Kraljevo, October 15

In the city of Kraljevo, a Center – SOS Children’s Village – that houses 77 children up to 18 years of age has been operating successfully from 2004. SOS Children’s Village represents unique concept in Serbia when it comes to assisting children who cannot live with their biological parents for various reasons.

These children are provided a new home and the opportunity to live with their biological siblings. But above all, they are offered the opportunity to remain together within the same SOS family, directing and guiding their development, respecting their cultural origins and religion.

Last spring we have received at the Embassy a WISH that actually looked like an SOS! It was about providing water to these kids. In the summer, drilling was done to see if a well could be built (since the old well had run dry) and after several attempts the positive response came. At that point it was necessary to have sensitive and responsible Partners which we found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China-Taiwan (ROC) and at LDS Charities Serbia.

On October 15, the Ambassador Alberto di Luca – accompanied by the Project Manager of Make a WISH, prof. Nenad Prokic, Ambassador of the Republic of China-Taiwan to the Republic of Hungary, H. E. Andrew Chang – accompanied by the Secretary Mr. Joe Kuo – and Brother John Benich from LDS Charities Serbia accompanied by his wife – Sister Debbie Benich , visited the SOS Children’s Village in Kraljevo to attend the ceremonial opening of the new well (water flow 40 liters per minute) that would make them independent of public water consumption.

We are particularly pleased to have been able to make this ambitious WISH come true, which would not be possible without the precious cooperation of the Government of Taiwan (ROC) and LDS Charities Serbia. The management of the SOS Children’s Village expressed its profound and heartfelt gratitude to the delegation of the Embassy of the Sovereign Malta Order in Belgrade, representatives of the Government of Taiwan in Hungary and LDS Charities Serbia.

In the Photo Above: From left to right: Ljubisa Angeleski, psychologist at SOS Children’s Village, H.E. Ambassador Andrew Chang, H.E. Ambassador Alberto di Luca, Mrs.Rebecca Chang, Brother John Benich,  Sister Debbie Benich and Vladan Jevtic, pedagogue at the Center