The largest number of young volunteers ever are taking part in this year’s “72 Hours Without Compromise” action.
Some 700 young volunteers from Split responded to the humanitarian project “72 Hours Without Compromise”, which is held for the fifth consecutive year in Split and throughout the country, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on October 19, 2018.
“72 Hours Without Compromise” is an international volunteer project for young people which promotes solidarity, fellowship, creativity and volunteering. To this day, 10 Croatian cities – Dubrovnik, Metković, Sinj, Zadar, Zagreb, Sisak, Slavonski Brod, Suhopolje and Osijek – have joined since its beginnings in 2014. The volunteering actions are taking place throughout the country between October 18 to 21, 2018, and will see some 3,000 young volunteers in total.
Volunteers in Split will take part in 50 actions in Split and its surroundings until October 21st.
“Young people are willing to volunteer and give their time and talents free of charge without compromise. They did not know where they would be volunteering until the first night, and they were fully open to the call to be sent where they were needed most,” said Pero Mihaljević, a member of the National Council for “72 Hours Without Compromise”, ahead of the start of the project that is supported by the president of the Republic of Croatia.
In Split, the project is conducted by the Split Catholic Student Center – SKAC, which has prepared events such as free cosmetic treatments and environmental actions.
“We are proud that this year the largest number of volunteers joined us, 700 of them – recall, the action started with 200 young people in the first year of the event. Among other things, this action will tend to the elderly and helpless, where our volunteers will take them for walks and join them, paint and clean the apartments of the neediest families, collect food and other necessities for them. We are members of several associations for children with disabilities who are participating in therapeutic riding, and children from Maestral are taken to play paintball. We have joined with 50 volunteers in the Mosor – Boranka afforestation action, and there are many other actions,” said Mariela Milošević, coordinator of the Split project implemented by SKAC, supported by the University of Split and the Student Center.
“We support this action, we are happy that our students and our service users have responded in great numbers. We are happy to have chosen a noble act instead of spending the weekend at cafes,” said Marijan Bašić, head of the Student House of SC, and Doris Nazor, head of the Volunteer Center for Youth SKAC.
She stressed that this action will motivate young people to continue to volunteer in their community.
“This action proves that you can do a lot in 72 hours. Thank you for all of the good you will do for each painted wall, every workshop with children and meeting with the elderly,” said Magda Vrvilo, head of the Urban Department of Social Welfare, Health Care and Demography in the City of Split, adding that the city will always stand with the young volunteers.
Hygiene supplies and food are also being collected at the Konzum stores at Stinice, Sirobuja, and Mercator until Sunday.
