MK Group and AIK Bank set aside 11 million dinars for employees in Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia who, during 2023, took on the role of parents. At an annual ceremony held as part of the regional Family Support Initiative, 163 newborn babies received cash subsidies in an effort to support the employees who became parents this year. This program includes various activities aimed at children, youth and the family, and this year alone, EUR 1 million was set aside for them in honour of MK Group’s 40th anniversary. A total of EUR 680,000 was set aside for donations to 20 preschools in the Adria region, marking the program’s anniversary.
In addition to the employees and representatives of preschool institutions that received donations, the event at the Sava Centre was attended by Darija Kisić, Minister of Family Welfare and Demography of Serbia and Damjan Bergant, Ambassador of Slovenia to Serbia.
At the ceremony, Minister Kisić expressed her hopes that the number of newborns in Serbia will increase in the coming period. “This is the most beautiful message that we can send from Serbia today. It is our hope that Serbia will be even more embellished with the voices and laughter of children in the future,” said Prof. Kisić.
“The numerous community-supporting initiatives that MK Group and AIK Bank are involved in demonstrate their dedication to social responsibility. It is commendable that the significant choice was made to support children and young people as an investment in the future,” said Damjan Bergant.
“This year, our colleagues welcomed 163 babies to the world, and we gifted them with a total of RSD 11 million. In the seven years that the Family Support Initiative has been in effect, we have assisted 1,460 of our colleagues’ newborns and over 900 families. In the year of the jubilee, in which MK Group celebrated its 40th anniversary, we donated EUR 1 million to support parenting, of which EUR 680,000 was allocated for the renovation and equipping of 20 preschools in the Adria region,” said Aleksandra Stojanović, Head of Corporate Affairs of MK Group.
This year, MK Group and AIK Bank allocated EUR 350,000 for preschools in Serbia, in Vrbas, Bečej, Pećinci, Kovačica, Novi Sad, Golubac, Niš and Raška. Preschools in Šibenik and the planned Brač preschool in Croatia received funding, while three preschools in Podgorica and Budva in Montenegro underwent renovations. Donations in Slovenia worth EUR 150,000 were realized together with Gorenjska banka, and were received by seven preschool institutions in Ljubljana, Kranj, Maribor, Izola, Koper and Portorož.
Mihailo Janković, CEO of MK Group, expressed gratitude to the preschool management for their collaboration in executing initiatives that improved the living, playing, and educational environments for the youngest members of our community. “We are honouring the younger generations in this way because they will shape our future,” Janković said.
“The Family Support Initiative is one of the projects we are most proud of. Our strategic dedication to family empowerment has also been extended to the larger community through our support of maternity hospitals, preschools, and other institutions critical to the healthy growth and development of the youngest members of our society. Samo u prethodne dve godine, AIK Banka i MK Group donirale su oko milion i In the past two years alone, AIK Bank and MK Group have donated about one and a half million euros to institutions in the country and the region where our future is born and grows,” said Andrija Vuković, Member of the Executive Board of AIK Bank.
The Family Support Initiative began as an internal program in 2017 with the goal of rewarding staff members who became parents that year. Later on, donations to institutions and organizations that support family policy measures, parenting, and children were made as part of the initiative’s expansion.
