Željo Perić, a person of modest desires and a big heart, will bring smiles to the faces of 300 children from the municipalities of Novi Grad, Krupa na Una, Kostajnica and Budimlić Japra-Oštra Luka before the New Year’s holidays.
It is about a craftsman from Novi Grad who spends the days of December collecting funds, sweets and toys, in order to make children from socially disadvantaged families happy.
And everything, as he tells us, started six years ago.
” At that time, there were no humanitarian or similar actions in Novi Grad, and there were plenty of children whose parents could not afford a New Year’s package or any other gift. That’s when I started the campaign “One package, one child” for the first time, because I believed that during the holidays and gift-giving, every child should feel the New Year’s magic and joy, to simply be happy.”
In addition to children from socially disadvantaged families, as the first target group, packages and gifts are also intended for children of disabled people and children with disabilities. In the first year, only children from Novi Grad were included, and that list, Željo adds, was eventually expanded to three more municipalities thanks to the interest of citizens and individual entrepreneurs.
” I launch the humanitarian campaign “One packet, one child” every year from the end of November and it lasts until the end of December. I will announce the campaign primarily through social networks, and we will place the box in local shopping centers. Citizens put in money there, each according to their capabilities, but from the heart. I provide packages, sweets, toys with the help of donors, mostly natural persons who respond more and more to the campaign every year, we don’t have the habit of asking businessmen for donations and the like, but some come forward themselves and donate”
The number of packets is not the same every year, but prepare as many packets as needed. And in order to get the right information, Željo turned to institutions whose work is related to the mentioned categories of children, such as the Center for Social Work, Merhamet, the Red Cross, schools and the Association for Four and More Children.
” All institutions expressed their willingness to help from the very beginning. Based on their records, every year they deliver lists with the required number of packages on time, so that not a single child in need from these municipalities is left without a gift. Every year, from 250 to 400 packets are prepared, which, in addition to sweets and toys, also contain school supplies, clothes and shoes”
Increasingly expensive living, rising prices, economic crisis lead to a situation where more and more families have enough money only for basic life needs. And no matter how much they want to afford the children a gift, that is, a touch of New Year’s joy, they are unable to do so. That’s why the lists are getting longer, Danijela Samardžić, secretary of the Municipal Red Cross Organization Novi Grad, who is also a participant in the “One package, one child” action, tells us.
” Every year, the Red Cross submits a list of children from socially vulnerable families, this year only 30 of them were proposed to our organization, which, unfortunately, is a significant increase compared to the previous year. We are talking about children up to 12 years of age, for whom this is the most often and only New Year’s gift. It is difficult to see the faces and sadness of those families during the year, and we are happy when we can help them. Especially when we see smiles and happiness on children’s faces at the distribution of packets. This further encourages us to participate in these and similar actions ourselves”.
” Unfortunately, there has been a crisis in BiH for years, so we look positively at all the activities we carry out, the action is more and more successful every year, there are always good people who have a big heart and desire and who are ready to support the action and make every child from the social vulnerable families. This year, our goal is to prepare over 300 packets, and we believe that we will succeed in this, just as we have succeeded in the past years,” adds Željo.
In order for all children to receive a gift before the New Year, the distribution began in the second half of December. Each institution that prepares the lists organizes it separately, provides Santa Claus, so that the atmosphere is as cheerful and beautiful as possible. And Željo himself, as he tells us, occasionally, when he has time, accepts the role of grandfather who distributes gifts.
Eight-year-old Ana, a pupil of the elementary school “Sveti Sava” in the Gornji Rakani neighborhood of Novigrad, is eagerly awaiting a package from Santa Claus. For the second time, they will receive a package, and this year, Branka’s mother points out, it means a lot for the family, considering the fact that the father, the breadwinner of the family, recently passed away.
” Even after my husband’s death, I try to provide my children, daughter and son with everything they need, so that they don’t feel that huge loss.” Ana is especially happy because the distribution will be organized at school for her friends up to the fifth grade, and preschool children will also receive packets. All parents are grateful to Želja Perić, because this is an environment where there are fewer and fewer children, there are only ten students in the school, and every attention and every activity organized for them is significant”
It is interesting to point out that our interlocutor does not only make children happy during the New Year holidays. Suitable gifts, which he makes in his shop, are given to children during religious holidays, Christmas and Eid.
” During these holidays, I select something from my souvenirs, usually they are magnets, pendants, I add chocolate bars and take them to priests in churches and mosques, so that they can distribute them to children. A small gift that makes children happy at a time when we all need to be happy and cheerful”.
Željo has been making souvenirs for many years. These are autochthonous souvenirs, which tell about this area, life and its past. These, Željo explains, are items taken from the cultural heritage, which means items that were used by our ancestors.
” We make national costumes, shirts, aprons, belts, bags, we have an old loom (tara) for weaving, we make embroidery, we make ethnic souvenirs from plates, mills, wells, clocks, magnets with motifs of this region and many interesting souvenirs that are left our workshop to the whole world”.
Craftsman and humanitarian Željo Perić also founded the Association “Kastrum na Uni” in March. Along with the humanitarian activities that will be organized throughout the year, the members of the Association will work on the promotion of culture, tourism and historical heritage, as well as the preservation of the environment. With all those areas that contribute to a better quality and happier life of the people. And that an individual can do a lot for society, especially an organized group, is shown by the action “One package, one child”, which is the reason for this beautiful story from Novi Grad.
Written by: Nermina Zulić
Photo: Želje Perić archive
This story was written thanks to the generous support of the American people through the “LOCAL WORKS” program of the American Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID). The author and “Network for Peace Building” are solely responsible for the content of the story. The views expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
