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Humanity in Action: The Power of Unity Through Volunteer Work

Back on Track Project Activities in Kraljevo: Supporting Rural Youth

From June 9 to 14, 2025, the team from Philanthropy, Charitable Foundation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, visited the town of Strășeni, Moldova, as part of a project dedicated to improving the quality of life for older people. This important visit was carried out in cooperation with the partner organization Neohumanist. The project, titled "Social Protection and Poverty Reduction for Vulnerable People in Moldova and Serbia," aims to enhance the well-being of the elderly through home care, education, health and psychosocial support, with a particular focus on rural populations. The initiative, which began in September 2024 and will run through December 2026, is financially supported by the Austrian organization BROT für die Welt – Bread for the World, and the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria. In Serbia, the project activities are implemented in the cities of Kragujevac and Kraljevo, as well as the municipality of Ruma. Beneficiaries receive licensed home care services, along with access to creative workshops, medical check-ups, and psychosocial support aimed at improving both physical and mental health, encouraging social inclusion, and ultimately raising the quality of life for older people. During their stay in Moldova, the Philanthropy team visited the headquarters of their partner organization Neohumanist, whose dedication and daily fieldwork left a strong impression. Through joint efforts, Neohumanist and Philanthropy are actively building a network of solidarity, mutual support, and care for the elderly. A key highlight of the visit was a training session focused on dementia, one of the critical topics in geriatric care. This educational component significantly strengthened the team’s capacity to work with vulnerable groups and improved their approach to caring for individuals affected by dementia. The Philanthropy team also visited three rural households in the Strășeni area, where they had the opportunity to observe the daily delivery of home care services by their colleagues from Moldova. In addition to home assistance, Neohumanist offers day care services and residential accommodation for older adults. These visits served not only as a platform for experience-sharing but also for reinforcing cooperation with local communities, which play a key role in supporting the elderly. The visit was also attended by Mr. Martin Muehlbacher, Attaché of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, and Consumer Protection at the Embassy of the Republic of Austria in Chișinău. Photographs taken during the field visits show to the extraordinary efforts and dedication of our colleagues in Moldova. Through home care services, they contribute daily to preserving the dignity and quality of life of the older members of their communities. This visit marks another important step toward the realization of our shared mission: that no elderly person should be forgotten. The project continues to connect people, ideas, and resources to build a better future for all. The collaborative work and international partnerships reaffirm that a dignified old age is not a privilege, it is a right, and international cooperation is key to achieving it.

Back on Track: Empowering Rural NEETs in the Danube Region

Philanthropy continues to provide the support and education to people living with HIV/AIDS in cooperation with the German organiation Brot fur die Welt and with the financial support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ). Project "Strengthening psychosocial support and legal counseling services for people living with HIV/AIDS" started on 1 August 2024 and it will last until 31 July 2027.  In this coming period, in cooperation with partner organisations that are active in the field of protecting the rights of PLHIV, volunteers, state institutions and experts in the fields of medicine, law, social work and education, Philanthropy will conduct a set of educational trainings for: beneficiaries, students, social workers, and teachers. The main component of the project is volunteer visits to hospitalized beneficiaries at the University Clinical Center, Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases in Belgrade and assistance in addressing social and legal challenges.

Philanthropy implemented the project "Improvement of the Health and Social Situation of Vulnerable Groups in Serbia" from November 2023 to August 2024. The project was carried out in four municipalities: Lučani, Ruma, the city of Kragujevac and Kraljevo, with the support of the organization Brot für die Welt, funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection. The project provided Home Assistance services and volunteer support to meet the various needs of the most vulnerable older persons in rural areas. During the project, 24 medical check-ups were organized in remote rural areas, which included examinations by general practitioners, psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, and dentists. For semi-mobile and immobile older persons, 25 home medical visits were provided.

At the beginning of 2024, Philanthropy started the implementation of a three-year project within the European Solidarity Corps program supported by the European Union. This project is implemented in a consortium with seven organisations from Serbia, the European Union, and Africa. As part of partnership cooperation, Philanthropy, as a certified organization for work with volunteers, will host three volunteers from abroad. During the implementation of the project, humanitarian volunteerism for solidarity activities will activate 24 volunteers within the consortium to provide support in countries certified as host countries. At the end of April, the kick-off meeting of the project partners was held in Novi Pazar: ADRA Czechia, ADRA Slovakia, ADRA Zambia, ADRA Serbia, Association of Pioneers of Uganda, Ecumenical Humanitarian Organisation, Merhamet Sandžak, and Philanthropy.

The Project Fostering the (re)Integration of NEETs in Rural Areas into Education, Training and Labor Market by Increasing Their Basic Skills, Resilience and Virtual Mobility - Back on Track will be implemented in the period from January 2024 to June 2026. 14 partners from 10 countries participate in the project, and Serbia is one of the pilot countries where innovative solutions will be tested. The main focus of this project is the integration of the NEET category (young people who are not employed, not in the process of education or training) into the education and/or work system, as well as raising awareness of the opportunities for young people who fall into this category. The key aspect of the project is to reach out to the mentioned category, to motivate and effectively integrate inactive young people, who are marginalised and not engaged. The project also aims to look at the characteristics of NEETs, to establish sustainable and effective methods of engagement, facilitating their social and educational integration, providing targeted and personalized support to achieve their aspirations and improve their skills, and at the same time mental well-being.  On 12 February 2024, Philanthropy participated in the Opening Conference in Vienna. Project partners exchanged information, statistics and experiences from their countries.

During the autumn of 2023, Philanthropy, Charitable Foundation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, organised a series of activities and provided medical and social welfare services for older persons living in rural communities in Ruma, Kragujevac and Kraljevo. The older population living in rural communities does not have the opportunity to spend quality time, which is essential for preservation of their physical and mental health. In addition, social and health care services are highly limited in rural communities. Bearing in mind the needs of older persons living in rural areas, Philanthropy organises various creative and occupational activities, as well as assures quick and easy access to medical doctors. All of these initiatives are part of the project „ASSIST – Action to Strengthen Solidarity in Serbia and Moldova in Times of COVID 19 to Protect Older People’s Health and Wellbeing“ supported by the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Austria and the organisation Brot für die Welt.

During November and December 2023, Philanthropy supported implementation of four rescue trainings. The trainings were held by the Voluntary Fire Asssociation "Gornja sela" Pranjani in Gornji Milanovac, Voluntary Fire Association Vrnjačka Banja, Rafting Club "Drinska Regatta" in Ljubovia and Mountain Rescue Service of Serbia – Station Novi Pazar. The trainings included theoretical and practical segments of rescuing in cases of open fire, rescuing in cases of accidents on the water and rescuing in mountain conditions. The trainings were attended by 75 people, rescue professionals and representatives of public institutions and CSOs responsible for rescue and safety of large number of individuals. The trainings were implemented within the second phase of "Project for Increasing Resilience to Natural Disasters and Enhancing Preparedness Strategy (PREPS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia". The project provides expert, material and practical support to local authorities and local communities exposed to recurring natural disasters, is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented by CRS (Catholic Relief Services) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by Philanthropy and Caritas Serbia in Serbia.