Today, the tree planting action within the initiative “Tree for a friend – tree for Angelina” was organized in Krečanska Street, in the neighborhood Irac in Tuzla. Marking the World Cities Day, the Tuzla Community Foundation, with the help of philanthropists and citizens, enriched the city with over 100 seedlings of silver maple, white birch, red plum and spruce. As in previous years, the action was realized with the support of JKP Komunalac, i.e., the City of Tuzla, the youth movement “Let’s Do It Tuzla”, the Network of Active Communities and citizens, who planted trees on behalf of their families, friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. In a very short period, with the help of 47 donors, we collected almost 3,000.00 BAM, which were spent for buying seedlings.
“Maintaining the continuity of the initiative is very important for us, because the citizens are traditionally involved, dealing with their losses and pain in a positive way. Although it was created as an action prompted by the loss that our team experienced when our colleague Angelina Hodžić Avramović left us, over time the initiative grew into a recognizable civic action and tradition in Tuzla. Today, citizens plant trees not only on behalf of those who are no longer there, but on behalf of their families, friends and children. By doing so, we are not only creating a more beautiful environment for new generations, but we are also sending a clear message and building awareness of the importance of preserving the environment. This year we tried to plant in a neighborhood that lacks greenery, so that the whole city would be evenly green”, says Tarik Baraković, coordinator of the philanthropy and entrepreneurship program at the Foundation, emphasizing that it is very important that such activities are implemented in a planned and coordinated manner in cooperation with the professionals and local government.
Maja Okanović attended today’s action and she believes that small initiatives create togetherness, which gives greater value to everything: “This initiative reminds me of my childhood. Thirty years ago, as a child, I helped my dad, who passed away in 2019, to plant trees behind our building. Although it didn’t make sense to many at the time, he persevered and nurtured those trees. What many did not see or could imagine at the time were the generations of children who developed and had fun climbing those trees or all those who ate their fruits, but also provided shade during hot days. To me, those trees still remind me of the happy days of my childhood. The effort we put into creating something good today will yield immeasurable results in the future.”
Mirna Hodžić also attended the action, which was launched six years ago in memory of her mother Angelina: “The initiative was launched wishing to do something for our city, but also in memory of my mother. Over the years, it has become an action for all citizens who have lost someone. For all those who would do positive things if they were alive today, we gather and strive to maintain this tradition on their behalf.”
This initiative is being implemented for the sixth year in a row, thanks to the selfless efforts of donors and volunteers, over 1000 seedlings have been planted so far.
