FREE SCHOOL EQUIPMENT FOR FIRST- GRADE STUDENTS IN PRESEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEDJA

2. September 2009.

On the very first day of the school year, Milan Markovic, President of the Coordination Body for South Serbia, distributed to all Presevo and Bujanovac first – graders school – bags containing school equipment. 600 first – graders from Presevo received school equipment, as well as 603 first-graders from Bujanovac. The value of the donation given to these two municipalities is 2,500,000 dinars.

He, along with Mayors of Presevo and Bujanovac, Ragmi Mustafa and Saip Kamberi, distributed school – bags to the children.

Mr. Markovic told the children that they should be good students, as well as that they should obey their teachers, parents and the elderly. He also said that the Coordination Body was going to have new activities regarding assistance provided to schoolchildren and schools.

The Coordination Body distributed 1,300 school-bags, together with the appropriate school equipment, in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, while it also takes care of older students by granting scholarships to them, Mr. Markovic said.

We issued open competitions, by which we wish to encourage the projects aimed at cooperation and the mixing of members of all communities in the three municipalities, Mr. Markovic said, and added: “It’s all right to build the infrastructure, but integration is achieved by joint projects and the engagement of all communities.”

Mr. Markovic voiced hope that after the opening in Medvedja of the extended departments of the Nis Faculties of Law and Economics, similar institutions of higher learning would soon be established in Presevo and Bujanovac, too.

"There is still a great deal to be done, but we’re patient, systematic and persistent and I’m confident we’ll succeed by working together,” Mr. Markovic said.

Mr. Markovic, together with Ragmi Mustafa, also announced the starting of the works on reconstruction of the city center, while he, along with Saip Kamberi, announced in Bujanovac the beginning of the works on electrification of a part of the municipality.

"Those works have a double importance to us, first of all from an industrial point of view, since an industrial zone was planned here, and then from the point of providing power-supply and legal power-supply lines for the nearby Roma settlement,” Mr. Markovic said.

Mr. Mustafa and Mr. Kamberi expressed satisfaction with the activity, particularly because all children from the three municipalities had received free school equipment.

The school year for 97 first-graders from the “Gornja Jablanica” elementary school in Medvedja began by distribution of free school equipment. Backpacks containing all the necessary school equipment were delivered by Sima Gazikalovic, Vice President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, and by Slobodan Draskovic, Mayor of Medvedja.

Addressing the first-graders prior to the distribution of school equipment, Sima Gazikalovic said: “Today, on your most joyous day, the Coordination Body ensured that you received modest gifts, which consist of backpacks and school equipment. We hope that you’ll fill those backpacks with excellent marks and knowledge.”

In an undeveloped municipality such as Medvedja, this ensures a considerable relief for every family with first – grade students. The value of each and every individual package containing school equipment is 2,100 dianrs.