As a wise person once said: ”Children are not to be moulded, but people to be unfolded”.
Despite the scorching heat there are some busy little bees in Croatia, and they are working on a big project; ”Children for Children – The Right to Fresh Air” (Djeca Djeci – Pravo na Svježi Zrak).
The children of Korčula are preparing are ”magical jar” of clean fresh air to send over to the children of Slavonski Brod, the children are apparently aware of the total incompetence of Croatia’s politicians and are trying to solve some big problems.
8 years on and many Environmental Minsters and Prime Ministers later, Croatia is still no closer to solving the air pollution problem caused by the oil refinery over the border in Bosnia.
The non-profit organisation ”Oblačić” which works with children with special needs from Korčula, together with “Udruga Lima” and “Udruga Vilinput” from Slavonski Brod have come together to organise this event. Their aim is to bring attention to the fact that Slavonski Brod has suffered a shocking 200 days in the past year with air pollution at unacceptably high levels, and that this is proving to be detrimental to the residents of Slavonski Brod who have more people diagnosed with carcinomas then any other city in the whole of Croatia.
The children from childcare centres “Andjeli Cuvari” and “Korčula” will be preparing this “magical jar” in hopes of giving the children of Slavonski Brod one day of clean unpolluted air. A gift that the children know is not a gift at all but a basic human right, but a right that the residents of Slavonski Brod have not been able to enjoy for eight long years.
The children of Korčula have asked Maja Bonacic from “Udruga Oblačić”, to help deliver this magical jar. They are sending her on a long, 480km bike ride through Bosnia and Herzegovina. Maja states in her blog that this event is not a protest, not an ‘’anti’’ anything event, but an event for children and for life.
The special by delivery will be accepted in Slavonski Brod by the residents, big and small alike, as well as other organisations supporting the event, including: Brodani za brod, KPA Marsonia, BK Festung, ŽKK Brod na Savi, and the Facebook group of local mothers called “Brodske mame”.
