In September 2017, the number of newly arrived refugees/migrants almost doubled compared to the previous month and Praxis’ mobile teams met and interviewed up to 200 refugees/migrants on a daily basis. This number includes the new arrivals, the refugees/migrants accommodated in the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac and those who returned to Belgrade after unsuccessful attempts to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian borders. In this reporting period, Praxis assisted a total of 1,407 persons.

Praxis continued its field work and provided a total of 956 newly arrived refugees and migrants (633 adults and 323 children, including 96 unaccompanied and separated children - UASC) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is significantly more than in the previous month when we informed 500 newly arrived refugees/migrants. During this month, Praxis has visited Obrenovac several times thus expanding its activities, in order to provide as many refugees/migrants as possible with relevant and timely information. Out of the total of 956 newly arrived refugees/ migrants, 59 persons or 6.2% of them were from Afghanistan.  A hundred and one (101) newly arrived refugees/migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 10.6% of the total number. Five hundred and ninety-one (595) refugees/migrants came from Iraq (62.2%), which is a significantly higher percentage than in the previous period. One hundred and thirteen (113) refugees/migrants (11.8%) came from Pakistan. Twenty-six (26) refugees/migrants (4.9% of the total number) came from Iran. One (1) newly arrived refugee/migrant came from Morocco (0.1%), 14 refugees/migrants (1.5%) came from Algeria, while a total of 47 (4.9%)  refugees/migrants came from other countries: Bangladesh, India, Palestine, Libya, Somalia, Guinea, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon and Armenia. 

The families waiting for registration or transport to one of the asylum or reception centres they had been referred to still had the option of spending the night in Miksalište. Although the procedures for expressing the intention to seek asylum were conducted regularly in the Police Station in Savska Street, the number of persons using this option increased due to a growing number of newly arrived refugees/migrants. The adult men stayed outdoors overnight, in the parks, at the railway station or in front of Miksalište if their families were spending the night in there. There was still no organised transport to the reception and asylum centres, like in the previous reporting period. However, in this reporting period, UNHCR and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration organised the transport to the Asylum Centre Bogovađa and the Reception Centre Pirot on several occasions, thus helping several dozens of refugees/migrants to reach the place of accommodation. As regards food, clothing and medical assistance, the situation in the field has improved: Info Park provided one meal for newly arrived refugees/migrants; the MSF clinic worked; there was still no organised distribution of clothing outside of the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac.  

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

In August, the largest number of refugees/migrants met and/or interviewed by Praxis’ mobile team during a day, was 290, including the newly arrived ones, the refugees/migrants accommodated in the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac and those who returned to Belgrade after unsuccessful attempts to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian border. 

Praxis continued its field work and provided a total of 500 newly arrived refugees and migrants (347 adults and 153 children, including 85 unaccompanied and separated children - UASC) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is significantly more than in the previous month when we provided 191 newly arrived refugees/migrants with relevant information. During this month, Praxis visited the town of Obrenovac several times thus expanding its activities, in order to provide as many refugees/migrants as possible with relevant and timely information. Out of the total of 500 newly arrived refugees/ migrants, one hundred and fifty (150) refugees/migrants (30.0%) came from Pakistan. One hundred and twenty-one (121) refugees/migrants came from Iraq (24.2%), which is a significantly higher percentage than in the previous period. 103 persons or 20.6% of them were from Afghanistan. Twenty-six (26) newly arrived refugees/migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 5.2% of the total number. 18 refugees/migrants (3.6%) came from Algeria, thirteen (13) refugees/migrants (2.6% of the total number) came from Iran. Nine (9) newly arrived refugees/migrants came from Morocco (1.8%), while a total of 60 (12.0%) refugees/migrants came from other countries: Bangladesh, India, Palestine, Tunisia, Eritrea, Libya, Egypt and Mauritania. 

In this reporting period, the families waiting for registration or transport to one of the asylum or reception centres they had been referred to still had the option of spending the night in Miksalište. The adult men stayed outdoors overnight, in the parks or at the railway station. There is still no organised transport to the reception and asylum centres, like in the previous reporting period. As regards food, clothing and medical assistance, the situation in the field remains unchanged: there is still no organised distribution of food and clothing outside of the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac. In the previous period, the lack of medical assistance in the field in the afternoon hours caused concerns. In August, MSF extended working hours, and in this reporting period, medical doctors were present in the field from 9 AM to 8 PM. 

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

In July, the number of refugees/migrants met and interviewed by Praxis’ mobile team on a daily basis did not exceed 250 per day, including the newly arrived ones, the refugees/migrants accommodated in the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac and those who returned to Belgrade after unsuccessful attempts to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian border. 

Praxis continued its field work and provided a total of 191 newly arrived refugees and migrants (106 adults and 85 children, out of whom 66 UASC) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is fewer than in the previous month when we informed 279 newly arrived refugees/migrants. Out of the total number of newly arrived refugees and migrants, 110 persons or 57.6% of them were from Afghanistan. Four (4) newly arrived refugees and migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 2.1% of the total number. Two (2) refugees/migrants came from Iraq (1%), which is a significantly lower percentage than in the previous period. Fifty-four (54) refugees/migrants (28.3%) were from Pakistan, mainly single men and unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), like in the previous period. Ten (10) refugees/migrants (5.2% of the total number) came from Iran. One (1) newly arrived refugee/migrant came from Morocco (0.5%). A total of 10 refugees/migrants (5.2%) came from other countries: Bangladesh, India, China, Nepal, Cuba and Guinea. 

The families waiting for registration or transport to one of the asylum or reception centres they had been referred to still had the option of spending the night in Miksalište. The adult men stayed outdoors overnight, in the parks or at the railway station. There is still no organised transport to the reception and asylum centres, like in the previous reporting period. As regards food, clothing and medical assistance, the situation in the field remains unchanged:  there is still no organised distribution of food and clothing outside of the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac. The organisations that provide medical assistance are not present in the field in the afternoon hours.      

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

In June, the number of refugees/migrants present in Belgrade every day decreased significantly compared to the period before the relocation of the persons sleeping rough to the reception and asylum centres.  Praxis’ mobile team every day met and talked to 50-300 refugees/migrants, including the newly arrived ones, the refugees/migrants accommodated in the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac and those who returned to Belgrade after an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian border. 

Praxis continued its field work and provided a total of 279 newly arrived refugees/migrants in Belgrade with relevant information, compared to the previous month when the total number was 269. Out of the total number of newly arrived refugees and migrants, 95 persons or 34.1% of them were from Afghanistan.  Thirteen (13) newly arrived refugees and migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 4.7% of the total number. 57 refugees/migrants came from Iraq (20.4%), mainly families, which is a significantly higher percentage than in the previous period. 45 refugees/migrants (16.1%) were from Pakistan, mainly single men and unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), like in the previous period. 49 refugees/migrants (17.6%) came from other countries - Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Somalia, Comoros, China, Mongolia, Palestine, Ghana, Turkey and Libya. 

Since June, only one of the non-governmental organisations working in Belgrade has been present during the night – Save the Children partner, Center for Youth Integration. Thanks to them, women and children who are waiting for registration and referral to reception and asylum centres have the opportunity to spend the night in Miksalište. The adult men who were waiting for registration stayed outdoors overnight. Every morning, Praxis’ mobile team noticed between 15 and 50 people in the parks near the Belgrade Bus Station. In this period, special concern is the lack of organised transport to the reception and asylum centres for newly arrived refugees/migrants. In addition, the organisations that provide medical assistance have reduced their operations in Belgrade, and consequently in the afternoons there are no medical staff present in the field in Belgrade.

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

At the beginning of May, according to the estimate of Praxis’ mobile team, the number of people staying in the abandoned warehouses behind the Bus Station in Belgrade, outside of reception and asylum centres, was around 1300. On May 4, the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration announced the relocation of refugees/migrants to the asylum and reception centres, and requested support from the organisations working in the territory of Belgrade, in order to complete the relocation without incidents and as soon as possible. According to the information received from the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, after completed relocation, there were 6,558 refugees/migrants in the reception and asylum centres in Serbia.  After relocation, Praxis’ mobile team every day met and talked to 50-300 refugees/migrants, including the newly arrived ones, the refugees/migrants accommodated in the Asylum Centre Krnjača and the Reception Centre Obrenovac and those who returned to Belgrade after an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian border.  The abandoned warehouses, in which a large number of refugees/migrants had been staying, were demolished after completed relocation.  

Praxis continued its field work and provided a total of 269 newly arrived refugees and migrants (162 adults and 107 children) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is fewer than in the previous month. Out of the total number of newly arrived refugees and migrants, 124 persons or 46.1% of them were from Afghanistan.  Nineteen (19) newly arrived refugees and migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 7.1% of the total number. Twenty-eight (28) refugees and migrants came from Iraq (10.4%), mainly families. 62 refugees and migrants (23%) were from Pakistan, mainly single men and unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), like in the previous period. A total of 17 refugees/migrants (6.3%) came from other countries, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Eritrea and India. 

In order to avoid sleeping rough in Belgrade after relocation, the newly arrived refugees/migrants waiting for registration in the police station or organised transport to asylum and reception centres, could spend a night in Miksalište.   Between 15 i 60 persons used this opportunity every evening. Since the situation in Belgrade has changed, some of the organisations that were present in the filed in Belgrade reorganised their work so that now some of their activities are carried out in the asylum and reception centres and some in Belgrade.   

For more information, see the related announcement here.

In April, according to the estimate of Praxis’ mobile team, the number of people staying outside of reception and asylum centres was 1000-1500. Most people stayed in the abandoned warehouses behind the Bus Station in Belgrade. A significant number of people also stayed in the tents erected in the parking lot near the Bus Station. Their number reached over 150 by the end of the month. Between 40 and 60 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) had the opportunity to sleep in the MSF tents, while up to 80 people slept in Miksalište. The overall number of refugees/migrants present in Belgrade every day varied depending of the number of newly arrived refugees/migrants, those who arrived in Belgrade from the Asylum Centre Krnjača, and those who returned to Belgrade after an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Croatian, Hungarian or Romanian border.

An important event in this reporting period took place on April 12th, when the European Commission published its first comprehensive framework for the protection of children in migration. The Communications envisage a set of principles and recommendations aimed at protecting migrant children, regardless of whether they are arriving with their families or unaccompanied:

1.    Swift identification and protection upon arrival
2.    Adequate reception conditions for children
3.    Swift status determination and effective guardianship
4.    Durable solutions and early integration measures
5.    Addressing root causes and protecting children along migrant’s routes outside the EU

The integral text of the Communication from the Commission to European parliament and the Council – The protection of children in migration is available at this link.

Praxis continued its field work in April and provided a total of 445 newly arrived refugees and migrants (307 adults and 138 children) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is fewer than in the previous month. Out of the total number of newly arrived refugees and migrants, 202 persons or 45.4% of them were from Afghanistan.  Four (4) newly arrived refugees and migrants were from Syria, which accounts for 0.9% of the total number. Thirty (30) refugees and migrants came from Iraq (6.7%), mainly families. 107 refugees and migrants (24%) were from Pakistan, mainly single men and UASC, like in the previous period. A total of 85 refugees and migrants (19.1%) arriver from Sri Lanka, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Bangladesh, Somalia, Tunisia, Eritrea, India, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

For more information, see the related announcement here.

There were two important new developments in March. One refers to the amendments to the Law on Asylum in Hungary, under which all asylum seekers who enter Hungary legally will be detained in the camps at the border with Serbia. This applies to single men, families with children and UASC older than 14. UASC under the age of 14 will be placed in the open-type accommodation in other parts of the country. Detention in the closed-type centres, i.e. mandatory detention, will last until the completion of the asylum procedure. Any person who enters Hungary illegally, bypassing the transit zone, will be pushed back. The second development is the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in case of Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary. In its judgment of 14 March 2017, the ECtHR found that Hungary violated several articles of the European Convention on Human Rights by detaining illegally two refugees from Bangladesh after their legal entry to Hungary in September 2015. During the shortened asylum procedure, they were kept in the detention unit Roszke in the conditions that can be considered inhuman and degrading. After the procedure, they were expelled to Serbia in an informal manner.   Although UNHCR proclaimed Serbia an unsafe third country in 2012, the Hungarian government adopted a decree in 2015 according to which Serbia is a safe third country - Decree no. 191/2015. (VII.21) on safe countries of origin and safe third countries.

Unlike the accommodation capacity in the reception and asylum centres, the number of newly arrived refugees/migrants continued to grow. As a result, the number of refugees/migrants staying in Belgrade increased. A large number of refugees/migrants are still trying to get hold of the EU with the help of smugglers or independently. On a daily basis, Praxis’ mobile team had a chance to talk with the refugees/migrants who had been pushed back from Hungary, Croatia and Romania, often by force, without the possibility to seek asylum. Hygiene of the abandoned warehouses in which refugees/migrants stay was improved thanks to the efforts of several organisations and volunteers. Another improvement consists of the introduction of breakfast, made possible by Oxfam, so that now refugees/migrants have three meals every day. 

Praxis continued its field work in March and provided a total of 659 newly arrived refugees and migrants (376 adults and 283 children) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is a slightly higher number of arrivals than in the previous month. Out of the total number of newly arrived refugees and migrants, 288 persons or 43.7% of them were from Afghanistan. A total of 55 newly arrived refugees and migrants, mainly families, were from Syria, which accounts for 8.3% of the total number. This percentage is smaller than the percentage from the previous period. 119 refugees came from Iraq (18.1%), mainly families, which is a higher percentage than in the previous period. 112 refugees (17%) were from Pakistan, all single men (75) and UASC (37), like in the previous period. A total of 52 refugees (7.9%) came from other countries - Sri Lanka, Libya, Egypt, Palestine.

For more information, see the related announcement here.

In May and June 2017, Praxis held three consultative meetings on the topic of prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages and early dropouts of Roma pupils from the education system, in the primary schools "Jovan Cvijić" in Kostolac, "Boško Palkovljevic Pinki" in Batajnica, and "Aleksandar Stojanović - Leso" in Novi Pazar. Over 60 school education staff members, including pedagogical assistants, pedagogues and psychologists, attended these meetings.

The meetings are part of activities aimed at preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriages, which have been implemented for the third consecutive year within the framework of the project Legal Assistance to Persons at Risk of Statelessness, financed by UNHCR. In addition to considering the legal framework regulating the field of child, early and forced marriages, the meetings specifically addressed the competences of educational institutions and the obligation of schools to react immediately by filing a report to the competent authority upon becoming aware of any signs of violence, abuse or neglect of pupils. The cooperation of all relevant institutions, primarily social welfare centres, schools and police, was once again emphasised as crucial in the fight against child, early and forced marriages. Through the discussion we presented the examples of good practice in Serbia and in the world, and then we jointly defined the problems/causes leading to this harmful practice and the strategies/mechanisms that would lead to prevention and elimination.

The meeting participants showed an obvious interest in the topic, especially in concrete proposals. They presented the situations they were facing and asked for advice. They pointed out that one of the most important problems was the irregularity of attendance by children due to moving with their families to other places in Serbia or abroad to perform seasonal jobs. In addition, they stressed poor cooperation with Roma parents who were not interested in the achievement of their children. The education staff often felt a lot of pressure from the non-Roma parents who insisted that Roma children were moved to other classes or schools. The lack of efficient and timely response by the competent institutions to the cases of child, early and forced marriages, primarily by social welfare centres, was emphasised as a special problem. They stressed that the education system in Serbia was regulated in a way that every child was allowed to complete the first four grades of primary school, regardless of the regularity of attendance. Thus, it happened that some children almost never attended classes, but only appeared towards the end of the fourth grade, after which they passed to the fifth grade. However, they were unable to follow the classes and often abandoned further schooling. In such cases, the teachers knew that marriage was often the next step. In addition to the major deficiencies in the system, the school education staff members were insufficiently informed and interested, and they were prone to prejudice. Therefore, it was necessary, as confirmed by the participants, to hold as many such or similar meetings as possible with the representatives of competent institutions and with the Roma community, in order to prevent this harmful traditional practice in the future.

Praxis will continue to implement the activities that address the issue of child, early and forced marriages through further work with school education staff, and especially through workshops with children in primary schools.

In May and June 2017, Praxis held four workshops for the girls and boys aged 10 to 14 on the topic of prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages and early dropouts of Roma pupils from the education system, in the primary schools "Jovan Cvijić" in Kostolac, "Boško Palkovljevic Pinki" and "Sutjeska" in Belgrade, and "Aleksandar Stojanović - Leso" in Novi Pazar. The workshops were attended by more than 120 boys and girls.

These workshops are part of the activities aimed at preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriages, which have been implemented for the third consecutive year within the framework of the project Legal Assistance to Persons at Risk of Statelessness, financed by UNHCR. In 2017, Praxis will hold a total of 12 workshops, with an idea to raise an issue of child, early and forced marriages through discussing with children the causes and consequences of early dropout and then to empower them to stand against these phenomena based on acquired knowledge about the causes and consequences of this harmful traditional practice.

During the first round of workshops, through the completion of a questionnaire about the expectations of girls and boys from parents and school, as well as through discussions about early dropout, once again it was concluded that child, early and forced marriages were one of the causes of early dropouts of children from the educational system. In addition, it was shown that most children were not informed about the role of pedagogical assistants and their presence in school. In the second part of the workshop, the boys and girls created drawings to show the reasons why someone did not come to school and the typical daily routine of someone who did not go to school anymore. Their illustrations lead to a conclusion that children mostly dropout of school because they have to help their parents in providing income, because of going abroad and due to early marriage. However, all three reasons are tightly coupled with poverty. Thus, they mention poverty of primary families as a reason for early marriages, or the pressure of parents, which also correlates with poverty. An interesting fact is that, according to the drawings, mainly girls leave school. The drawings also show that girls/boys who have dropped out of school suffer badly because of that, since they are presented as sad and crying, while a large number of them are shown in the activity of physical work after the abandonment of school.

These workshops are just an initial part of Praxis' work with children on the topic of child, early and forced marriages, but they have certainly set a good foundation for further work and clearly pointed out to the existence of this problem correlating with poverty and early dropout of school. The next workshops will focus mainly on the prevention of child, early and forced marriages through defining the causes and consequences.

According to the latest UNICEF data and the National Organisation of Persons with Disabilities, children with disabilities continue to face many difficulties and obstacles in exercising their rights, despite the fact that the Republic of Serbia has ratified all relevant international conventions, adopted strong laws and policies, and has made progress in the development of inclusive services. For example, 45 percent of parents with children with disabilities say that they or their children have experienced some kind of insult, disparagement or harassment on the ground of disability. In 24 percent of the families, one of the parents had to give up work to care for the child, and the parents often faced with the employer’s lack of understanding of additional obligations related to child care. Child support services in the family environment (home assistance, day care, personal companion) are usually not available to children with disabilities and their families. As much as 16 percent of citizens and 18 percent of pupils think that discrimination against people with disabilities is acceptable, while between 25% and 47% of children with disabilities experienced violence.

On the occasion of December 10th, International Human Rights Day, our colleague, Vuk Raičević, spoke with Nadica Blažević, President of the Association of Single Parents and Children with Disabilities Blue Shall from Belgrade, and her 22-year old daughter Marina. He visited them in the premises of the association, where its members were creating New Year's greeting cards, intended to be distributed in order to collect the funds they needed to pay the rent for the association’s premises.

When was your association established and what is your activity?

Nadica: Our association was established in 2010, and its members are children with disabilities from all over Serbia, regardless of their diagnosis. When I decided to establish an association, I was a single mother of three children, one of whom was a child with disability and unique diagnosis in the world. I consider that such an association was necessary, since a significant number of single parents care about children with disabilities. From the very beginning, we wanted to make children and young people with disabilities more visible in society and to include them in cultural and sports events, but also to organise different events, such as sports games for children with disabilities "I Want to Play", which we organise each year. We also organise "The Days of Vuk”, dedicated to Vuk Karadžić who was a person with acquired physical disability and great achievements. Participants come from all over Serbia. In addition, we organise public appearances and free summer vacations for our children. We also provide necessary support to parents.

What symbolises the name of your association?

Nadica: We strive to strengthen the family as a structure, to involve all families in the activities we implement, because in this way the individual is empowered. We want to encourage other families of children and young people with disabilities to open up, not to be isolated in their homes. We encourage them to open their shell and show their pearl. Every child and every family is like a shell that contains one beautiful pearl. However, if the shell remains closed, the pearl will not be seen. The shell is blue, because it is the colour of the sky, and the sky symbolises limitlessness. And the opportunities of every child should be limitless.

 Does our society encourage children and young people with disabilities and their families to open up?

Nadica: Unfortunately, it does not. Prejudices and stereotypes on disability among children and young people are still widely spread in our society. It is primarily a consequence of the lack of information that leads to misunderstanding, and finally to non-acceptance. In such an atmosphere, it is a huge sacrifice also for the parents who face great challenges and pressures on a daily basis, both in their day-to-day activities - at work, in public transport, on the street, at doctor’s, at school, and within their families. The siblings of children with disabilities are also in a difficult position because they are often stigmatised by society, just like their parents.

How are social attitudes transferred within the family?

Nadica: Our members include children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hearing and sight impairments, with rare diagnoses in Serbia and in the world, as well as children with acquired disabilities. We always highlight that "a child is a child to be loved and understood". Our children are not children with special needs. Their needs are the same as the needs of all other children - to be loved, to be educated, to socialise, to be supported, to develop their talents. However, driven by the wrong social norms and ignorance, many families retreat and become invisible, without giving a chance to their children. Such families see everything through the problem and do not seek a solution to the problem but live a life full of guilt and justifications. Some even consider their children to be a curse. After the child's birth, it usually happens that mothers are left alone. Nuclear and extended families reject them, while fathers, under the pressure of the family, often abandon them. I am a mother of three. My youngest daughter is a person with disability and I was left alone with my children to struggle. Such negative attitudes are even more pronounced in smaller communities, where the families of children with disabilities get smaller support. This is the reason why I moved with my children to Belgrade from a small village in Vojvodina.

Where are the roots of such an attitude towards children with disabilities and how can this problem be overcome?

Nadica: Problems appear already during the birth of a child. Our health care system lacks an adequate approach to a newborn with disability and its family. The mother leaves the hospital only with the diagnosis that the child has a certain disability, written in Latin, which in most cases she does not understand at all. She is not aware of the consequences or the needs arising from such a diagnosis. Therefore, the family receives the child unprepared, which causes fear and concern, both for the mother and other family members. This often leads to the rejection of the child, for the foregoing reasons. The same approach is then taken towards the future treatment of the child, his or her education, growing up and inclusion in society. Mothers and children should be provided with adequate support by the health care professionals in the maternity hospital, as well as by the family. They need the engagement of pediatrician, surgeon, special education teacher, psychiatrist, psychologist and all others who will first explain the diagnosis of the child, and then provide all the necessary information and support for his or her proper development and growing up, to all family members. Such treatment of mothers and their children in maternity hospitals would solve the problem of insufficient information, misunderstanding, fears and non-acceptance, thus preventing rejection in many cases. As regards society as a whole, there is also a lack of information about everything that children with disabilities and their parents face, and there is no sufficient knowledge of the nature of physical and mental disabilities. Children and their parents often experience unfavourable treatment wherever they happen to be. Each of us has repeatedly experienced reproaches and criticism for the behaviour of our child in public transport, shops, post offices. Sometimes people protest because we skip the line at the doctor's office. They avoid socialisation with our children and with us. Therefore, it is necessary to work on the education of the entire society and on increasing the visibility of persons with disabilities. In addition, year after year there are increasingly fewer social welfare services provided in spa facilities, which are crucial for helping our children. These services should be developed, not abolished. On the other hand, many families are not adequately informed about all support services available to them, and this is especially evident in smaller and rural areas.

What is your message for parents of children with disabilities?

Nadica: Do not perceive your child as a problem or concern. Believe in your child. I consider my Marina to be a gift and I am happy that she has just arrived in my life. It is very hard to face all the difficulties of parenting in our case, but you have to remain brave, persistent and have to give unconditional love and support to your child. My daughter and I have spent more than 2,000 days in hospitals and spas. I am unemployed, although I had worked as a school teacher for twenty years. I live in a rented apartment. I did not allow to be affected by that or by the curious looks of unknown people in public transportation and on the street. When they are looking at us with astonishment, we give them a smile, which makes them feel ashamed and see that they are wrong. Thanks to all this, my daughter has been able to dedicate to what she likes most - dancing. Today she is proud to be the world vice-champion in hip hop dance for children with disabilities. She received this prestigious award at the competition in Germany. Also, do not be embarrassed to seek help. Seeking assistance from a social welfare centre, psychologist or a psychiatrist, or a counselling centre, does not mean that you are not able to deal with your life, but on the contrary, that you have been proactive as much as you can. Support services exist to make life easier to you and your child. Finally, make sure to replace sterility and white colour, characteristic for health care facilities where our children have to stay for a long time, with various colours. Such are the premises of our association, where there is a creative chaos and where something new and interesting is always going on.

Finally, Marina sent her message to children with disabilities and their parents.

Marina: Every beginning is hard. But everything can be achieved with the support of the family. My Mum always showed me the brighter side of going to treatments, to a hospital or spa.  She used to tell me that I would meet new friends there, that we would visit parks, eat cakes or ice cream. We used to buy some souvenirs for my brother and sister. I trained folklore in the village where I lived. I did not find it difficult to accept the change when we moved to Belgrade, although unknown people often stared at me in astonishment. I was not used to it in my village, where everyone knew one another. In my family, I have learned that everybody is different from others in some way and that there is no person without any difficulty in life. But these differences should bring us closer to one another and make our lives more beautiful. In the meantime, I realised that I would be able to dedicate to something new, such as hip hop. I was very surprised when I was given the opportunity to go abroad to participate in the world hip hop competition. I had no idea that I would pass eight elimination rounds and that I would win the second place, which made me very happy. I am particularly satisfied for becoming an independent choreographer and teaching Ana, who cannot see, and Esma and Selma, who do not hear, a choreography that brought them a great success in competitions. We have proved that it is possible to dance in the dark and in silence, but also if you are the only one on the planet with a certain diagnosis. If you have a goal and the will to reach it, you will succeed. I cannot say that I have completely recovered, but today, thanks to the support of my family, I can be independent in my life despite all the health problems. Happiness is our middle name.