CLEANING CAMPAIGN IN MIRATOVAC

8. May 2017.

Presevo – The US Agency for International Development, the United Nations Development Program and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation organized spring cleaning in Miratovac called "We Work Together." Miratovac, a village in the municipality of Presevo, located near the border with Macedonia, was the first stop on the Balkan migrant route in Serbia.

The volunteers cleaned the streets, hiking paths, meadows and the banks of the Miratovac River. Young people from Presevo and migrants from the reception center removed the mini dumps.

"I wanted to thank Serbia for all the good things it has done for us, so I volunteered to help," says Ali Aberi from Afghanistan.

"I have been in Presevo for six months, there are fifteen of us now, but many more migrants wanted to join the campaign," says Ahmed from Afghanistan.

Hundreds of thousands of people, sometimes up to 10,000 a day, passed through Miratovac from the beginning of the migrant crisis. The villagers helped them, repaired the road and transported them.

“I have cleaned with my tractor the road stretching from the mosque to where they come from three times," says Mustafa Lukman from Miratovac.

"All the citizens of Miratovac gave their full support and offered their hand to all these people," said Ardita Sinani, the Mayor of Presevo.

Cleaning and healthy environment, solidarity and bringing the local residents and migrants together are parts of the engine of the campaign launched by the United Nations Development Program and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.

"The cordiality that at the beginning existed in that municipality and in Presevo, which became known for it, will continue to exist there," says Tatjana Strahinjic Nikolic, the Manager at UNDP.

"We put aside from the budget part of the funds from lottery games to help the municipalities affected by the migrant crisis," says Ivan Bosnjak, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government.

The villagers of Miratovac got garbage bins, which are worth 16,000 dollars, and are part of a project to strengthen the capacity of local communities to respond to the migrant crisis.

Source: Radio and Television of Serbia and Coordination Body