Letters from the readers

Be human while there are still people who need your help

“The Parents’ Association Caring for a Healthy Offspring” from Veles, initiated by the President’s participation at the World Children Rights Summit that took place from 8 to 10 May, 2002 in New York, have publicly asked Mr. Boris Trajkovski if his participation at the World Summit means hope and concrete help for the Veles children, in terms of the implementation of their constitutional and international right for healthy environment. In the media text, which followed, there was a description of the real environmental conditions in Veles, where the environmental pollution mostly influences the children and young people’s health, causing chronic lung diseases, anemia, heart diseases, migraine, bone and teeth diseases, etc.

A health crime is done on Veles children, there is evidence for that, it is a health crime which all the institutions in charge and ministries are familiar with, and it is a crime which no one stops and no one in Macedonia accepts the responsibility for. As a reaction to the public question and asking for concrete help from the nation’s father, we were invited at the President’s cabinet and on 14 May 2002, three members from the Association had a meeting with the President and discussed the problem. The result from our discussion was the following: Mr. Trajkovski promised that he will support the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and their information on the environmental condition in Veles as this Ministry’s priority problem and in the solution of this problem, the Ministries of Economy, Health and Finance will also take part. In other words, the President promised to prevent the Veles children, while on our request for solving the already existing health problems, the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Vladimir Dzabirski promised to provide free air climate rehabilitation for 30 children from the kindergartens and elementary schools, which was realized by financial support from the Environmental Fund, in the period between 28 July and 6 August this year, at the children resort “Radost” in Ohrid.

As an association, we deal with serious problems, which, the non-governmental, as well as the governmental sector avoids, although with our mission and the strategic goals we fit into many NGO program areas in Macedonia. Therefore, we are indeed not satisfied with the work of some foundations in Macedonia and their criterion for priority projects. It leads us to the conclusion that when determining whom to award the NGO project grants, the “power of strong connections” appears as the major criterion.

Nearly 15, 000 children from Veles need help. Their innocence, youth and desire for life, deserves it, by all national and international human standards. The fight for every goal in life is easier when the fighters are healthy and sane, and only then the effort can be endured. As parents we are faced with emotional, physical and financial pain – a constant suffering which seems to last forever. How far is the human endurance limit – only time can tell – and that does not make things any easier for us. So use your time for human activity in Veles, “while there are still people who need help”. 
 

Sonja Gavrilova
President of the Parents’ Association Caring for Healthy Offspring, Veles