MK Group and AIK Bank have donated 30,000 euros to the Family Support Center “Putokaz” in Niš. This Center was founded in 2014 by the SOS Children’s Villages Serbia Foundation in order to aid families from Niš, who are at risk of separating their children. For the past six years, since the Center has existed, more than 1,500 children from Niš and 260 families have used this type of support. The donation to the “Putokaz” Center is part of the continuous socially responsible activities that the MK Group Company has directed towards children and families in the local communities in which it operates.
„As a socially engaged institution that is a strong support for domestic science, economy and development, AIK Bank pays special attention to young people, education and strives to be a support to society in all communities in which it operates. We are glad that with this donation, together with MK Group, we helped the Family Support Center “Putokaz” in Niš in their humanitarian mission, ” said Periša Ivanović, Assistant to the Executive Board of AIK Bank.
“ For years, MK Group has been helping the work and activities of the SOS Children’s Villages Serbia Foundation, ie children and youth without parental care from all over Serbia, focusing on employment and independence of young people from alternative care. In addition to the construction of the House for Youth at the SOS Children’s Village in Kraljevo, MK Group continuously provides winter holidays in Kopaonik and education for young people, so this donation is a continuation of our continuous cooperation. The donation intended for the Family Support Center “Putokaz” in Niš is extremely important, because it helps us to continue our work with families at risk of separating children and losing custody, ” said Vesna Mraković Jokanović, National Director of the SOS Children’s Villages Serbia Foundation.
„The City of Nis has been supporting the SOS Children’s Villages of Serbia and the Family Support Center Putokaz for years. Their work significantly contributes to the improvement of living conditions of Niš families who are at risk. Although the Center helps individuals, it consequently provides support to the entire local community. Experience has shown us that we have a good associate and partner in the SOS Children’s Villages Serbia Foundation and we are sure that it will be the same in the future, “said Dušica Davidović, Deputy Mayor of Niš.
One of the parents involved in the activities told how the Family Support Center in Nis influenced the improvement of his family’s life: “The support of “Putokaz” is very important and really means a lot to me. Talking and counseling helped me understand why my child disagrees with other children. Our family counselor consorted me with the school and the Center for Social Work, which meant that I understood better what I should do as a parent. My child received support in learning at the Center, and participation in the workshops helped him get along better with his friends. Material help was important for our family, but it is even more important to me that I realized that I am not the only one who has problems, as well as that I have someone to share them with.”
Let us remind you that the cooperation between the MK Group and the SOS Children’s Villages Serbia Foundation has been successfully realized for many years, and represents a shining example of long-term socially responsible cooperation in Serbia. In 2012, the company MK Group, with 220 thousand euros, financed the construction of the house in which the “Youth Community” is located at the SOS Children’s Village in Kraljevo. Since then, MK Group, led by President Miodrag Kostić and Vice President Aleksandar Kostić, has been continuously assisting SOS Children’s Villages of Serbia, and as a sign of gratitude for the support, in 2015, Mr. Kostić was awarded the Badge of Honor by the international organization SOS Children’s Villages.
