jeleče" (New Belgrade), the singing groups "Gledanice" and "Božuri," and the folklore group "Veselo srce" from the Vračar – GCB club.

The performance by the "Bread of Life" senior folklore group was highly acclaimed, drawing enthusiastic applause from a large number of residents and fellow festival participants. As a reward, the seniors received two certificates of participation and a trophy.

The hotel accommodation, meals, and the proximity and cleanliness of the sea left a very positive impression on all ensemble members.

We toured the ancient Old Town of Nessebar —a city of museums and archaeological sites — in groups. Some members also visited and enjoyed the amenities at the beaches near hotel.

TEKERIS CAMP – Featuring a New Conference Hall in a New Facility

• June 23, 2026

Thanks to the generous support of the donor "Upward Bound Youth," the Christian humanitarian association "Bread of Life" (Hleb života) has successfully constructed a new facility at the Tekeris camp, significantly enhancing the capacity and quality of future camp operations. The new building houses a conference hall, a kitchen, and a summer pavilion.

Tekeris Camp spans approximately 3 hectares on a rural estate in the village of Tekeris, situated just below the peak of Mount Cer at an elevation of 300 meters.

Accommodation is provided in houses with a total of 44 beds, distributed across double, triple, and quadruple rooms.

Two five-day children's camps are scheduled for the summer of 2026; also other interested groups, and similar charitable organizations, are welcome to contact us, regarding available dates for use of the camp.

The end of year conference, of the "Age Against the Machine" project: Theater as a tool in the fight against ageism

• December 9, 2025

There were over 70 participants at the conference, representatives of civil society organizations, the cultural sector, researchers, artists from Serbia, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Poland.

The project was implemented by the "Novi Sad - European Capital of Culture" Foundation as the sponsor, with the partnership of organizations from several European countries, while the Serbian Red Cross participated as an expert partner, in terms of issues of age discrimination. The project is supported by the EU CERV program and is aimed at combating ageism through socially engaged theatre, research and public advocacy.

It was pointed out that ageism remains one of the most widespread, but also the least recognized, forms of discrimination in Europe. It was especially emphasized that ageism cannot be fought solely with statistics and strategies, but that emotional engagement, dialogue and direct experience are necessary.

In this context, socially engaged theater is presented as a powerful tool because:

• - Turns complex social topics into personal and recognizable stories,
• - Encourages dialogue instead of one-way communication,
• - Involves regular people as actors rather than professional actors,
• - It connects emotion, experience and public policies.

Within the project, the elderly were not only the subject, but active participants - authors, performers and bearers of messages - together with the younger generations, which further strengthened, the intergenerational dialogue and understanding.

The final conference of the Age Against the Machine project sent a message that ageism is not immutable, but a learned pattern that can be dismantled through a combination of art, research and public policy. The need to continue and develop such approaches was highlighted, with the active involvement of civil society organizations, institutions and decision-makers

Media conference "Can we stop violence against older women"

• December 8, 2025

The conference was organized as a part of the project "For better life of older women, without violence and discrimination", which is implemented by the association: "Strength of Friendship" - Amity with the support of the Cabinet of the Minister, in charge of coordinating activities in the field of, gender equality, prevention of violence against women and economic and political empowerment of women.

Speakers at the press conference agreed that we can and must stop violence against older women.

"Violence against older women is a serious social and invisible public health problem, which requires a systematic approach and immediate effective solution. Women are generally silent about violence because of fear of abusers, because of shame, they do not know what to do and who to tell, because of mistrust in institutions, dependence on abusers and because they blame themselves and not abusers for physical violence that occurs against them in a family context," said Nadežda Satarić, president of the Amity association's board of directors.

The research conducted by the Gerontological Society of Serbia, at the beginning of this year, showed that the neglect (24.2%) and financial exploitation (13.1%) are the dominant forms of violence, which indicates that older women are most often targeted precisely when, due to age or illness, they most vulnerable and need help and care.

It was pointed out that older women do not experience violence only within the family, but that it is also present in public space and health and social care institutions, and that the solution for older women who were victims of violence, is not their placement in a safe house, but economic empowerment and medical healing or treatment of their abusers.

That is why it is necessary that all systems - from health and social protection, to the police and prosecution - recognize these specific risks and symptoms of addiction to violence and provide timely and coordinated support, in order to prevent, that the need for someone else's care, as such that older women could need, would then become a cause of exploitation and suffering.

Celebration, for the users of the Warm Corner, for marking the month of the seniors

• October 21, 2025

On Tuesday, October 21st, in the local community of Mirijevo, members of the club "Warm Corner" prepared a cultural and entertainment program, intended for the users of the Home Care service, which is implemented by the Bread of Life organization in three Belgrade municipalities.

The singing and folk group prepared a repertoire of old town songs and folk dances from Šumadija, which made seniors smile and to be in a good mood.

Members of the drama and literary section of the "Warm Corner" read their self made poems, and our soloists performed and sang well-known old town sevdalines.

The program was attended by seniors from Mirijevo municipality as well as by seniors from the club Rakovica, and in total there were about 70 seniors present.

The "Timeless" Festival in Novi Sad

• October 17, 2025

The "Timeless" international theater festival, which is dedicated to the problem of dementia, in the elderly, began on Thursday, October 16, at the Novi Sad Theater, the opening was attended by representatives of the Bread of Life organization.

All the plays that will be presented during the festival were created through the work of younger and older generations, who together with the artists explored the themes of aging, discrimination and intergenerational solidarity.

Through the performance "Don't forget me", the experience of life and the painful circumstances that people with dementia and their caregivers constantly go through were shown on stage.

The Timeless Festival was organized by the "Novi Sad - European Capital of Culture" Foundation, in cooperation with the Troupe "Drž' ne daj" and the Red Cross of Serbia, and was created as part of the international project "Age Against the Machine".

Bread of Life at the 5th Belgrade Mental Health Festival

• October 10, 2025

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Movement for Mental Health, organized an event that is part of the 5th Belgrade Mental Health Festival.

The main message was how art, community and solidarity, can open a space for a conversation about mental health and the support that is needed by so many.

The program included: the workshop titled "How to deal with stress", and a silent auction of artworks, made by users of psychiatric services, and the sale of handicrafts and handiworks of art, while socializing with music. All collected funds were intended for creators of the art - people with mental disabilities as a form of a support and empowerment.

Bread of Life distributed its promotional material related to support for families of people suffering from dementia, at the stand of one of the organizers - the association Hertz.

The event received the support of the Swiss Government through the project "Together for an active civil society - ACT", which is implemented by Helvetas Serbia and Civic Initiatives.

Participation of Bread of Life at the International Conference "Older People: A Resource for the Development of Society"

• October 7, 2025

Bread of Life responded to the invitation of the Cabinet of the Ministry for Social Care, Employment, of Veterans and Social Affairs to participate in the international conference "Older People: A Resource for the Development of Society".

The conference was attended by representatives of organizations that work in the filed of elderly care, representatives of the World Health Organization office for Serbia and numerous representatives of health and gerontological institutions in Serbia. At the conference it has been concluded that, the elderly represent great and wonderful resources of every country, and that level of elderly care represents the measure, and the level, of consciousness and greatness for every society.

The current Laws on Social Care, which regulate the position of the elderly in society, have been re-examined, and it has been concluded, that the laws will need to be changed, in order to reduce the gap between the needs and the available services and resources, for the proper care of the elderly.

Bread of Life at the health festival

• October 1, 2025

On Tuesday, September 30th, 2025, the 31st Health Festival was held in the Army House. Bread of Life appeared with the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease, where we talked with our fellow citizens at our stand, about the problems and challenges that accompany caring for a loved one suffering from dementia.

The stand was very well visited, interest ranged from questions about the first signs of dementia, to the need for advice and recommendations on how to react in given situations.

Visitors had the opportunity to receive a variety of educational materials. on this topic, such as: risk factors for the disease, instructions for mental exercises, and tests for self-assessment of cognitive abilities.

We also discussed with our fellow visitors the types of support that Bread of Life provides to caregivers and families of the sick.

During the conversation about prevention, we emphasized on the importance of physical and mental activity, as well as regular monitoring of diseases related to the elderly population.

At our stand, we have introduced the visitos, to the programs of the active aging that we implement in, our organization, Bread of Life ( such as: musical sections, psychological, creative, educational workshops, internet cafe, exercises done on a chair...) as a healing way to avoid loneliness, depression, dementia.

FORUM - ASK ABOUT DEMENTIA / ASK ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

• September 24, 2025

Another event, that we wanted to contribute, to the September 21st, the International Day against Alzheimer's Disease, is the Forum "Ask about Alzheimer's / Ask about Dementia", organized by the Christian Humanitarian Association Bread of Life and the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease (SUAB).

Speakers at the Forum were:
• MSc Nadežda Satarić, social worker
• Prof. Dr. Smiljana Popović Kostić, neurologist
• Prime Minister Aleksandra Milićević Kalašić, neuropsychiatrist
• Željka Cvjetan-Gortinski, drama therapist
• Ljiljana Nestorović, fromal andragogue
Moderator of the meeting: Nadežda Satarić, MSc

At this forum, our neurology and psychiatry experts, introduced and explained, and also reminded, the participants about the risk factors for dementia and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Mr. Nadežda Satarić presented the Excerpt from the World Report on Alzheimer's Disease for 2025, shared valuable facts about the importance and often neglected segment of dementia rehabilitation.

And the drama therapist Željka Cvjetan Gortinski demonstrated good examples of activity and the importance of movement and smiles with those present in very impressive scenes.

Answers were also given, to some of the questions, that the participants of the meeting on September 19th, in Knez Mihailova Street, have had.

Ljiljana Nestorovic, coordinator of the Care for the Elderly program, presented the new cycle of the three-year Project "Provision of social care services for the elderly, promotion of active aging and support for families with a demented member". She emphasized the importance of program activities in Bread of Life through the work of groups for culture workshops, for sports and recreation workshops, creative workshop groups and educational workshop groups... as the best form of prevention and for both physical and mental health, that is preservation from depression, dementia and etc.

She also shared valuable information with those present about the types of support families of dementia sufferers can receive at Bread of Life (starting with interactive workshops for caregivers, occupational therapy for the patient, telephone psychological counseling for caregivers, occasional support in terms of diapers for adults...)

The singing group, the Bread of Life Ensemble, opened and closed this event with its performance.

ASK ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE/ASK ABOUT DEMENTIA

• September 19, 2025

Christian Humanitarian Organization Bread of Life and the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease (SUAB) organized a public event on Friday in Knez Mihailova Street in Belgrade for over a hundred fellow citizens, representatives of Health system institutions, those who are suffering and members of different civic associations, in order to raise public awareness of Alzheimer's disease, its impact on families and the community, and draw attention to the challenges faced by those who are suffering, their relatives and caregivers who care for them.

It was a good opportunity to point out some of the ways to overcome the problem and improve the position of patients and their families.
in Serbia, where 140,000 people live with some form of dementia, there is a lack of much-needed daily services in the community for those suffering and their relatives who care for them, such as day care centers for sufferers, respite accommodation, Alzheimer cafes, support groups for caregivers, counseling centers for relatives.

The services provided by associations formed by ordinary citizens, whether voluntary or project-based, are valuable, but insufficient.

In the Survey that was conducted on the topic "Ask about Dementia/Ask about Alzheimer's", some of the most frequent questions were:

1. When will the local self-government of Belgrade develop and finance day care centers for the sick?
2. Why is it so difficult to get a financial allowance for the help and care of another person who is suffering from dementia?
3. Is there a possibility to include prevention and rehabilitation in treatment protocols for dementia and Alzheimer's patients?
4. Why doesn't the state have more facilities for residential care for people with dementia?
5. Why does the state not implement either of the two measures for the elderly with mental disorders that are foreseen in the "Action Plan for the Implementation of the Mental Health Protection Program for 2019-2026"?

Members of the "Bread of Life" ensemble, members of the folklore group "Jeleče" from New Belgrade and the Student Choir from the Department of Music Pedagogy of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade took part in the accompanying program "Plays and Songs for Memory".

Our famous actress Katarina Radivojević read the messages of Christine Bryden, who has been living with dementia for 20 years, since she was 46 years old. She recited Cole Blake's poem, "My Wife, My Life," which he wrote for his wife, who lives with dementia and has been caring for her for eight years.

The key message from this gathering is: "A national dementia strategy is of key importance as a framework that links health and social services, enables education, early recognition of the disease and comprehensive support for those suffering and their families."

Participation of the Bread of Life Ensemble at the International Folklore festival in Ohrid and Istanbul

• August 25, 2025

The folklore group of the ensemble "Bread of Life" has been participating in the International Folklore festivals in Istanbul and Ohrid for several years, which are preceded by intensive senior rehearsals where they practice different choreographies. The folklore festival in Istanbul took place in July, and the one in Ohrid took place at the end of August.

Seniors of our ensemble participated, as a group of veterans with coreography title "from Vranje" and on that occasion, have caused great attention and ovation, from the audience.

In addition, to participating in the festival, seniors also visited the famous sights of Istanbul and Ohrid, socialized with participants of other cultural and artistic social groups and planned future joint performances.

Folklore rehearsals continue through September, twice a week, and all interested seniors (whether beginners or more experienced performers) who would like to join us, the "Bread of Life" ensemble, can call us at the phone number: 011/ 244 3540

Bread of Life has participated in the panel "Compassion Fatigue - of Formal and Informal Caregivers of the Elderly"

• July 22, 2025

Bread of Life participated in the forum "Compassion Fatigue - Secondary Traumatization of Employees in Long-Term Care Institutions and of Family Caregivers" organized by the Chamber of Social Care and the Red Cross of Serbia.

At the forum, the results of a study, on the aforementioned topic, were presented, which showed the presence of compassion fatigue, in both employees in long-term care institutions and informal (family) caregivers.

On this occasion, recommendations were made, for institutions of the long-term care and other, that they should develop support systems such as: regular supervision, therapy groups, stress prevention training and adequate rest breaks.

End of the school year in Surcin

• July 17, 2025

Another school year has been successfully completed, by the children from the Roma settlement in Surčin, with whome Bread of Life works as part of the "Support in education" project, despite all the challenges that all the children went through, due to strikes and the suspension of classes, they have successfully mastered the material and this year's course work.

We are proud of our Roma kids, who kept coming to our support in education classes, and workshops, through 2024/2025 school year, and that they have completed this school year regularly, all 81 of them. 🎉

Also, eighth grade students expressed their desire to continue their education and have successfully enrolled in their desired secondary schools like (Medical, PTT, traffic...)

Roma children spending time with children from the International school

• May 22, 2025

Bread of Life has had good cooperation with the International School from Belgrade(ISB) for many years, and has been involving ISB students, in social activities and in our programs.

Children from the international school are involved both in the "Care for the Elderly" program by visiting poorer elderly, and are also involved in the "Support in the education of Roma children" program, by organizing joint social activities, for all the children from both schools.

Children from the Roma settlement in Surčin, with whome Bread of Life works, visit their peers twice a month in the premises of their International School, and they participate in sports competitions and various other joint activities.

This socializing is mutually beneficial, because both gorups of children, socialize outside or their usual social circles or the environment.

This especially encourages and stimulates Roma children to persevere in learning and to continue their education after finishing elementary school.

Visit of the seniors from the club "Warm Corner", to the home for the elderly "Grandma and Grandpa's Story"

• May 21, 2025

On Tuesday, May 20th, members of the singing folklore and literary group led by Bread of Life within the club for active aging "Warm Corner", visited the home for the elderly "Grandma and Grandpa's story" and on that occasion prepared an entertainment program for home's users.

In the garden of the mentioned home, the seniors of the "Warm Corner" sang old town songs, read their poems and aphorisms, thus expressing solidarity and empathy towards their peers.

Bread of Life participated in the celebration of International Roma Day

• April 8, 2025

On Tuesday, April 8th, the International Roma Day was celebrate, in the Roma settlement in Surčin, where Bread of Life has been implementing the "Support in education and integration of Roma children" program for 20 years.

On this occasion, a soccer tournament was organized, for Roma children aged eight to fourteen, in which over fifty children participated. The tournament was held on the sports field, which is part of the Roma center, which was renovated for this occasion and put into use, to the joy of children and adults.

The funds for the repair, replacement of plates on the baskets and a new wire fence were donated by the City Municipality of Surčin headed by the President of the Municipality Miloš Dangubić, who also attended the celebration of the International Roma Day.

All work, cleaning and organization were undertaken by members of the Roma Cultural Center (RKC), which was founded in 2024 by young Roma from the local community.

For "Bread of Life" this was a special event, and a great encouragement, as we got to see young people, with families, who have founded the Roma Cultural Center, and who used to be children who came to our learning support groups during the past twenty years - since 2005.

For all Bread of Life teachers, engaged in this project who worked with these children, this was a special opportunity where they could practically see, the results of their hard work, over all these years.

All the young people, who today took part in this initiative, to engage their Roma settlement, that is, to restore what was broken, to show all the value, ingenuity, creativity, perseverance and desire not to remain on the margins of society, all that acquired knowledge and skills that they use now, were once learned on our excursions, when they were participants in our camps, workshops and seminars.

We are encouraged today because we see that all our effort, has produced positive results, not only for these young people, individually, but also for the whole Roma community and the wider social community, especially the City and it's municipality of Surčin.

Bread of Life organized an educational lecture titled "Swallowing - the problems that elderly are having"

• March 27, 2025

With the support of the Evangelical Student Association (EUS) from Belgrade, Bread of Life organized an educational lecture on the topic "Swallowing - the problems that elderly are having" - on why the elderly do not eat, at which the main speaker was Dr. David Smith from Great Britain, an expert in the field of geriatrics, with extensive experience in working with people suffering from dementia.

Dr. David Smith works as an acute geriatrician at the renowned Queen Elizabeth Hospital and as a visiting professor at the University of Greenwich, and on this occasion he selflessly shared his extensive knowledge and experience on the subject.

In part of the lecture, he specifically referred to the presence and specificity of this problem, that people suffering from some form of dementia have. The professional lecture was organized in the premises of the Academy for Human Development on for the purpose of celebrating 20 years of the HumanaS network, of which Bread of Life is one of the founders.

The lecture was attended by members of the HumanaS network, the Gerontological Society of Serbia, the Zvezdara Volunteer Service Center, caregivers of people suffering from dementia, professional associates of the Bread of Life who work with the elderly (psychiatrists, sociologists, social workers), as well as home care professionals who directly care for the elderly on a daily basis.

Bread of Life attended the celebration evening, hosted by the Food Bank of Vojvodina, named "Solidarity in action"

• March 3, 2025

On Friday, February 28th, in Irig, a celebration evening was organized to mark the successful cooperation between the Food Bank of Vojvodina and partner organizations, which aim to more efficiently distribute food and help the vulnerable population.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Reconciliation, Regional Cooperation and Social Stability, the Embassy of Japan, by other donors, partners and numerous associates of the Food Bank of Vojvodina.

Almost 250,000 tons of food are thrown away in our country every year. On the other hand, a significant number of people in Serbia go hungry. The Food Bank of Vojvodina is a humanitarian organization that helps to restore balance, i.e. so that surplus of food is not wasted.

This celebration evening aimed, to reflect on the results that have been achieved, and also for leaders to exchange experiences and ideas, for future projects, and also to express gratitude for the selfless support of our partners and collaborators in the field.

Bread of Life established cooperation with the Food Bank of Vojvodina in order to implement the project "Food for All" - donating food packages to the socially vulnerable population. (Executed with partnership with the company Delhaize - Maxi stores).

The collected food is distributed in 14 locations, in the city, one of which is in the municipality of Zvezdara, where Bread of Life participates in the distribution of food, to the most vulnerable residents of Zvezdara municipality, every Saturday evening together with it's long-term partners from the Volunteer Service Center and MNRO Zvezdara.

In the period July to December 2024, over 3,000 food packages, have been distributed, to the most vulnerable residents of Zvezdare municipality.

Also on this occasion, Bread of Life, signed another Cooperation Agreement with the Food Bank of Vojvodina. The agreement's purpose is to officiate more, the help that is provided to the vulnerable population, where the beneficiaries of this help, are for the most part, individuals or families, that receive help through other social programs that Bread of Life also offers.

Participation of the Bread of Life, at the celebration of the 14th birthday, of the Volunteer Service Center of Zvezdar

• February 18, 2025

For many years, Bread of Life has had, a successful cooperation with the Volunteer Service Center of Zvezdara, founded by the city municipality of Zvezdara.

On the occasion of 14 years of existence, and active participation of volunteers, in the district of the municipality of Zvezdara, the Volunteer Service Center invited Bread of Life to celebrate its birthday and has prepared everything for participation of our seniors in their birthday program.

The celebration was organized in the local community of Zeleno brdo on Friday, February 14th. In the entertainment program, along with numerous students of music schools from the territory of Zvezdare municipality, magicians-illusionists, poets, the senior ensemble of Bread of Life participated (members of the singing, drama and folklore groups have presented their works).

After the program, the seniors of the Bread of Life continued to socialize with the volunteers, of the Volunteer Service Center of Zvezdar. They have shared a birthday cake together and have congratulated one another, wishing each other the continuation of the great work that they have done together, with a prupose to make the position of seniors, in society, as good as it can possibly be.

Performance was held by the "Bread of Life" ensemble at a home for the disabled adults

• February 11, 2025

On Monday, February 10th, seniors from the "Bread of Life" ensemble visited a home for the disabled adults, in Zemun, and for that occasion, have prepared a program for their users entertainment.

The program was divided into two parts, the first was dedicated to the reading of texts, about major Christian holidays, then, the reading of texts, about Meeting of the Lord, St. Tryphinus and other.

The second part of the program had an entertaining character, the seniors of the Bread of Life club "Warm Corner", recited verses written by the seniors themselves, and a drama and folklore group, which practices hard throughout the year, has also presented it's own acts and play.

The users of the home for the disabled adults joined in, in the common singing of the old town songs, the users have produced smiles and they have let everyone see, their good mood.

At the end of the program, all present users, of the home for the disabled adult persons, of whom there were about 25 users present, received symbolic gifts, designed and prepared by the members, of the folklore ensemble, of the Bread of Life, as they have promised to the users, that they will return and visit them again soon.

Bread of life participated in the focus group / forum, on the topic "Prevention of violence against older women"

• February 7, 2025

In two sessions, Bread of Life participated in focus groups / forums, that are part of the project "Prevention of violence against older women", implemented by the Gerontological Society of Serbia and which is supported by the Cabinet of the Minister (without dedicated ministry institution), in charge of coordinating activities in the field of gender equality, prevention of violence against women and political and economic empowerment of women.

The first focus group, was organized in cooperation with the Volunteer Service Center of Zvezdara, in their premises, where the beneficiaries of the project "Care of the elderly and promotion of active aging, support for families with a demented member" implemented by Bread of Life, have participated.

In the second focus group, gerontology assistants of the Bread of Life, who are engaged in providing Home Care services, as well as project coordinators, have participated.

In the focus groups, different cases of violence were examined and discussed, as well as the reasons and circumstances under which older women often do not have appropriate support to report such violence. The conclusion is that more intensive awareness raising, in the public, about this problem, is needed, as well as more efficient coordination, of different relevant institutions, is needed. It has been noted that the punitive measures also, against the offenders, are often very mild.

Bread of Life participated in a meeting with the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs

• December 11, 2024

On Wednesday, December 11, Bread of Life participated in a meeting organized by the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs in order to present, together with similar religious organizations, it's work, the challenges it faces and plans for future in the next period.

Representatives of our organizations were received by Minister Nebojša Starović and Assistant Minister Slađana Marković-Stojanović, to whom we presented current projects, plans for the future and opportunities for mutual support.

With the joint work, and with the support of the local community, better results can be achieved and more help can be provided to people in need.

Performance of the Bread of Life ensemble for the occasion of International Volunteer Day

• December 6, 2024

On December 5th, the Zvezdara volunteer service center marked the International Day of Volunteers, with a cultural and artistic program, in the local communities meeting hall "Zeleno brdo", in the presence of volunteers, and with the Zvezdara municipality city council member Anja Ribać who was also present and with other guests.

The senior ensemble of the Bread of Life, has traditionally taken part in the program, with several notable performances of the singing group, with solo singers and folklorists.

The program was enriched by the students of the Elementary Music School "Vladimir Đorđević", as well as numerous reciters and magician Igor Trifunov.

The work, effort and commitment, of our volunteers, is of the greatest essence for our organizations, which are focused, on caring for people.

Bread of Life participated in the celebration of the International Day of People with Disabilities

• December 3, 2024

On the occasion of the International Day of People with Disabilities, on December 3rd, in the premises of the municipality of Zvezdara, Bread of Life participated in the internal meeting of the Network of Associations, and Organizations, who are taking care of, or are working together with, people with disabilities.

Together with other organizations, Bread of Life expressed the importance of support that is necessary for people with disabilities, suggestions and initiatives that would be important for future work, which the president of Zvezdara municipality, Mihailo Dosković, carefully listened to.

The municipality of Zvezdara is the first municipality in Belgrade to establish an office for assistance to persons with disabilities, showing openness to cooperation with all citizens and organizations dealing with this issue.

After the session, in the premises of the municipality, a forum discussion was held under the name "Support for the people with disabilities, in our society and for their position in society" which was dedicated to supporting them in the areas of employment and of empowerment.

The nineteenth school year in a row, in which Bread of Life provides support in the education of Roma children

• October 22, 2024

In October 2005, Bread of Life started the program in Surčin "Support in education, psychosocial development and integration of marginalized children" with the aim of breaking the cycle of poverty of marginalized groups through continuous education of children and young people.

In order to achieve the project goal, Bread of Life established cooperation with teachers in local schools, representatives of local communities responsible for education and representatives of Roma in local communities and other leaders in various Roma organizations.

This school year 2024/25, Bread of Life has enrolled close to eighty students for assistance in learning, of which 10 are top students.

Workshops are held every working day, in two shifts. At the workshops, the emphasis is not only on learning and mastering school material, but also on general education, a good relationship with peers, interactions, encouraging creativity and innovation in children, as well as the transfer of knowledge and skills outside of school, in the family and in society.

Cultural and entertainment program for users of the Home Care services

• October 21, 2024

In the premises of the Mirijevo municipality offices, a cultural and entertainment program was held today for the users of the Home Care services provided by the Bread of Life within the program "Social services for the elderly, promotion of active aging and support for dementia caregivers" and on for the occasion of the month of the seniors, which is - October.

The seniors who are members of the singing, literary, drama and folklore groups of the Bread of Life have showen solidarity and empathy, again and again, according to the users of the "Home Care" services, for whome, this event, is one of the few occasions, for which they get to be outside of the house.

Close to 40 seniors, have attended the cultural and entertainment programe, which was prepared and rehearsed, by the members of the "Warm Corner" club, who have diligently prepared and rehearsed the programe, for this occasion, throughout the year.

The program was organized as a succession of well-known, old town songs, that many of those present grew up with, and would know these songs, they enjoyed dramatic and literary aphorisms, and well-known folklore choreography presented, in the very familiar costumes.

At the end of the programe, catering was provided and a small symbolic gift, for all present, as an additional token of kindness and attention.
Because of to the donation, in terms of vehicles, that the Bread of Life has received from the long-term partner "Brot fur die Welt", for which we are greatly thankful for, the users of the "Home Care" services, were provided with transportation, because of their limited mobility.

Bread of Life participated in the event "13 days of Seniors at Zvezdara"

• September 25, 2024

Event "13 days of Seniors at Zvezdara" was opened on Wednesday, September 25, on the plateau in front of the municipality of Zvezdara, on the occasion of the upcoming International Day of Seniors, which is celebrated on October 1 every year.

The seniors of the day club "Warm Corner" of the Bread of Life, joined this event as part of their singing and folklore group by performing several well-known old town songs and a mix of folklore dancing games.

As part of the aforementioned event, the municipality of Zvezdara will also organize various forums and consulting lectures for seniors, titled as such as "Physical activity in the third age - new trends", "Nutrition pyramid", "Public health - heart disease", a theater performance and recitation of selected songs by Radmila Urošević, free medical examinations and the like, which have been attended by seniors involved in the Bread of Life project "Social services for the elderly, promotion of active aging and support for people with dementia (phase 5)"

Bread of Life took part in the forum on the occasion of the World’s Day against Alzheimer's Disease

• September 21, 2024

For the occasion of marking September 21, the World’s Day against Alzheimer's disease, on Friday, September 20, 2024. a panel entitled "We can fight against dementia" was held.

The Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease (hereinafter SUAB) together with organization Bread of Life and the members of the HumanaS Network were the organizers of this event ,with the support of the municipality Stari Grad.

The purpose of the forum was to bring, the public's attention, to the problems and challenges faced by the people with dementia, and the families who care for them, and the challenges they experience, in communities in which they live.

The meeting was opened by the deputy president of the Stari grad municipality, Mrs. Nevena Dodić, emphasizing what the municipality has done in the past to help the position of its oldest fellow citizens, while providing support for meetings and forums like this one, in the past.

The event was also visited by the deputy ambassador of Spain in Serbia, Mr. Dario Otero Castro, who was thanked on behalf of those suffering from dementia, by Mrs. Vera Kondev, a long-time Tanjug journalist, who is retired, and who now lives with dementia.

Dr. Aleksandra Milićević Kalashic from the Institute for Gerontology and Palliative Care spoke about the importance of recognizing and keeping risk factors for dementia under control and about the importance of establishing an early diagnosis of the disease.

Slavica Stuparušić, “Politika” newspaper journalist who has been taking care of her mother suffering from dementia for 15 years, in her opening presentation, spoke about the first signs of the disease, how the mother masked them, and how the family members denied and did not recognize them. She also spoke about the large costs associated with this disease "We spend between 10,000 and 15,000 per month just for diapers and the co-payment for medicines, because she cannot get diapers with her health card, because she is mobile. The mother also cannot get “Home Care” because she lives with me and my brother, and you don’t know how much it would mean to us for someone to help us, even for two hours a week."

Mrs. Slavka Nikolić, B.Sc. social worker from the City Center for Social Work Belgrade, spoke about the services that can be provided through the Center for Social Work, especially referring to the procedure for exercising the right to help at home and for placement in state homes for the elderly.

Ljiljana Nestorović, an Andragogue, from the Bread of Life organization, in her opening address pointed out the importance of the support programs, that our association Bread of Life, provides to family members or those who care for the people with dementia and for the people with dementia themselves.

Nadežda Satarić from SUAB pointed out what they, and other associations members of the Humanas Network, were advocating for in the past, to the community decision-makers, regarding the improvement of position of the ones suffering and their families, and stressed that they will once again initiate with the Government of Serbia to adopt a Strategy or Plan for the solution to the challenges and issues caused by dementia, as well as to establish a mechanism by which local governments, will develop a daily services, in the community, for those who suffer from dementia and family members who care for them.

Members of the music section of the Bread of Life ensemble, greeted by the attendees, with a song, at the beginning, and at the end of the meeting, and thereby they have set an example of how important, can socializing, and activities such as singing, be for the prevention of dementia.

BREAD OF LIFE AT THE HEALTH FESTIVAL LAST WEEK

• May 5, 2023

At the invitation of the organizers of the 28th Spring Health Festival, which was held in the Serbian Army House (May 25th), Bread of Life and Volunteer Service Center of Zvezdara, came and organized a joint stand where the work of the Bread of Life and Volunteer Service Center was presented. Both organizations distributed, to visitors, info material, and through conversation with representatives of our organizations, the visitors, could inform themselves about the activities that are implemented throughout the year. The visitors were most interested in educational and creative workshops for seniors - Computer School, Training on mobile phones, as well as a support program for families caring for a member suffering from some form of dementia.

As part of this event, a forum was held on the topic of "How we fight Alzheimer's disease", where Radmila Urošević, coordinator of the Zvezdar Volunteer Service Center, spoke on behalf of the support network for families with a demented member, presenting the "Support Program for Families of Dementia Patients" which has been implemented for almost seven years in partnership with the Volunteer Service Center, the association "Bread of Life", the association "Okrilje" and the organization "Destigma".

Urošević emphasized, that it is a package of assistance that we offer, to patients and caregivers, which includes individual assistance to caregivers, help through self-help groups, counseling, in the premises of the Volunteer Service Center and the "Bread of Life", as well as receiving assistance over the phone, talking with experts - psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and social workshop workers, also we provide assistance in other ways in the form of diapers for adults, hygiene products, etc.

Nataša Todorović, a psychologist from the Central Committee of Serbia and the president of the GD of Serbia, and Nada Sataric from the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease took part in the event.

The Health Festival was officially opened by the Minister of Health, Professor Dr. Danica Grujičić, and visitors could check their health, listen to lectures on current topics in the field of medicine, and consult with eminent health experts without a health card or having to wait.

The expert team of the "Sveti Sava" Special Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases checked which of the citizens were at risk of having a stroke, and performed an ultrasound examination of the carotid artery on the spot.

Visitors could get information about healthy lifestyles from the expert of the Institute for Public Health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut". Much entertainment also alternated on stage, it included exercise programs, performances by children's dance clubs, youth workshops and book promotions.

Activity of the Folklore group of the Bread of Life in April 2023

• April 1, 2023

On April 1st, 2023 a performance was organized, at the 25th MEETING OF VETERANS OF SERBIA, in the municipality of Zitiste, under the name SPOMENAR. The organizer and sponsor, of this event was the Tourist Organization of Zitiste, and the Municipality of Zitiste. This was our ensemble's sixth participation in the above mentioned event. The event had an international character, because the ensembles from Serbia, with the veterans from Slovenia, Republic of Srpska and Hungary, have also participated.

The members of the ensemble (10 female and 2 male) performed the choreography of the VLASKA DANCE for the first time (it was led by our choreographer Milutin Velickovic) and the audience has received the performance with a strong ovation. The satisfied - enthusiastic audience has continuously applauded to them during the performance.

On April 14, 2023. in the premises of the Sports and cultural center Sumice, we participated in the Concert and the exhibition of arts, that was organized by the Association for Helping People with Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities "Drustvena delatnost", organization "Mi zivimo zajedno" and MNRO Vozdovac, entitled "Otvori srce za ljubav".

At this event, we introduced the VLASKA DANCE, which was enthusiastically welcomed by those present. The participants of this concert, along with the Bread of Life ensemble, were: Ensemble "Tradicija", opera singer Sandra Prodanovic - mezzo-soprano, Institute for the Education of Children and Youth, Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Belgrade, Association of the Blind of Serbia and ethnic singing group "Gledanice". Attendance at the concert was truly great.

Participation in the Easter Bazaar / SC AVIV Park Zvezdara, April 1

• April 1, 2023

Traditionally, Bread of Life participated in the Easter humanitarian bazaar organized by the Zvezdara Volunteer Service. Decorated styrofoam eggs, unique decorative chickens and textile tulips were brought, also with wooden boxes, coasters, magnets, bookmarks, painted jars with Easter and spring motifs, unique jewelry, greeting cards, handicrafts and other items with which we can use as gifts for our loved ones in an upcoming holiday season.

Creative workshops were also organized on that occasion, which attracted much attention of passers-by, especially the youngest ones who with their parents and grand parents have decorated styrofoam eggs, made Easter cards and colored picture books.

This year's, money was collected for the treatment of twelve-year-old Sergej, who lives with his mother.

In addition to the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara and Bread of Life, the Association "Dve moje zlatne ruke" (My Two Golden Hands) also participated in the Bazaar with their works.

The works that Bread of Life exhibited at this Humanitarian Bazaar have been the work of our seniors, the participants of the creative workshop.

The sponsor of the Easter humanitarian bazaar and creative workshops, was the City Municipality of Zvezdara, and all activities were supported by SC AVIV Park, which gave us a part of it's space for the occasion.

INTERNET CAFFE FOR SENIORS

• March 12, 2023

- If you are over 60 years old or a little younger...
- If you want to refresh your already acquired knowledge about working on a computer,
- If you have any doubts or questions on this topic,
- If you need help creating an account on eUprava,
- If you have received a new phone from your children, and they they don't have the time to explain all the details to you,
- If you were a participant in our computer school,
- If you haven't been our user until now,
- If you would like to socialize with others, and would like a hot drink, and you would like to learn something about computers along the way,
We are here for you every Thursday from 12h to 15h Contact phone: 060/553-5896

Creative workshop for Women's Day

• March 8, 2023

On the occasion of International Women's Day, March 8, in the premises of the club for seniors that the Bread of Life runs at Zvezdara, Brsjacka Street 28, a creative workshop was held with a special purpose.
The theme of the workshop was inspired by the Women's Day in which seniors participated, our creative ladies, beneficiaries of the "Care for the Elderly" program.
On that occasion, the seniors made objects and artifacts from their imagination, of useful value, to give to each other as gifts, as well as for the needs of the humanitarian bazaar, that the Bread of Life participates in regularly.
All seniors interested in participating in the creative workshops of the Bread of Life can join us every other Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. at Brsjacka Street 28.

Kind deeds create Heroes

• January 10, 2023

The Bread of Life organization became part of the project "Kind Deeds Create Heroes" launched by Daibau International.

Daibau.rs is a portal that aims to make the Serbian construction market transparent, as well as to connect good contractors with good customers. They work hard to help in the construction and renovation of homes and commercial buildings, however, they believe that the living space of each of us is much bigger than the home and the office. "Our living space is made up of the nature we love and the city we live in, as well as all the people we meet along the way. Our living space is also made up of fellow neighbours whom we often do not see - vulnerable people who cannot fight for a dignified life on their own. The improvement of our environment and the quality of life of all people in it is the responsibility of each of us", the website states.

For this reason, the Daibau company launched the project "Kind Deeds Create Heroes", which invites its partners and site visitors to join forces and help charities that care for the most vulnerable. One of the organizations represented by this project is the Bread of Life.

In addition to the Bread of Life organization, many renowned organizations were represented in the project, including the Red Cross of Vojvodina, Face of the street, Group 484, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, the Trag Foundation and many others.

The project is long-term, which means that in the future, the promotion of the organizations that are involved will be done constantly through the platform, so that old partners and visitors of the portal, as well as new ones, will be involved in helping the organizations.

Interactive workshop / counseling center with families of people with dementia - the last one this year

• December 27, 2022

On Tuesday, December 27, a workshop/counseling center was held, with the families of dementia patients, in the premises of the Elderly Care Program. The team "Destigma" has worked with both patients and care givers, for which we were able to provide transportation this year, through a donation of a van, which was especially valuable to the caregivers.

Through interactive work, caregivers were provided with educational, stress relieving and psychological support. Conversations took place individually and in groups.

The demented persons themselves were worked with directly and individually through various techniques of work-occupational therapy. Along with an informal conversation, puzzles were put together, simpler tasks with the theme of shapes and colors were solved, working memory and attention were practiced, with multiple exercises.

On this occasion, diapers were distributed to families in need. In December, two such workshops and two telephone counseling sessions were held by Team Destigma, as psychological support for families with dementia.

All activities will continue after January 9th. All workshops and trainings are free and are organized just for YOU.
Our telephones are: 060/553 5896, 011/286 4426, the contact person is Ljiljana Nestorovic.

NEW GROUP OF SENIORS FOR THE COMPUTER CLASSES

• December 15, 2022

In December 2022, a new group of seniors started computer classes. With a comfortable setting and at an adjusted pace, seniors taking the computer classes mastered the first steps in Word, electronic communication, and the use of the Internet. After the training, one day a weeks is set for practice and additional exercisess and questions.

REGULAR PROJECT ACTIVITIES IN DECEMBER 2022

One of the already established activities, are psychosocial support workshops, for the users of the Elderly Care Program. It can be concluded that the participants of the workshops properly understood the purpose of the group and that they jointly contributed to its goal, mutual support, personal growth and progress through cooperation with others. It has become a common practice to do short relaxation exercises at the end of the group sessions, which they seem to enjoy every time.

CREATIVE WORKSHOPS FOR THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAYS FESTIVITIES

• December 13, 2022

Working creatively with wonderfull ladies,
With creative workshops on December 13th and 20th, members of the elderly care program decorated the space by making New Year's decorations, gifts and greeting cards.

The goal of these workshops is to improve motor skills, develop imagination and mental aspects of the personality as a good prevention of loneliness and depression, as well as to highlight the beauty of companionship and giving.
The participants of the workshops took some of the items they made with them, and some of the items were used for the needs of our association.

PARTICIPATION IN THE NEW YEAR'S HUMANITARIAN BAZAAR

• December 10, 2022

A New Year's humanitarian bazaar and creative workshops were organized in the Aviv Park Shopping Center in Zvezdara on Saturday, December 10th. This event was organized by the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara, and the Bread of Life (creative workshop) was a partner in the preparation and implementation of this event.

At the bazaar, some of the handiwork, could be seen, and it caused great admiration among visitors: candlesticks, New Year's wreaths, unique greeting cards, decorations for holidays and the table, tablecloths, sets and placemats, baskets for pastries and bread, anti-covid masks, unique wool pads, jewelry, wooden boxes, coasters, bookmarks, magnets, boxes, curtains, pillowcases, decorations for the Christmas tree, etc.

All proceeds from the sales were used to help the families of the little Zvezdara boys, Sergej and Viktor, who have been fighting for their health for years. By participating in such events, we are sending a message that the holidays should also be a time of giving, and caring for those who need our help.

PERFORMANCE OF THE "BREAD OF LIFE" ENSEMBLE - Pan Theater

• December 9, 2022

With the saying "Age is not how many years you have, but how you feel" Ensemble of "Bread of Life" performed a cultural and entertainment program, on the 9th December in the packed Pan Theater hall.

A collage of songs, dances, plays, beautiful verses by Duško Radović poem writer, as well as a performance by a string fiddler, held the attention of the elderly population of Zvezdara municipality for more than an hour. Representatives of the Association of municipality of Mirijevo, Mali and Veliki Mokri Lug, the Association of Pensioners of SMUP, culture center Savski Venac, and the Association for the Assistance of MNRO Zvezdara were present. The event was organized with the support of municipality of Zvezdara.

The "Bread of Life" ensemble participated in the International Folklore Festival in Prague

• November 10, 2022

Members of the "Bread of Life" ensemble, which make up the folklore group of the club for seniors, were guests at the International Folklore Festival in Prague from November 3. – November 6, 2022.
At the festival, the seniors of the ensemble performed the choreography of The Game from Sumadija, which was signed by Milutin Veličković, who conducts the folklore group of the Bread of Life.

Our senior ensemble was the only one at the Festival, the other participants were mostly much younger (children's, youth's and veteran ensembles).

In addition to Serbia, the following countries participated in the Festival: Lithuania, Poland, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and others.

The performance of the seniors of the Bread of Life ensemble was accompanied by thunderous support, ovations and applause. As a sign of gratitude for their participation and effort, the ensemble received a certificate and a trophy from the organizers of the Festival, which represents additional satisfaction for all seniors to continue with their folklore activities.

Along with the festival activities, the organizer has planned several optional trips to visit Prague - the golden city, as well as Dresden, the capital of the German federal state of Saxony, located on the banks of the Elbe River. The interest was great, almost all of our users wanted to visit all the proposed destinations and get acquainted with the historical and cultural sites of these two cities.

Sports day in Surcin for children from the Assistance in Learning program

• October 25, 2022

On Saturday, October 22, Bread of Life organized a small "3 on 3" basketball tournament, for boys in the 5th and 6th grades.

The tournament was attended by two local teams from Surcin, made up of Roma children, with whom Bread of Life works as part of learning assistance workshops, and the other team from the Belgrade settlement of Lekino Brdo.

This tournament is a continuation of the sports workshops, which aim to encourage children, as much as possible, to do physical activities, socialize with their peers, and to play with their peers.

At the end of the tournament, the participants received a prize, a ball and the sweets.

Bread of Life activities in the "Life with Dementia" project

• October 7, 2022

During the past few days, Bread of Life implemented two more project activities in the territory of the city municipality of Zvezdara, which are part of the "Life with dementia" project.

Diapers were distributed to 13 families with dementia. On that occasion, an educational psychological workshop was held in the Bread of Life premises with caregivers of the demented, as well as a parallel occupational therapy workshop with a demented family members.

The second activity was carried out in the local community of Mali Mokri Lug in the open space in front of the local community, as well as in the interior premises of the association of pensioners Mali Mokri lug. Our goal was to make the residents, of the local community aware of the existence of this disease, which is increasingly present among the elderly population, and of the particularly difficult situation in which each one of us, can find themselves in, as caregivers of dementia sufferers.

Residents were informed about the types of support provided, by Bread of Life, to these families and individuals (counseling center with medical professionals, workshops, diapers) as well as organizations that are part of the Support Network for families with memeber suffering from dementia (Volunteer Service of Zvezdare, "Destigma").

WORLD HEART DAY MARKED

• Septembar 29, 2022

On Thursday, September 29, Bread of Life took part in the celebration of the World Heart Day, organized by the city municipality of Zvezdara.

The event was visited by municipality chamber representative Dr. Gordana Misev, who has said that according to the population statistics for coronary syndrome, 56,610 people died in Serbia from this diseases or disease of the heart and blood vessels in 2021.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the leading cause of death in Serbia. Most heart disease is caused by risk factors that can be controlled and treated such as: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity and diabetes. For this reason, municipality Zvezdara has been carrying out measures and activities aimed at emphasizing the importance of prevention of heart and blood vessel diseases for years - said Dr. Gordana Misev.

The goal of this event was raising awareness of the importance of carring for our own health in everyday life, especially about the causes and consequences of cardio-vascular problems, recognition of the first symptoms, the importance of blood pressure control, indications and consequences of improper diet and other physical irregularities.

The event was lead and organized by the Volunteer Service Center Zvezdara in partnership with the associations "Everyone on the scales" and "Bread of Life", with the participation of students and professors of the Medical School from Zvezdara.

The professional associate of "Bread of Life" with the support of the students of the Medical School checked the blood pressure of the residents who came, and also blood sugar level, and materials on free activities in the field of public health care were also available at the Association's front desk, to everyone.

Bread of Life supported the petition establishing the right to a day care center for adults and elderly people with dementia

• September 21, 2022

On September 21, the International Day of the Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease was marked on the Main Square in Belgrade. Organized by the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease and the Red Cross of Serbia under the slogan "Get to know dementia, get to know Alzheimer's disease".

This important event was in light of the submission of a petition for the opening of a day care center for those suffering from dementia, in the city of Belgrade.

On that day, the petition was submitted to the Secretariat for Social Security of the City of Belgrade.

Radmila Urošević addressed those present on the Square in addition to the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality and the representative of the organizers on behalf of the Support Network of Families with dementia, who pointed out that the members of the Network (Christian Humanitarian Association Bread of Life, Volunteer Service Center Zvezdara, as well as Association Okrilje and Destigma), which was founded 6 years ago, all these years have been caring for the families of those with dementia.

The formation of the network was followed by many years of work by volunteers in the field, during which the needs and problems of informal caregivers were recognized, also the needs of the long term care caregivers, and they were made visible. She also addressed that Bread of Life and Volunteer service Center, who plan preventive and educatoinal workshops, have in sight that an increase in depression is in direct correlation with the onset of dementia problems and Alzheimer's disease.

There are about 30,000 people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia in Belgrade today. It is estimated that in 2030 there will be 43,000.

Day care for dementia sufferers is not a luxury but a necessity of modern man. Projections are that in less than ten years, the City of Belgrade will have around 170,000 people who will either be directly or indirectly affected by this disease. We can expect that many of us will either get sick or be caregivers.

Since the Bread of Life with its social partners in the Network has been very dedicated to this important topic for 6 years, it joined the Petition as one of the group's signatory organizations and during the past period was actively involved in the campaign to collect signatures for the Petition.

After the speaker's address, a "Dance to Remember" was held, in which members of the Historical Dance Lovers' Club danced with young dancers and the dance group "Starogradska Srbija".

At this event, the desks of: the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease, the Red Cross of Belgrade, the Network (Bread of Life and Voluntary Service of Zvezdar) and Caritas Serbia were set up, where informative and promotional materials were distributed about the activities of these organizations in the field of dementia prevention and support for sufferers and relatives whose members suffer from this disease.

Bread of Life marked the International Day of the Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease

• September 21, 2022

On the occasion of September 21 - the International Day of the Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease, Bread of Life, in cooperation with the city municipality of Zvezdara and social partners from the support network for fammilies with demented member (Volunteer Service of Zvezdara, association Okrilje and association "Destigma") and the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease organized a forum on the topic "The importance of prevention and preservation of the general health of dementia sufferers and their caregivers".

On behalf of the city municipality of Zvezdara, those present at the forum were greeted by the deputy president of Zvezdara municipality Dragana Đurić, who pointed out that by marking this day, Zvezdara municipality and the Voluntary Service of Zvezdara want to provide support to all families who face many challenges that this disease brings every day, stressing that they will continue to support public health in the future and has called for further cooperation.

In addition to representatives of the municipality, Bread of Life (Association Secretary Slavica Stanković) and Zvezdara Volunteer Service (Radmila Urošević), experts spoke at the forum: prim. Dr. Dragana Trifunović Balanović, who spoke on the topic "The importance of prevention and preservation of the general health of dementia sufferers and their caregivers" and Dr. Ljubica Vidić, neuropsychiatrist, who spoke on the topic "Prevention of the mental health of caregivers".

Karmen Gordić, an informal caregiver, shared her experience in caring for a person suffering from dementia, and Ljiljana Nestorović, a representative of the Informal Network and Support Program for Families Suffering from Dementia, which has been bringing together the aforementioned organizations for six years, spoke about the existing activities in the Network and their importance for caregivers.

The meeting is part of the project activities of the Christian humanitarian association "Bread of Life" under the name "Life with Dementia" co-financed by municipality Zvezdar as part of a public tender in 2022.

In the second part of the program, in the hall of the municipality of Zvezdara, an info desk was set up, of the Voluntary Service of Zvezdara, Christian humanitarian association "Bread of Life", association "Hertz" and "All on scale" association, where information materials about the existing support programs of the Informal Network and other programs were available to residents about support intended for families who have a member suffering from dementia, and associations that implement programs in the field of public health and about their volunteers.

The gathering was intended for elderly Zvezdara residents and members of pensioners' associations, civil associations and those whose work is focused on the problems of the elderly, as well as families of dementia sufferers.

Some of the recommendations and conclusions from the forum:

1. Screening examinations should be organized for the population 60+, as well as early examinations when the first symptoms of memory problems are recognized in a family member,

2. Family members who have indications that their member is suffering from dementia should insist on a complete diagnosis from the selected doctor (mental test, laboratory analysis - mandatory analysis, B12 in the blood, thyroid gland examination, examination by a psychologist, etc.),

3. Since the risk of dementia increases with aging, it is necessary to support as many prevention programs as possible through programs of greater involvment and socialization, development of interests, hobbies and personal skills that will include the elderly population,

4. Improve cooperation with associations of pensioners and associations whose activities are focused on the problems of aging and the elderly population,

5. To consider launching an initiative for long-term caregivers to receive financial compensation based on the model of foster parents or parents of children with disabilities,

6. The lack and need to establish social services of day care centers for patient care was highlighted, which would significantly relieve families, primarily in terms of work engagement and personal needs.

Invitation to joint commemoration of the International Day against Alzheimer's disease

• September 21, 2022

The Brad of Life association and the City Municipality of Zvezdara, in cooperation with social partners - the Support Network for Families with members with dementia, and the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease, will mark September 21st - the International Day of the Fight against Alzheimer's Disease.

On this occasion, on Wednesday, September 21, in the Zvezdara municipality building in the Great Hall on the 1st floor, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., a forum will be organized on the topic "The importance of prevention and preservation of the general health of dementia patients and their caregivers".

The gathering is part of the activities of the "LIFE WITH DEMENTIA" project, which was organized by Bread of Life and approved by municipality Zvezdar as part of a public tender service projects in 2022.
In addition to representatives of the Zvezdara municipality, the experts will also speak at the panel: Dr. Dragana Trifunović Balanović and Dr. LJubica Vidić, neuropsychiatrist, Nada Satarić, MSc from the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease, also informal caregivers who will share their experience in caring for a person suffering from dementia, as well as representatives of the Informal Network and Support Program for families suffering from dementia, which have been gathering organizations for last six years, such as Bread of Life, Voluntary Service of Zvezdara "Okrilje", and "Destigma".

All interested residents, and caregivers of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, are all welcome.

Promotion of the project "Life with dementia" in the municipality of Zvezdara

• September 16, 2022

On Friday, September 16, the Christian humanitarian association "Bread of Life" promoted the project "Life with Dementia" co-financed and supported by the City Municipality of Zvezdara on the plateau of Cvetkova market in the period from 09:00 am to 13:00 pm.

The goal of this activity was to inform residents about the first symptoms of dementia, the importance of family support and existing models of support.
Passers-by and the residents of Zvezdara were given info material - brochures, flyers with useful information on the topic of dementia.
The residents discussed the specific problems faced by families with a demented member and how many challenges the caregivers of these persons face.

This was also a great opportunity to offer the residents of Zvezdara to sign the petition "Dementia does not choose" to exercise the right to day care for dementia sufferers in Belgrade. A large number of residents showed interest in supporting this action.
The initiative to start the petition "Dementia does not choose" came from the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's disease, and we are the signatories of the petition - associations and organizations dealing with elderly people.

Camps were organized for children and youth in Tekeris

• August 10, 2022

The Christian humanitarian association "Bread of Life" owns a recreational and educational center that covers an area of ​​about 3 hectares on a beautiful landscape of an old estate in the small town of Tekerish, below the very top of Mount Cer at an altitude of 300m.

Our vision is for the property to become, a place where children and the youth, from poorer families from Belgrade, but also from all parts of Serbia, would be able to organize activities in the field of recreation and sports, activities with various educational content and also socializing activities. Also, as part of the psycho-social programs of the Bread of Life for adults and the elderly, field trips with programs of appropriate content could also be organized for them.

After a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bread of Life organized three camps this year for around 80 children and youth.
The first was a youth camp organized by the Baptist Church from Belgrade from April 15 to 17, 2022.
Then a children's camp in cooperation with the organization "Skripta". The camp was held from June 25 to 30, 2022.
The third camp was for children of immigrants from Russia in the period from July 15 to 20th, 2022.

"Bread of Life" ensemble at the international folklore festival in Ohrid

• July 20, 2022

The folklore group of the club "Warm Corner" within our association "Bread of Life" received an invitation from the Folklore Association "IGRAOREC" from Skopje to participate in the International Folklore Festival in Ohrid in the period 08-12 July, 2022.

Together with our ensemble, members of the folklore group "Starogradska Srbija" and the folklore group GCB Gavrilo Princip traveled from Serbia.

In addition to senior groups from Serbia, folklore groups from Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland and North Macedonia also took part in the festival.

The "Bread of Life" ensemble, which included a total of 13 seniors, performed on July 10 and presented folklore dances from Šumadija choreographed by Milutin Veličković. At the end of the choreography, huge applause followed and the presentation of certificates of appreciation, followed.

The seniors also used their stay in Ohrid to visit the cultural and historical sights of this part of Macedonia.

It was a nice gathering to mutual encouragement, and in support for active aging.

Presentation of the Life with Dementia project in the Zvezdara municipality

• July 8, 2022

The Christian humanitarian association Bread of Life presented the "Life with Dementia" project last week (July 4-8) to the associations of pensioners and representatives of the local communities in the Zvezdara municipality.

The project is co-financed by the municipality of Zvezdara. On the occasion of the presentation, of the project, the employees of Bread of Life visited: Zvezdara Pensioners' Association, "Third Age" Pensioners' Association, local community center Novo Mirijevo and local coummunity center Mirijevo.

In a pleasant conversation, with representatives of associations and local communities, we presented activities of the Bread of Life with special emphasis on the problem of dementia, which is increasingly affecting the elderly population, also the difficulties that caregivers of demented persons, are facing, were mentioned.

The presentation was organized in the courtyard of the Mirijevo Municipal Health Center with the support of the Association of Pensioners "Third age", which was well attended.
On that occasion, in the premises of the local community, fellow residents of Mirijevo could check their blood pressure and blood sugar level.
During all the mentioned visits and activities, info material and brochures were distributed, with detailed information on the forms of support for families with dementia, that are offered, by the Bread of Life and members of the Network that brings together organizations that deal with this problem, the Zvezdara Volunteer Service Center, and the citizens' association "Destigma"...

Anyone interested can contact Bread of Life at 060 553 5896, on working days from 09:00 h to 15:00 h.

Performance of the Bread of Life ensemble at the Zemun bay

• June 29, 2022

The ensemble of the club for seniors, which is gathered by Bread of Life within the club "Warm corner", had a performance on the Zemun bay on the occasion of "Vidovdan", June 28th.


At the invitation of the local municipality of Zemun, the seniors of the ensemble "Bread of Life" performed several famous choreographies in traditional costumes, to the great delight, of all present and passers-by.


Despite the high summer temperatures, the seniors showed all that they had practiced hard for months in their folklore sections within the "Warm corner" club.

The next performance is announced for the folklore festival in Ohrid (North Macedonia), from July 8 to 11.

Successful completion of the school year for Roma children from the "Educational Support" program

• June 28, 2022

Together with the Roma children from the settlement in Surčin, Bread of Life marked the end of the 2021/2022 school year.

During this year, teachers and Roma assistants provided learning assistance to 74 children, aged from I to VIII grades. 8 of them finished the class with excellent grades, and 15 with very good grades.

VIII grade students were also successful. Eight of them, with whom the Bread of Life worked throughout the year, enrolled in high school.

We are especially happy that one of the students who was our assistant/class leader in working with children, has enrolled at a university this year. She is a great example and encouragement in education for all future generations of schoolchildren, as well as a confirmation of the importance of the project and the help we provide to Roma children in Surčin.

This success is, among other things, the result of the good cooperation that Bread of Life has with the elementary school "22. October" and good communication and the effort of encouraging parents, of children, about the importance of children's education.

Support for families of demented persons in cooperation with the municipality of Zvezdara

• June 24, 2022

The Christian Humanitarian Association Bread of Life obtained a renewal of a project called "Life with Dementia" at the public competition, of the municipality of Zvezdara, in the field of public health.

On Thursday, June 23, in the premises of the Bread of Life, a distribution of diapers was organized for people with dementia, with whom our association has been working for a long time.

The procurement and distribution of diapers for adults is part of the "Life with Dementia" project co-financed by municipality of Zvezdara and will be repeated in the second part of the project in September. Diapers were provided for 16 families.

Along with the distribution of diapers, expert associates of Bread of Life - neuropsychiatrists and occupational therapists held a workshop in the form of occupational therapy with demented persons (memory games, puzzles, etc.) as well as counseling caregivers/family members about current problems that accompany the care of a member suffering from dementia.

Anyone interested in this type of assistance can contact Bread of Life at phone number 060 553 5896, every working day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A workshop was held on the occasion of the World Environment Day

• June 9, 2022

On Thursday, 9th of June, 2022 Bread of Life hosted activities of the Center for Sustainable Development and Traffic Safety, again. In the second part of the project "Life,we enjoy", which is co-financed by the budget of the City Municipality of Zvezdara, the Center carried out a workshop on the occasion of the World Environment Day.

The program consisted of a short educational videos, exchange of ideas and an interesting quiz. It was accompanied by beautiful videos with motifs from nature, with enchanting music that brought our seniors back to their youth.

The topic of the workshop attracted the attention of about 20 senior users of Bread of Life club activities, who enthusiastically presented their observations from the environment and ways one can take personal action in environmental protection. With refreshments and occasional gifts, the participants did not hide their satisfaction and desire to have such programs more often in the future.

On May 24th, a panel discussion was held in Rakovica on the topic "Existing model of support for the families of people with dementia"

• Маy 27, 2022

Christian Humanitarian Organization "Bread of Life", with the support of members of the network for help and support of the caregivers of those suffering from dementia, and the network Humana-s, was the organizer of the forum which as part of it's Project objectives aimed to raise awareness among citizens, and social partners, about the rising problem of dementia, developing continuous and free types of help and support services for families, for caregivers of those suffering from dementia, and providing information on the existence of the work of the Informal Network.
The forum was accredited by the Chamber of Social Protection and was attended by stated participants, employees in the social protection sector, civil society representatives and seniors as those benefiting from such services.
Meeting began with the performance and the singing done by folklore group of the ensemble "Bread of Life".
Participants of the forum were greeted at the beginning by Vesna Čingelić, member of the Municipal Council in charge of social protection and Smiljka Đorđević, head of Rakovica City Center for Social Work in Belgrade, expressing profound satisfaction that this gathering with an important topic, that is increasingly becoming our reality, was being held in the Municipality of Rakovica.
Network of support and assistance, to families with dementia gathered in 2016, organization "Bread of Life", Volunteer Service Zvezdara, and the association "Destigma", who have lots of experience in working with informal caregivers, and those caregivers are usually the sole bearers of the long-term care and care for the family member who has suffered from some form of dementia (those caregivers are mainly: spouses, children and relatives).
For this kind of individuals and families that the system does not recognize or does not have an adequate social response, such as the problem of people with some form of dementia and their families, the Informal Network has established a model that has been implemented continuously for almost six years. most importantly - it gives them the necessary feeling that they are not alone.
Eminent experts in the field of dementia spoke at the gathering: prof. Dr. Aleksandra Milićević Kalašić, City Institute of Gerontology and Faculty of Communication and Media, Dr. Ljubica Vidić, specialist in psychiatry, head of the Cabinet for the Third Age of the Institute of Mental Health and the Association of Citizens Destigma, Slavica Golubović, MA, psychiatrist, Gerontology Center Belgrade, Slavica Stanković, social worker, executive secretary of the Bread of Life, Radmila Urošević, coordinator of the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara, Danijela Kuljanin from the City Institute for Public Health - Belgrade, Natasa Todorović, master of public health, Serbian Red Cross, and Nadežda Satarić, MA, Citizens' Association "Strength" friendship "and the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease.
Here are some of the conclusions and recommendations from this conference:

•  Dementia is becoming more and more a problem of modern man because the number of patients is continuously increasing and the age limit is lowering so that the "memory problem" is no longer just a disease that is "packaged" with the aging man,
•  We are still talking only about the estimates of patients, since there is no necessary register of patients, and we can only talk about estimates that say that there are at least 100,000 people in Serbia, of which at least a third are in Belgrade. To this number it should added what is verified - and the number of their family members,
•  In the coming period, special attention should be paid to the promotion and implementation of prevention programs that will reduce and delay the problem of dementia in the general population.
•  The Network's experience in providing intervention and support at home, counseling and occasional help, in terms of adult diaper packages, and providing some "breeding time" for carers has proven to be an adequate help in solving complex problems of carers and their families.

Interested families who have a member with dementia can turn for help to the office of the "Bread of Life" at the phone number 060/553 5896, as well as the office of the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara (every Friday from 12 to 14 hours) on the phone number 011/286 4426

THE INTERNATIONAL FAMILY DAY WAS MARKED ON THE PLATEAU IN FRONT OF ZVEZDAR

• Маy 13, 2022

On Friday, May 13th, organization Bread of Life, traditionally participated in the event, marking the International Family Day, organized by the Zvezdara Volunteer Service Center and the Office for Assistance to Persons with Disabilities, with partner associations, with the aim of promoting family values ​​and informing citizens about existing programs of support for families in everyday life.

On that occasion, the expert associates of the Bread of Life informed the interested citizens about the growing problem of dementia and the importance of the family, in caring for a sick member, and about support programs for the families of these vulnerable groups. Useful info materials intended for families caring for their member suffering from some form of dementia were also distributed, as well as materials of an informative nature in general.

At the stand of the Bread of Life, the interested passers-by could measure their blood pressure, and have it checked and their blood sugar levels as well.

Thus, Bread of Life started the implementation of the project Life with Dementia, which is co-financed by the Municipality "Zvezdara" and will last until October.

For all information related to support for families with a demented member, contact phone is 060-55-35-896.

Lecture on "Existing model of support for families of people with dementia"

• Маy 13, 2022

Christian Humanitarian Organization "Bread of Life", the Informal Network of supporters for Families with Dementia and the HumanS Network are organizing a panel discussion on the topic "Existing model of support for families of people with dementia"

City Municipality of Rakovica st. Miska Kranjca 12 Assembly Hall / May 24, 2022 at 12:00 The lecturers at the forum are eminent experts with experience in the field of mental health care for the elderly and representatives of the civil sector.

"Bread of Life", Volunteer Service "Zvezdara", Organization "Okrilje" and Organization "Destigma" are members of the Informal Network, and are implementing a program of help and support, for families caring for a family member who has dementia where the program will be presented at the meeting.

We expect the arrival of other professionals, representatives of institutions and associations.
Interested families with a member with dementia are also invited.
The program is accredited by the Chamber of Social Welfare.

Support for families with a demented member, contact phone 060-55-35-896
Admission is free!

The bread of life marked World Health Day

• April 11, 2022

On Thursday, April 7th, on the plateau in front of the Belgrade Academy of Business and Art Vocational Studies (BAPUSS), a traditional event was held to mark the World Health Day, organized by the Municipality of Zvezdara. The event was attended by the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara, the associations "Baby Center", "Bread of Life", "Hertz", "Space", "Everyone on the Scales" and "Woman Plus".

On behalf of the Municipality of Zvezdara, Gordana Mišev, a member of the Municipal Council, addressed the audience, thanking her fellow citizens for coming to mark this event, and on that occasion she pointed out that improving public health is one of the priorities of Municipality Zvezdara.

At the stand of the Association "Bread of Life", free blood pressure and blood sugar measurements were offered to all interested individuals, as well as, counseling with experts from the Program of Supporting Families with Dementia. At this event fliers and brochures were also given, with the subject of "Early signs of Dementia", with a hope to raise awarenes about his topic, as it needs to be considered more seriously by general public.

The whole event was completed by the performance and by singing by the folklore ensemble "Bread of Life", as they wore traditional costumes.

ASSISTANCE TO ROMA FAMILIES IN THE SETTLEMENT ON THE IBAR HIGHWAY

• March 21, 2022

On Friday, March 18, in the Roma settlement (OMW pump - Ibar highway) in Belgrade, Bread of Life organized the distribution of humanitarian aid in cooperation with the Coordinator for Roma Affairs of the Municipality of Čukarica.

32 families received help with clothes, shoes, children's toys, food and hygiene.

Individual and group counseling for caregivers of people with dementia

• Mach 14, 2022

Developing its long-standing program "Social services for the elderly and the promotion of active aging", Bread of Life since 2016 in its work focuses on dementia and assistance to caregivers of people with dementia.

In that particular year, an informal Network for support of families with a demented member was founded, which in addition to our association also includes the associations "Okrilje", Zvezdara Volunteer Service Center and the Association "Destigma" which provides assistance to the elderly with mental disorders.

With the emergence of the pandemic Covid 19, the need to help caregivers of people with dementia was growing, therefore Bread of Life managed to launch the project "Digitization and psychological and mobile support for the elderly in Belgrade" with the help of it's partner Brot fur die Welt.
Within the mentioned project, Bread of Life organizes an individual and group counseling for caregivers of people with dementia every month (in the months with a highier infection rate, of coronavirus, the counseling center organized counseling over the Phone and Viber application).
The counseling is conducted by a team of experts in these fields - psychiatrist, nurse and occupational therapist with many years of experience in credible institutions dealing with mental health disorders.

All those who are interested and want to know more about counseling, support for caregivers of people with dementia, workshops and other activities can call us at 060 / 553-58-96 every working day from 09h-15h.

Psychosocial support workshops for the elderly

• March 1, 2022

As part of the project "Digitalization and psychological and mobile support for the elderly in Belgrade", Bread of Life organizes workshops for psychosocial support to all interested elderly people, conducted by a team of experts from the Center for Lifelong Learning "Esse".

In January and March of this year, a total of nine workshops were held in the premises of the club for seniors at 28 Brsjacka Street. Some of the topics covered in this period were:"Caring about yourself and how to get attention the right way", "Developement of interaction and motivation", "Loneliness and solitude", "Our emotions and how to deal with them", "Our good and bad habits - and what can we do about them", "Our personal rights and responsibilities and our relationships with others"...
The workshops have encouraged communication and exchange of experiences by seniors, many personal examples were shared from everyday life by participants, everyone was encouraged to take the opportunity to apply the advices in their life, or advise someone else, and to learn from the examples of others, also learning to adapt in a healthy way to current events, was also covered.
Seniors also had an opportunity for the individual talk with psychologists-lecturers on a topic that was discussed.
The planned dates of the next workshops are, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11 am to 12 noon in the club for seniors of the Bread of Life located in Zvezdara, Brsjacka 28. The workshops are free. All Interested seniors can join these workshops or call us at 060 553 5896 .

Bread of Life attended the presentation of the project "Step to a smile"

• February 28, 2022

On Friday, February 25, in the premises of the club for seniors of the Bread of Life at (Brsjačka 28), a presentation of the project "Schneider - one step to a smile" was held, which was jointly organized by the Hertz Association and the "Cap for a Handicap".

The subject of the project is the development of products in the field of assistive technologies that make everyday life easier for people with disabilities, but also other vulnerable categories such as (people in rehabilitation, the elderly, people with autism).

On this occasion, some products were donated to our organization for the needs of the most endangered elderly, and the users with various difficulties, which are part of Bread of Life. Through this event, the idea of ​​a possible joint cooperation, of making aids for the users of the Bread of Life services, ie. elderly people with certain physical health problems, were being discussed as well.

Presents for children in the Roma settlement of Cukaricka padina

• December 31, 2021

Bread of Life has once again responded to the call for help, for the children from the Roma settlement in the municipality of Cukarica, where a fire broke out in March this year due to an electric spark from the transmission line.
In cooperation with the municipality of Cukarica and the Coordinator for Roma Affairs we visited this settlement on December 30 and on that occasion we distributed New Year's presents to all children in the settlement, 24 of them.
Thanks to the donor Brot des Lebens from Germany, we managed to bring some joy and happiness to children from this settlement.

Distribution of presents in Roma kindergarten

• December 30, 2021

For the children who are part of the preschool program that "Bread of Life" is implementing in Zemun, a distribution of 15 Christmas packages was organized.

On this occasion, the end of the year, and the end of the first semester were joyfully remembered.

Christmas presents are greately appreciated by all children and we thank from our hearts to all who made them possible. These presents were made available through Brot des Lebens from Germany.

We wish you wonderful holidays, and lots of good health, joy and success in the New Year 2022.

Presents distributed to Roma children from the Support in education programme

• December 29, 2021

Bread of Life has distributed presents to Roma children in Surcin, who are part of Support in Education programme with whome it also worked throughout the school year. A total of 90 presents were distributed.
Unfortunately, due to the current epidemiological situation, we had to distribute the packages individually or in small groups, which did not diminish the great joy that children had, as every year.
In this way, we ended the first half of the school year.

Happy New Year 2022, to all who follow our work and rejoice in our successes.

Psychological support for the Bread of Life staff

• December 7, 2021

As a socially responsible association that cares for both service users and employees, Bread of Life has launched a series of workshops for employees called "Rresisting the Stress" thanks to its donor Brot fur die Welt, who provided additional support during the pandemic.
Psychological support workshops are organized in order to provide all employees in the professional team who are dedicated to performing various tasks in the field of supporting activities, with additional empowerment and support in their daily challenging work, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The aim of these workshops is to acquire knowledge and skills that would help employees improve models and strategies to better cope with everyday business challenges that simultaneously affect their physical and mental health, and satisfaction in performing their everyday tasks.
On Thursday, December 2, the first workshop on "Stress and causes of stress" was held for three hours by experts of the Hertz Association team.
The workshop was attended by 13 employees of the Bread of Life.

Warm knitted gifts for the children from the Shelter

• December 2, 2021

Continuing the long tradition, and on the eve of the upcoming holidays, gifts and socializing was organized for the children and the youth that are cared for, at the Belgrade Children's Shelter, and volunteers from the Zvezdara Volunteer Service Center and the "Bread of Life" prepared knitted gifts for all the children, and these were distributed through creative workshops at the Service Center in November.

Unlike previous years, when children together with workshop volunteers made wool knitted items themselves, for the upcoming cold days, this year due to the epidemiological situation, the donation was only distributed to the children, with the approval of the Secretariat for Social Security.

Unique wool patterns made children really happy and they in turn have instantly created a small wool fashion show at the shelter, from which they sent us photos. Along with the gifts, the children were delighted by the attention and for the thoughtfulness, from the volunteers and for knowing that someone else was thinking of them.
We have gladly made a promise - as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, we will continue with our joint workshops, to the joy of the children and the volunteers.

New place for a workshop for Roma children in Surcin

• December 1, 2021

With the intention of expanding its work with marginalized Roma children, Bread of Life provided a new space, second of it's kind, in the center of Surcin.
In the famous "Sweet Alley", Bread of Life has leased a space that will be a new center for school children, for those of higher grades of primary school and those going to a secondary school. The space is equipped with the computers in the form of an IT classroom in which IT workshops are going to be organized, use of the internet will also be thought, as well as it will be use for following of the online lectures which are more utilized by schools and more and more are needed by young Roma of this age group.

IT workshops are planned to be led by teachers from the school "22.October" in Surcin, and to be used by children who are lagging behind with the school material or for children who are particularly advanced in their regular schooling. It is also planned that other similar activites would be organized by volunteers from the Association of Young Volunteers, and the Roma Media Center.
At this time students from 5th to 8th grade come to this IT classrom for workshops to help them with learning, and on average 5 to 8 of them, on a daily basis.

In addition to this, Bread of Life continues to offer workshops to support the education of Roma children, of those from I to IV grade - and to help them with homework, preparation for final exams, or higher level education entrance exams at the same Roma Center in Surcin.

Distribution of diapers to caregivers of people with dementia

• Novembar 15, 2021

The Bread of Life, within the "Care for the Elderly" program, has placed special emphasis, on supporting people with Alzheimer's disease (dementia) as well as their carers. Caregivers are often family members who are adults, and to whome every kind of support means a lot.

At the public tender in the field of public health in the municipality of Zvezdara, Bread of Life received support for the implementation of the project "Improving the quality of life of families with dementia". Thanks to this donation, Bread of Life provided and distributed 30 packages of diapers for the elderly suffering from dementia.

The diapers were given to the caregivers of demented family members with whom the Bread of Life maintains regular contact, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. For that reason, the Bread of Life, as part of its regular activities, continues with counseling for caregivers of demented people with the help of professional associates - neuropsychiatrists, occupational and occupational therapists, health care specialists in psychiatry, and other doctors.

If you are interested in this type of support (personal or through telephone counseling) or you know someone who needs help or are taking care of a demented family member, call us at 060 / 553-58-96 every working day from 09:00 to 15:00.

Digital literacy programme for Seniors during a pandemic time

• November 15, 2021

Thanks to its long-term partner Brot fur die Welt in Germany, Bread of Life is implementing the project "Digital literacy and psychological and mobile support for the elderly in Belgrade" which aims to help elderly to overcome the isolation and psychological pressure caused by the pandemic of Covid 19.
As part of the project, Bread of Life is organizing computer workshops - digital literacy for seniors to make certain online services more accessible to them during a pandemic: scheduling doctors appointments, receiving vaccination reports, searching for medications, ordering food and other services in accordance with their needs and interests.
Computer workshops are organized in the premises of the club for seniors, at Brsjacka 28 in Zvezdara (near Cvetkova market).

On this occasion, We would like to invite all interested seniors who would like to join us, to call 060 / 553-58-96 every working day from 09:00 to 15:00 .
Workshops are free and everyone is welcome.

Psycho-social support for seniors during a pandemic time

• November 10, 2021

Recognizing the challenges that seniors have been facing since the beginning of the pandemic - traveling restrictions, isolation, fear of infection, loneliness due to the reduced contact with family members, limited access to health services, etc., therefore Bread of Life launched psycho-social support workshops within the project "Digital literacy and psychological and mobile support for the elderly in Belgrade" with the help of donor Brot fur die Welt from Germany.

Center for Lifelong Learning "Esse", with its team of psychologists, held workshops for psycho-social support for the members of the club "Warm Corner", twice a week in the premises of the Bread of Life, 28 Brsjacka Street (near Cvetkova market).
In accordance with the expressed desires of seniors, the workshops were designed so that participants could learn how to deal with the emotions that occur in certain crisis situations, and how they could deal with them, and later to learn how to adopt functional and healthy ways of dealing with various challenging situations and difficult circumstances associated with the pandemic.
The most common emotions that participants claimed to experience during a pandemic are fear and anxiety. Workshop facilitators were helping seniors to distinguish between fear which paralyzes a person in their thinking, and causes them to panic, and a harmful feelings and behaviors such as (stress, anxiety, depression, isolation) and to differentiate between healthy practical caution, and healthy concerns, and rational behavior in a given situation (health protection, compliance with measures, engaging in activities that are not risky for health, etc.) as a healthy response to challenges involved.
If you are interested in joining these workshops, which can be organized in a group, or if necessary through the Viber application, call us 060 / 553-58-96 each working day from 09h-15h .

Workshops are free and everyone is welcome.

SENIORS OF THE BREAD OF LIFE CLUB ON A TRIP TO VRSAC

• October 21, 2021

On Thursday, October 21, a group of seniors from the "Warm Corner" club was on a one-day trip to Vrsac. The group consisted mostly of members of the folklore group, 12 of them, and on that occasion they visited the center of the city of Vrsac, the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, the Vrsac Cathedral (the second in size in the former republic of Yugoslavia), the City Museum in which the greatest impression on them was made by exhibition of the paintings by Paja Jovanović, as well as all exhibits and excavations from the territory of the town of Vršac.
The seniors also got acquainted with the shorter unpublished compositions of Jovan Sterija Popovic and with the other famous people born in this Banat town. The Curator of the museum introduced the group to the history of the city of Vršac.
They had lunch in the restaurant "Rab" in the center of Vrsac. All members were very pleased with how they spent a wonderful a warm autumn day in a city with diverse cultural and historical content.

BREAD OF LIFE CELEBRATES CHILDREN'S WEEK IN THE PROGRAM "SUPPORT IN EDUCATION OF ROMA CHILDREN"

• October 5, 2021

This year as well, Bread of Life, within it's program "Support in education of Roma children" has celebrated the week dedicated to children, under the slogan "Children are Children, for you to love and understand".

Together with the organization "Children's Village", Bread of Life has organized, on this occasion many activities with Roma children of which the youngest were preschool age, and the activities included - board games, creative work in which children made collages from paper with autumn motifs and the like.

Due to the current epidemiological situation, the activities were performed in the yard, ie outdoors, with respect to all epidemiological measures.

The goal of Children's Week is to promote importance of quality education and to raise an awareness and the need for the equal rights, for children from vulnerable groups (minorities, rural children, Roma children and children with disabilities).

BREAD OF LIFE PARTICIPATED IN THE CELEBRATION OF SEPTEMBER 21 - INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

• Septembar 21, 2021

On Tuesday, 21.September, Bread of Life has marked the International Day of fight against Alzheimer's Disease together with the representatives from the Municipality of Zvezdara, while at the same time respecting all epidemiological measures.
This years goal was to underline that there is the sharp rise in the number of those diagnosed with dementia, that there is insufficient help and support for such patients, and to help improve the partnership and cooperation between the state and civil sector…
On this occasion, a panel discussion has taken place in the hall of the municipality of Zvezdara on "How to recognize the first symptoms of dementia and how to become a part of an active program of support and assistance to families with dementia." Speakers were: representatives of the Municipality of Zvezdara, Dr. Ljubica Vidic, neuropsychiatrist from Destigma, Professor Dr. Aleksandra Milicevic Kalasic from the City Institute of Gerontology, Ljiljana Nestorovic, andragogue from HHU Bread of Life, Aleksandra Jovanovic from the Serbian Association for Alzheimer's Disease and Milos Todorovic from Red Cross of Serbia.
After the presentation, on the plateau in front of the municipality of Zvezdara, the stands were set up with info materials from the speakers who implement support programs within the Network of help and support to families with dementia, which were - Volunteer service Zvezdara, HHU Bread of Life, UG Okrilje, UG Destigma as well as members of the HumanaS network.
In addition to the information made available, visitors had the opportunity to apply for help that is free of charge and provided by phone, at home or in the premises of the Volunteer Service Center (BKA 395, tel. 2864426) also at Bread of Life, Brsjačka 28, tel 0605535896, 011/2443540) as well as receive help in form of diapers for demented members of family.

BREAD OF LIFE SENIORS’ CLUB AT THE FOLKLORE FESTIVAL IN LOZNICA

• August 9, 2021

On August 7, members of the folklore group of the Warm Corner club, together with the folklore group Cukarica, participated in the Fifth Folklore Festival in Loznica, in the village of Bradic.
On the way to Bradic the group visited Trsic, the birthplace of Vuk Karadzic. The seniors were especially impressed by the history of this part of Serbia.
The festival was attended by folklore groups from different cities across Serbia. The age of those attending was from the youngest to the oldest. Seniors were especially surprised and thrilled by the children, who wore costumes reflecting their cultural heritage and through play and song, were keeping their cultural heritage from dying out.
When it was their turn on the stage the Seniors from Bread of Life presented their part through cultural games from Vranje. They conveyed liveliness and positive energy to the audience, from whom they received a long and rapturous applause.
It was a nice gathering where new friendships, contacts and invitations were made, and invitations offered for the next joint guest appearances and gatherings.

SENIORS’ SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF TEKERIS

• July 11, 2021

On Thursday, July 8, the members of the Bread of Life Warm Corner club for active aging, together with the seniors of the Red Cross Savski Venac Literary Club, and the RVI Writers’ Club went on a one-day trip to Tekeris, with the aim of paying respect to the fighters of the Battle of Cer, and visiting the Memorial Ossuary and the Monument to the World War I fighters in Tekeris.
The trip began with a tour of the Memorial Ossuary Complex. After the curator of the complex presented all the information about the place, the Red Cross writers Savski Venac club and members of the Bread of Life literary group presented their literary works in literature and prose. The literary group presented four very strong and picturesque literary works:

•  A poem - Heroes from Corfu - the work of Mrs. Mira Lilic
•  ‘Floral wreath for the Warriors’, the composition of Mrs. Jovanka Dimitrijevic, a prized work in the Bread of Life literary competition.
•  ‘Heroes are with us even Today - Confession of one of the Countless’, another work written by Mrs. Veronika Dundjerski also awarded in our competition.
•  ‘Memories of the Heroes of the Battle of Cer' – a newly written work by Vera Nesic, a member of the Bread of Life literary group.

The Literary Club of the Red Cross Savski Venac had three works by their members, a prose composition "Tekerish in World War I, by Mrs. Jelena Masnikosic, "The Story of a Towel" interpreted by Mrs. Ruzica Calic, and ‘Insert from a Monologue’ by Milunka Savic interpreted by Mrs. Mirjana Rajkovic.
The seniors visited the Cer mountain, after which they headed to Camp Tekeris - the rural estate of Bread of Life, where they were served lunch and additional refreshments. A total of 46 seniors attended the trip.

SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED SCHOOL YEAR FOR ROMA CHILDREN IN THE SUPPORT IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME

• June 30, 2021

In a very specific and unfavorable circumstances, due to the corona virus pandemic, the Bread of Life teachers in the Programme of Support in Education and Integration of Roma Children, helped Roma children in Surcin to successfully complete the 2020/21 school year.
In the different circumstances, learning assistance was organized without breaks for 52 children, online or in person when epidemiological conditions permitted. Out of that total, 48 children successfully completed the school year (more than 90%), and four will take the remedial exam in one or two subjects.
From the number of other children who were enrolled in the learning assistance programme at the beginning of the school year but stopped coming for various reasons (loss of motivation due to the pandemic, lack of technical conditions for online teaching, breaks from classes, fear of infection etc.), fifteen of them will take the remedial exam in August, and three will have to retake that school year. This speaks well of how important are the learning and education activities, organized regularly and continuously by Bread of Life, for the children and the Roma community as a whole.
The good news is that in this generation, 12 students finished the eighth grade. Out of these 12 students, eight who regularly came to the preparation classes for the entrance exam held by the Bread of Life teachers, all have decided to enroll in the high school. It is especially commendable that those 8 students were top of their class in taking the high school enrolment exam.
As for the youngest children (from 6 years old) in the Roma settlement in Zemun, out of 12 children who have taken our preparatory programme, 9 were enrolled in the regular preschool system. Once more this has shown that our work, in co-operation with the schools, as well as the interest of the parents, has brought great results for everyone.

THE BREAD OF LIFE SUMMER PROGRAMME INTENDED FOR ROMA SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

• June 30, 2021

During the summer holidays, Bread of Life organized a summer programme for the children who were included in the learning assistance programme. Unfortunately in the past year these activities were not held due to the pandemic. The goal is for the children to spend their free time creatively and to learn something new. This summer, the emphasis was on computer workshops.

Computer workshops
Enabling children to use computers to master school materials has proven to be a priority in the new circumstances caused by the pandemic. It was planned to divide the workshops into two groups - computer playrooms for children of III and IV grade, and workshops for older students. In total, about 30 children were included.
Younger children have learned to use computers in order to be as ready as possible for the next school year, when they start learning the subject of information technology. Older students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge they acquired in school and to learn some skills that are not taught in school, but are useful and fun.
The interest is great and given the number of computers and limited space, the workshops will be organized in several groups of five children each.

Creative workshops
Our lady teachers and a Roma lady assistant organized creative workshops for girl students, based on making various useful objects. The response of the girls for the first workshop was good, and the time spent usefully in the workshop was fun.

Helping Roma children master online school

• May 18, 2021

As part of the "Support in Education" programme which Bread of Life implements with Roma children in Surcin, an IT classroom was started, whose aim is to help children during the Covid 19 pandemic.
Children were provided with better access to school materials through the online platform, which has been especially important for the children from 5th to 7th grade who do not have, or have limited access to, the Internet and online classes. For younger pupils, from I to IV grade, it is now easier to access the materials that will help them to better fulfil the school programme. In this way children also become acquainted with computers and learn, through play, to properly use them. VIII grade and high school students use computers for tasks that involve longer studies and for searching for necessary information. IT workshops have greatly contributed to better preparation on the part of VIII grade children for the final exam.
Workshops for high school students are also being prepared, which will include materials ranging in content from being safe online, to job searches on the Internet, and other content which is of great benefit to this age group of children. The children are very happy with the computers and showed great interest in using them. Currently, the IT classroom is organized for smaller groups of 4 children due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation. Teachers in the programme are also satisfied because children will be more in touch with school and lectures, tasks and materials will be more accessible to them, and the teachers will help children to improve their knowledge in the field of IT technology.
With this kind of work, the quality of children's education will be significantly improved and we believe that the success of Roma children who are part of our educational support programme will be obvious.

Bread of Life has participated in the celebration of the World Health Day

• April 9, 2021

On April 7 the City Municipality of Zvezdara, in co-operation with the City Institute for Public Health, and in accordance with the recommendations of the Municipal Health Council, marked World Health Day with a programme implemented at four points in the city, in the Zvezdara municipality and in the Zvezdara Volunteer Service centre.

At the markets of Đeram, Cvetkova, and Mirijevo, as well as in front of the municipality of Zvezdara, stands were set up where interested citizens could apply for immunization and receive information material about support and health assistance programmes in the Zvezdara municipality.
Bread of Life took part on the plateau of the municipality of Zvezdara and at the Volunteer Service Centre, where we distributed leaflets about the programme we implement - Care for the Elderly, as well as the activities of the Support Network for Families with Dementia.
At the same time, the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara organized the measurement of blood pressure and blood sugar for interested citizens.

The material for measuring glycemia was provided by the company Keprom, which also donated diapers for 15 families involved in caring for a demented member.
In addition to the open telephone counselling of the Counselling Centre for Individuals and Families, the local people also had access to direct counselling with psychosocial support from the professional associations of Bread of Life, as well as the Destigma and Okrilje associations and their volunteers.

BREAD OF LIFE HAS GIVEN SUPPORT TO FAMILIES WHOSE CHILDREN WERE INJURED BY ELECTRIC SHOCK IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CUKARICA

• March 15, 2021

On Friday, March 12, in a Roma settlement in the municipality of Čukarica, seven children were seriously injured in an explosion, which was most likely caused by a power line malfunction.
Seven children aged 3 to 15 were in a serious condition, when they were struck by electricity in the immediate vicinity of their houses. A few days before this accident, a fire had broken out in the same settlement, in which some of the barracks burned down. About 20 families live in the mentioned settlement.

Bread of Life has responded to the appeal for help made by families of the injured children, and on 15th of March, together with the Co-ordinator for the Roma community of Cukarica we delivered help in the form of clothing and other packages designed for children.

DISTRIBUTION OF PRESENTS FOR CHILDREN OF THE PROGRAME "SUPPORT IN EDUCATION OF ROMA COMMUNITY"

• March 15, 2021

The youngest children included in our programme, Support in the Integration of Roma Children, were very happy on Friday 13th of March in Zemun, as they received a total of 30 New Year packages intended for children.
The packages were delivered to children aged 4 and 5 who are preparing for enrolment in a preschool institution and children from previous generations who are now attending the first and second grade of primary school.
Due to the general situation with the Covid19 pandemic, this year's New Year's packages arrived with a significant delay, but we believe that it is never too late to give a gift.
The packages were packed by children from Great Britain for their peers all over the world, and they traditionally contain school supplies, a notebook, a toy, soap, a toothbrush and other small surprises that the children prepared for their friends and peers.
The action of distributing New Year's packages under the banner of the Samaritan Purse organization has been going on for more than 20 years, and so far over 800,000 children in Serbia have received packages.
Packages were also distributed to another 80 school children, from 1st to 8th grade in Surcin, where the second part of our support programme for the integration of Roma children into the school system has been taking place.

“WARM CORNER” CLUB SENIORS WALK ON ADA CIGANLIJA, AS A PART OF THEIR SPORTS-RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

• March 11, 2021

Bread of Life has started certain activities for seniors of Warm Corner club, which were able to be organized within the epidemiological measures imposed by government.
One of these activities was a walk around Ada Ciganlija, organized on every Tuesday at 11.00am. The first of these gatherings was on the February 23rd.
In March two walks were organized so far on the 02 and 09 of the March, and a third is planned for Tuesday the 16th.
Seniors will gather at 11h on Ada Ciganlija.
For now 13 participants of the Warm Corner club have responded and have come to this activity, and each walk is about 7-8 km long, around the whole lake, with necessary breaks and refreshments along the way.
Seniors spend around 3h in good fellowship and socializing with each other. They encourage each other about the importance of physical exercise, restoration of physical stamina, the importance of overall health in the third age of life, and also the importance of the time spent in nature.
Everyone interested to join these activities can call us on the phone number 060 306 0004.

ACTIVITIES IN SUPPORT OF ROMA CHILDREN IN EDUCATION IN FEBRUARY

• March 01, 2021

Bread of Life has continued with its programme called Support of Roma children in Education through different groups, where most children are I to IV grade of school (on average 32 of them) and some children of the VIII grade level, around eight of them.

With children of VIII grade the preparations for the graduation exam have started. This time for them is very challenging as they have to go to school every day, and additionally have online classes when they come home. This is why, besides online education, we also maintain communication via social app Viber to encourage them and check on them.

Despite the studies that they have, the children face a big dilemma as to what school in which to enrol after they graduate from the VIII grade. They contact us in order to get advice about that as well. Bread of Life has so far had a great role in encouraging young Roma students to pursue further education and to help them choose a professional career in the future.

It is important to mention that since 2009, when our first generation was enrolled into high school, 85 students have enrolled, and more than 60 have graduated from high school. This year Bread of Life is working with 13 students of VIII grade education, eight girls and five boys, and our desire is for all of them to enrol in the high school.

SECOND TRAINING OF THE WARM CORNER CLUB SENIORS FOR USING THE ZOOM APPLICATION

• Feb 26, 2021

On Thursday, February 25th, the second training session for seniors of the Warm Corner club in the use of the Zoom application was held. 5 seniors who expressed interest in mastering this increasingly useful application went through the training. In the premises of Bread of Life, where the activities of the club Warm Corner are organized with respect to all epidemiological measures, seniors learned how to install the Zoom application, open an email account, how to start a link to a Zoom meeting, practiced turning on the camera, sound etc. Their meetings, workshops, seminars and other activities in which they were extremely active before the pandemic, will now be able to continue by using the Zoom application. This is one of many ways for them to fill their free time with new content, to reduce the feeling of isolation and loneliness, and to be encouraged through using new digital tools. In the next period, training has been planned for new participants of the Bread of Life club.

DATES OF COUNSELLING FOR DEMENTIA CARERS IN MARCH

• Feb 23, 2021

During the month of February, Bread of Life organized three counselling sessions, for caregivers of demented family members. The last one this month is planned for February 24. Caregivers are usually family members who have lost their strength (physical and mental) due to their all-day care for a demented family member. Therefore professional help, support, practical and caring advice certainly mean a lot to them. The counselling is conducted by experts from the Destigma association - a psychiatrist, occupational therapist and a nurse specializing in working with people with mental health issues. Due to the pandemic counselling has taken place over the phone, which people receive by calling 060/553 5896. We invite all interested caregivers to call the specified phone number in March in the planned three, 2-hour time windows - March 10, 17 and 24 in the period 15h-17h.

ANOTHER TELEPHONE COUNSELLING CENTRE WAS HELD FOR DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

• Feb 12, 2021

On Wednesday February 10, another in a series of counselling sessions took place for those providing care to people with dementia, by experts from the Destigma association , was organized by the Bread of Life.
The counselling session was led by a psychiatrist, occupational therapist and a nurse specializing in work with people with mental health problems.
For safety and epidemiological reasons, the counselling session was organized by phone.
Problems for which advice was sought included: adjustment of existing therapy, patient care, sleep biorhythm, mental tension of the caregivers themselves. Different relaxation techniques were suggested to caregivers.

THE FIRST GROUP OF SENIORS FROM THE WARM CORNER WENT THROUGH TRAINING TO USE THE ZOOM APPLICATION

• Feb 03, 2021

On Wednesday February 3, in the premises of the Warm Corner, Bread of Life organized training for the first group of 5 seniors to use the Zoom application.
Seniors of the Bread of Life Club expressed interest in learning how to use online content such as the Zoom application, as they could hold their meetings, organize virtual gatherings etc. which were denied to them because of the pandemic.
The training aims to empower seniors and encourage them to spend their time in a more creative and meaningful way, to alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Five of them, one of whom is 80 years old, have successfully mastered the installation and use of this increasingly popular application which will help them to be in regular video contact with their peers from the club, and thus more easily fill the time until the next meeting.
In the next period the plan is for another 20 seniors, from different sections of the club, to go through the same training.

WORK WITH ROMA CHILDREN IN A KINDERGARTEN IN ZEMUN

• Jan 25, 2021

After the December break, due to the high number of people infected with the coronavirus in our country, and over the New Years and Christmas holidays, Bread of Life continued to work with children in its kindergarten in the Roma settlement in Zemun. Our children’s club "The Warm House", as we call the space adapted to children aged 4-6, has re-opened and now receives children 3 times a week. The children spend time there playing, socializing, learning and creatively preparing for preschool. Children like especially to spend time in the club’s big yard. These days they are watching the change of the weather seasons, and how snowflakes and snowdrop flowers "compete" every day - who will win that day ... Who are you rooting for in this competition?

CONTINUATION OF WORK WITH ROMA CHILDREN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

• Jan 25, 2021

Due to the new situation with the Covid 19 epidemic, the school break this year lasted from December 21, 2020 to January 18, 2021.
With the return of the students to schools, workshops conducted by Bread of Life in the Roma settlement in Surčin to help students with learning, have continued to operate.
Over 50 children from 1st to 8th grade who attend the elementary school "22 Oktobar" in Surčin, have continued to come to the study room every day, in order for us to help them master the materials and homework.
We continue to work in small groups under increased safety measures, in order to protect children from possible infection. In addition to the students who come to the workshops every day, we provide online learning assistance with a number of older children.
The children welcomed the beginning of the second semester with enthusiasm, because they missed companionship and joint work.

WORK DONE IN THE PROGRAMME WITH THE ELDERLY USING THE VIBER AND ZOOM APPLICATIONS

• Jan 18, 2021

Bread of Life has adapted its work in the Care for the Elderly programme, to the epidemiological situation and measures prescribed by state institutions, primarily the ban on gathering more than 5 people indoors.
In December, BOL organized a Viber meeting of the co-ordination body of the Warm Corner club consisting of 10 seniors, when the seniors made plans for the first three months of 2021, primarily related to the activities of the Bread of Life ensemble.

In December Bread of Life also formed a Viber group, intended for caregivers of demented people, with whom Bread of Life works, together with, doctors from the Destigma association. Ten caregivers have adopted this type of communication in order to be better and more efficiently informed about the activities of the Network and to plan meetings for holding online workshops. The mentioned Dementia Care Support Network held its first Zoom meeting on December 29th. With the participation of the representatives of the members of the Network (Destigma, Zvezdara Volunteer Service and Bread of Life), an achievement evaluation of the previous period was made. The basics of the Network's goals for the first quarter of 2021 have been agreed on.

For the next period, the training of seniors of the Warm Corner club in the use of the Zoom application was planned, through which they will be able to organize various workshops - educational, creative and other workshops in which they were extremely active until the beginning of the pandemic.

FROM EXILE TO THE BIG JUBILEE WITH THE USER DANKA CRNOMARKOVIĆ

• Dec 15, 2020

Danka Crnomarković was born in 1921 in Bosanski Grahovo. Due to the war that broke out in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, in which she lost everything, she came to Belgrade with her husband in 1992 as a refugee.
After a short period of time her husband died and Danka was left all by herself. The field workers of Bread of Life who visited the refugees in the 1990s, met Danka in her place of residence. Since then, she has become a regular beneficiary of humanitarian aid.
Despite difficult life circumstances, Danka is cheerful and in good spirits. As long as she could she came to the Bread of Life for the Warm Corner club for the elderly. She loved to go on trips with other seniors and so she visited and met and has seen many places in Serbia.
Now she is a user of the "Home Care" service. Home Care assistants from Bread of Life visit her every week. They buy for her basic food produce, medicines, and measure her blood pressure. Danka especially enjoys talking to the home care assistants.

Biljana Maric, the home care assistant, together with Danka, celebrated her birthday on November 8, when she turned 99. Danka was very happy with the cake and the birthday present. She was very excited and aware that it was a real feat to live to be 99 years old. She has set a goal to be ready for her 100th birthday.

Happy birthday to you, dear grandmother Danka!

THE GIRLS FROM THE "LEARNING ASSISTANCE" PROGRAMME WENT THROUGH THE UNICEF AND START-IT TRAINING

• Dec 14, 2020

Recognizing the potential of Roma and other marginalized children, to manage digital tools better, , UNICEF has launched the "Learning for the 21st Century" project for those who are unable to develop such skills due to lack of adequate technical equipment.

Two girls from the Bread of Life programme "Assistance in Learning and Integration of Roma Children" Almira and Valentina, undertook three days of training (September 22-25) within the UNICEF project "Learning for the 21st century". The implementation of the StartIT movement aims to teach children, through learning and play, to develop simple programming skills.

The girls were very interested in acquiring these new digital skills, and socializing and learning from lecturers. They were free to ask questions and express their desires for future occupations, which according to them, had to do with the Internet and programming.

Acquiring digital skills gives these children from marginalized groups a special sense of independence, and allows them greater access to information on the Internet, easier online mastering of school materials, greater access to health care information, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic, etc.

Since the beginning of the pandemic and the state of emergency and transition to online teaching, Bread of Life has seen many challenges for Roma children in mastering school material using a computer, the uncertainty and fears that occur in children because many do not have computers. This workshop was a great opportunity for children to better express their interests as well as to motivate us for additional work with children through the digital literacy programme.

BREAD OF LIFE PROVIDED FIREWOOD FOR THE ELDERLY AND FINANCIALY CHELLENGED SENIORS

• Nov 24, 2020

With the help of its long-time donors, Bread of Life has managed to provide winter firewood for the poorest elderly, to the Home Care beneficiaries who are part of the Care for the Elderly programme.

These elderly, mostly refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with incomes below the poverty line, are unable to provide firewood in the winter, so must pay higher electricity bills.

In November, Bread of Life provided 2m of wood for the nine poorest beneficiaries from Belgrade, Obrenovac and Pancevo. Also, we provided assistance for 6 seniors in the payment of electricity bills to the amount of 5,000.00 dinars. Assistance was provided by German Baptist Aid from Germany.

BREAD OF LIFE ORGANIZED WORKSHOPS AND COUNSELLING FOR THE SUPPORT OF DEMENTIA SUFFERERS’ CAREGIVERS

• Nov 16, 2020

Bread of Life, together with the "Okrilje" association and the Volunteer Service of Zvezdara, initiated the establishment of an informal network for help and support of the families with people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The Destigma Association has recently become a member of the network.
The goal of the Network is to create an environment that understands people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and defines their needs as well as the needs of their families.

Network activities are, among other things, aimed at organizing interactive, educational and other workshops to support families with dementia led by experts on specific topics: e.g. what is dementia, how to communicate with a sick person, how to care for such person, how to deal with difficult behaviour, the importance of nutrition in dementia and other things that can make everyday family life easier.
In October Bread of Life organized several meetings, workshops, a telephone counselling session to support caregivers of those with dementia. This was conducted by a team of neuropsychiatrists, occupational therapists and nurses, and specialists for psychiatric patients from the Destigma Association.
An information desk was established as one of the first activities of the Network, through which caregivers of people with dementia can be informed about the existing programmes of the partners in the network, the disease itself, and the method of recognition, treatment and similar information. The info desk is open every Wednesday from 3 pm to 5 pm in the premises of Bread of Life, at 28 Brsjacka Street. The information telephone number is 060 553 5896. On Fridays it operates in the premises of the Zvezdara Volunteer Service, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandara 395, contact 011-2864 426.

On October 21, Bread of Life organized a workshop for caregivers of people with dementia. On that occasion experts from the Destigma Association set out to get acquainted with these caregivers, to collect amnestic and heteroanamnestic data, assess the needs of caregivers and patients, and work on motivation. Six caregivers were included in the workshop. At the end of the meeting, hygiene and diaper packages for adults were distributed.
The next workshop on October 28 was attended by two married couples, one of whom is a caregiver and the other is ill. This was led by an occupational therapist from the Destigma Association, one on one with a sick person, in parallel with a workshop in which they interacted with their caregivers. The content of this workshop was focused on psychosocial support and education of dementia caregivers, group psychotherapy, individual work with carers and occupational therapy for people with dementia.

Workshops or counselling sessions are held every other Wednesday in the premises of Bread of Life from 16h-18h in Brsjacka 28. The phone number for registration is 060 553 5896. In December, workshops are planned for February.12th and December 16th
On October 23, a meeting was held between representatives of "Bread of Life", Zvezdara Volunteer Service and medical staff of the Destigma Association with the aim of evaluating the needs of caregivers of people with dementia and planning future workshops based on these needs.

HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES OF THE BREAD OF LIFE IN OCTOBER 2020

• Nov 13, 2020

In October, the Christian humanitarian organization "Bread of Life" responded to the requests of the most vulnerable groups living in a difficult financial situation.
In Roma communities in Cukarica county, Makiska county and Cukarica county forest area, BOL shared second hand clothing, hygiene products and school materials for over 100 families.
Bread of Life shared food and hygiene packs for 40 Roma families in Novi Becej, 37 hygiene packages and 15 packages for the Loznica City Centre for Social Work to the "Sunflowers" Association of Single Mothers from Loznica.
In October, humanitarian food and hygiene packages were distributed to about 15 most financially endangered families in Belgrade.
Within the Bread of Life Warm Corner Club for seniors 47 food packages were distributed as a form of assistance due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

HUMANITARIAN AID OF BREAD OF LIFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

• Oct 12, 2020

The Bread of Life Christian Humanitarian Organization, with the help of its long-term partners who support humanitarian work in all disasters that have befallen our country, has managed to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable members of society whose living conditions are further aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the declaration of the state of emergency in March this year, Bread of Life has distributed 330 packages of humanitarian aid - 80 packages of food and 250 packages of hygiene, 140 packages of diapers for adults.

Most of the aid was sent to the elderly, to poor people who are beneficiaries of Home Care services provided by the Bread of Life within its project Care for the Elderly, to Widows, Single Mothers, Refugees, Socially Vulnerable Population, Roma Families etc.…

Home Care assistants from Bread of Life, while adhering to all epidemiological measures during the pandemic, have performed weekly services of purchasing and delivering food and medicine to the 10 most vulnerable beneficiaries of the Home Care service who live by themselves and have no close family members.

With food and hygiene, we also distributed masks and disinfectants to the elderly, in order to increase their safety during the pandemic.
During the state of emergency Bread of Life also provided telephone support/counselling for families with a demented member in cooperation with Destigma, through its specialists - a neuropsychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse and an occupational therapist.
Our work with the elderly is supported by the following donors: Brot fur die Welt, Brot des Lebens from Germany, Reningsborg from Sweden, International Women Club from Belgrade, German Mennonite Organization from Germany, Swiss Mennonite Mission from Switzerland.
Another 60 food packages with basic food and produces items are planned to be distributed in October.