Many people have been affected by the floods in the Balkans a few weeks ago. Lund student Zinajda Horozović is involved with Den Helige Savas Barnfond i Skandinavien, a foundation helping vulnerable children in the Balkans.
Currently, the foundation is raising money to support all the people affected by the floods in the Balkans, with focus mainly being on helping all the children.
“Consider how much effort these people have put into rebuilding and repairing the damage caused by the wars in the 1990s. Now, everything is ruined once more, it is really sad,” says Zinajda Horozović, law student.
According to her, tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate and leave their homes because of the floods in Serbia and Bosnia. In some of the worst places, water levels reach seven meters high.
“An amazing message”
The foundation accepts all kinds of contributions according to Zinajda Horozović. There is a desperate need for children supplies, such as diapers, canned baby food and powder milk. But the foundation also needs toiletries, first aid-supplies and a lot of clothes.
“I have tried to get involved in similar projects before, but never in the same way as now. My parents are from the Balkans, and I also have a lot of relatives and friends there. I think that is why this feels so important,” Zinajda Horozović says.
Her first contact with the foundation was through a friend. She has been involved in the fund-raising for the vulnerable in the Balkans since the start.
“This foundation in particular caught my attention. It´s message is that ‘we are all humans’, and I think that is an amazing message. In the end, nothing else matters,” she says.
Easy for students to get involved
“The purpose of the foundation is simply put to give the affected people the help they need. There are so very many people who have been affected by this, and there has not been that much attention from the media. The situation is much worse than you would believe,” Zinajda Horozović says.
Today, it is easy to get yourself involved as a student. Through for example Facebook and other social media it is easy to find various organizations, foundations or associations online.
“Just get in touch through the organization or on Facebook today, it is not that hard. Getting in touch is easy, so to speak, but then you have to take that ‘first step’ to get involved yourself,” she says.
Text: Sara Wigsén
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
