My life has more colours thanks to Kids for Peace clubs

 My name is Slobodanka Radovanovic. I am of Serbian nationality. I live in Rahovec, a city where people of different nationalities live. The city is divided into two parts; such as the two planets, such as heaven and earth.

As a curious and a free-spirited child, I have never understood how a city can be divided into two parts. I cannot hang out with my peers who are from different nationalities and I cannot walk freely in a city that was once the city for all people, where it didn’tnot matter who you are or what nationality you belong to. Everything changed withthe war. The war separated us. The war destroyed the beauty of my city.

Then World Vision came to my community with project called ‘Kids for Peace',  to buildpeacean injured Kosovo. Then [I] met Marina, World Vision’s programme facilitator, a girl with a big, brave heart for all of us, with an infinitely strong desire to bring peace and happiness in our hurt hearts and to change our future...

I could write lots of pages if I  try to go back to all my memories, but I'll share only some specific moments that I've experienced  on my journey through the Kids for Peace project.

One day, I was informed that we would meet with other 'Kids for Peace' in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital city. I was very excited when World Vision’s staff came to pick us up. It had been a long time since I had heard so much laughter and noise in one place. It was the first time that I saw Pristina, with its large and long streets, buildings, lots of people.

After we arrived to where the activity was to take place, we (Serbians and Albanians) had lunch together as one big family. I was overjoyed.

A special moment for me was when all the clubs presented something from their village. My friend Tamara and I sang the song 'Rahovec, yard of paradise'. Suddenly I felt that both my legs were trembling and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I was very shy and this was my first public presentation. It broke the ice in me and changed me.

The Kids for Peace project has helped me to fulfil my dreams. Now, I have lots of friends from different nationalities to socialize, laugh, rejoice and enjoy my childhood with.

I thank World Vision which daily spreads peace and happiness into all the hearts of all children,despite their nationality and who is restoringthe heart in our communities.

Sincerely,

Slobodanka