Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia Michael Davenport attended the ceremony marking the school slava St. Sava at two Obrenovac schools, both reconstructed thanks to the EU funds after the May 2014 floods. The latest edition of Europa Diary was also presented to the students.
During the ceremony at the “Jovan Jovanović Zmaj” elementary school, reconstructed thanks to EU funds after the floods, Davenport said the EU Delegation would continue to help agricultural producers throughout the flood-affected municipalities.
He announced that the focus of EU Delegation’s attention would be set on flood prevention, while a part of EU’s IPA funds would be aimed at taking preventive measures in all of the affected regions and municipalities.
Davenport also said he was very honoured to attend the ceremony, and mark St. Sava day together with students and teachers.
“I am honoured and happy to receive these plaques and letters of thanks from you on the day celebrating Serbia’s great enlightener,” he said, after being presented with school’s recognition for EU’s and his personal contribution to flood relief.
Davenport said that, in relation to flood relief in Obrenovac, the EU has been the biggest donor in Serbia, given that the EU provided 850.000 euros for the reconstruction of schools, making him proud that the EU’s assistance has made schools operational as early as September.
At the Jovan Jovanović Zmaj elementary school, he said, the quality of construction works was obvious, so everyone was pleased to see teachers and students being able to work and study in proper conditions.
More than 1.300 students would now be able play and learn more comfortably in the entire school and not only on the ground floor as it was the case immediately after the floods, Davenport said.
He thanked all volunteers from Serbia and other countries too, who had taken part in the reconstruction of school.
President of the Municipality Miroslav Cuckovic said that, thanks to EU Delegation, Obrenovac “is town alive” today; four primary and three secondary schools were now lovelier and neater than they had been before the floods.
He said that Davenport has become friends with Obrenovac, and together with its citizens went through a difficult period during and after the May floods.
Davenport then attended the ceremony marking St. Sava day at the Agricultural and Chemical School, as well as the promotion of the sixth edition of Europa Diary in Serbian, prepared by the EU Delegation and Serbian Government’s institutions.
The brochure should, in an interesting way, help students learn about the process of European integration, travel and job opportunities, whereas Davenport said the topics covered would greatly influence children’s lives in the future.
“I hope you would explore all of the topics in the book, and be inspired to share your views on the EU with us, through the literary contest organised by the EU Info Centre in Belgrade,” Davenport said.
Davenport also said he was glad to see five cabinets and the gym reconstructed at the Agricultural and Chemical School, reconstruction for which the EU had provided 70.000 euros, so that 600 students could acquire new knowledge and skills.
Davenport was awarded a Letter of Thanks by the school, for all that he has done during the reconstruction, but he insisted that the recognition was also to be shared with everyone within the EU Delegation in Belgrade.
Visit to Nesic family
During his visit to Obrenovac, Davenport also paid a visit to the family of Nikola Nesic, whose house was completely destroyed during May floods, but who had a new house of 80 square metres constructed thanks to EU funds.
As tradition has it, Davenport gave Nikola Nesic a house-warming gift and spoke to his family members about everything that had happened, while the family of four, including grandma Ljubica, 74, expressed their gratitude for the support in getting a roof over their head.
Nesic said the new house gave him a great comfort after everything that had happened, and that immediately after the disaster he did not believe anyone would build him a new house, because, for a certain period of time, the construction in Obrenovac was halted.
As he himself pointed out, Davenport came by on 11 September when the foundations were being laid, and once more after that, to check how the works were progressing. The Nesic family moved to the new house in December.
