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Daily Centre for children on street  The Daily Centre for Children on Street has been active in the past few months (October 2007 – January 2008). From the 35 registered children in the Centre, there are 20 regular children coming. They are aged between 5-14 years and they come from the so called "Carton Neigbourhood" in Novo Lisice and Klanica in the suburb Aerodrom. Here, in the Daily Centre the children receive snack, clean clothes, take baths and visit workshops.


In this period the children were participants in few events. On 3th November in cooperation with Open Fun Football School, a sport manifestation was organized on the playground in the Children’s home “11 October” for the children from the Daily center and the children from child workshops at The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi. On this manifestation the children were divided in different groups, which were part of few Olympic Games.

Next event was the NGO Fair, where the children were part of the socio- cultural event and they presented the worst forms of child labour abuse. After the event in cooperation with the Action Park, it was provided free fun for few hours.

The end of 2007 was celebrated with a New Year’s party with a magician, in cooperation with Cosmofon, where the children received new year's packets .

Statement
Date: 07. 11. 2007

This Wednesday, as usual, I went to take the children who visit the daily Centre for Street Children in The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi. They live in improvised houses in the suburb Novo Lisice. When I arrived there, a grotesque image, which I have seen before: bulldozers demolishing the habitats of a family with 8 children. The Mayor of the community Aerodrom was present too, he saluted me I asked me why am I there. I told him that come from The First Children’s Embassy in the World – Megjashi to take the children to the Daily Centre, on what he responded that is not nice to tell lies to the people and support their non-legal housing. I answered him that we, (the civil organizations), did not put those people there, but that I just came to take the children to The Daily Centre and I am wondering are their homes being demolished. He said to me that these people are spreading infective diseases, that according to their IDs they should live in the suburb Shuto Orizari and that they have accommodation in Katlanovo. I tried to explain to the Mayor, that they don’t want to live in Katlanovo, because it is too far from the city and they work in the city, but his answer was that they don’t do anything they only make garbage. I explained him that they can’t live in Shuto Orizari because they can’t afford to pay rent and this family specifically had lived in Shuto Orizari and had a house there but they had to sell it in order to pay for the brain tumour operation of their son and since then started living like nomads. He didn’t wan to hear anything and simply said that we have to place them somewhere not just “to make profit form them.” While they were demolishing their improvised houses didn’t let them to take their things outside and were yelling to the mother to come out while she was trying to safe as much as she could from the house. When the bulldozer hit the house the mayor simply turned his back and walked away. I run towards him and asked if they will settle these people somewhere since it started to rain and there are 8 children in that family. He answered me with anger “do not disturb me. I am the only mayor that goes out in the field and make my hands dirty.” I told him that he is absolutely right and that his hands are dirty. I walked away and left the children crying, to whom demolishing their homes is a every day view.

p. s. Among other things I asked the mayor if he is aware that these people in two-three days will build up new houses at the same place which means that they don’t do anything with the demolishing only a material damage to the people that are from the most poor stratums of the society. He did not respond. And after three days these people were back again.

Azra Rizvanovik