On September 13, 2017, South South Education Foundation (SSEF) and Finance Center for South-South Cooperation (FCSSC) successfully donated 50 all-in-one computers to Grammar schools in Leskovac and Nis, Serbia. The computers had been stored in computer rooms for extended use by more students. Madam Dragica Nikolic, the former Serbian First Lady, attended the donation ceremony, together with mayors from the two cities and principals of the schools. They all thanked SSEF and FCSSC for supporting Serbian education.
After coordination for half a year, SSEF successfully cooperated with the Serbian First Lady’s charity foundation—Dragica Nikolic Foundation. The Grammar School in Leskovac and the “Svetozar Markovic” Grammar School in Nis were selected as the recipients of the donation, which sent 25 computers to each school. According to Madam Dragica Nikolic, “, I would like to thank our friends from China who recognized our desire to help children from Serbia and they brought us these computers from China right away.”
“One Laptop, One Dream”is one of the main charity projects of SSEF, aiming to empower students in the global South to live their dreams with internet and IT technology through donation of computers and thus narrow the technology gap between developing and developed countries. Up until now, this project has been implemented in over 10 countries like Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Sudan, Myanmar and Tajikistan.
“Not only did your knowledge and successes of your professors and students lead us here, but your humanity has brought us here as well,” said Madam Dragica Nikolic in Leskovac Grammar school. “We have heard that you gave up your satisfaction to have a graduation in order to help your classmate who was ill and needed fund for a surgery. Students with this humanity should be rewarded for the computers.” Mrs. Dragana Cvetanovic, Principal of the School, expressed her gratitude that, the school finally got brand new computers to replace the “antiques” with more than 15 years old, which had made their teaching difficult. “With today's donation, the teaching process will be significantly improved and students will get the desired knowledge faster. I am sure investing in knowledge and learning is the most cost-effective investment in the future.”
Students from “Svetozar Markovic” Grammar School in Nis are always achieving extraordinary results in national and international competitions in mathematics, physics and computer science. Every year there is at least a dozen students attending the Olympics and winning one of the first three places in the entire world. “I hope that the donation can provide the students with more incentives to work harder and continue to represent their school, their city and their country in the best possibly way in the world.”
SSEF will work closely with its sister organization FCSSC, to donate computers to more corners of the world, and bring knowledge and dreams to local children.
