The second Summer School for children from the enclaves of Kosovo and Metohija concluded on August 11th in Bratilovac, a place where one of the most important programs of the Kosovsko Pomoravlje organization began a few years ago.
This year, 30 children attended the school, divided into two groups. The first group included children from the areas around Istok, Peć, Klina, and Lipljan, while the second group consisted of elementary school students from the municipalities of Gnjilane, Vitina, Novo Brdo, and Kosovska Kamenica.
As in previous years, the goal of the school was friendship and learning through play for children living in isolation, in villages with very few Serbs remaining. Some attendees were the only children from their villages. For this reason, this type of fun and educational summer program was extremely meaningful—not only for the children, but also for the teachers, organizers, and supporters, as a way to show care and solidarity with students from Kosovo and Metohija.
Kosovo Peonies
A new feature this year was the art workshops held in Draganac and Gračanica, made possible thanks to assistant Marija Nešić and the faculty of the Pedagogical College in Vranje. The workshops took place in the enchanting and inspiring setting of the monasteries. Children painted with tempera and acrylics, using brushes, sponges, and even their fingers. The main theme was the Kosovo peonies and how to artistically depict them as symbols of Kosovo and Metohija. Artistic reproductions by Nadežda Petrović, such as “Kosovo Peonies – Gračanica” and “Gračanica,” as well as several photographs of Kosovo peonies, were analyzed at the start of the workshops.
The instructor shared a personal reflection on the experience with the children:
-The sight of fifteen children, aged 5 to 14, painting Kosovo peonies in the monastery courtyard, using easels and canvases, felt like a divine art colony filled with joy, friendship, love, and creativity. Their works are a testament to this experience, worthy of exhibition in the most renowned Serbian galleries.
Meeting a Writer and Poet
Last year, the school ended with a literary workshop and poetry afternoon with poet Stevan Milošević from Vranje, and we held the same celebration this year. Thanks to Stevan, the children learned firsthand how a poem is created, where inspiration comes from, what rhymes are, and exercises to help recite verses expressively. The bravest among them, Pavle Rašković from Klina, shared his own poem dedicated to his village in Metohija.
-Working with children reminds us of our truest selves and cleanses our hearts; working with children who live and learn in remote villages in Kosovo and Metohija, often as the only student in their class, gives us a sense that we are truly serving Christ humbly
During the Summer School in Bratilovac, children also learned about the guardians of the Kosovo Covenant—two women, Bosiljka Rajčić (now Saint Bosiljka Pasjanska) and the Serbianized Marija – Bejas Hanumi, as well as Đorđe Vojinčetović, who defended Lipjan Church from destruction.
The days were warm, the sun high, and the Kosovo sky deep blue. Old forgotten paths wound around the monastery. Green clusters of grapes swayed above our heads. The clatter of dishes in the Draganac guesthouse, monks’ robes fluttering in the courtyard, singing birds, and curious visitors listening to our stories… I spent days at the heart of life that beats freely and joyfully despite the surrounding pressures.
I was, for a few days, in the heart of a life that beats freely and joyfully, despite the hoop that squeezes us all into a circle, into a circle. And it wants to press the heart so significantly, wildly, that it bursts.
Yet, both rotten and rusty, both bright and clear, it beats. It beats. Stories flow and flow. Like rivers, like dreams.
Life is given only to the living. Dušica Filipović writer
Let learning be a journey, not a destination
Teacher Tanja Cvetković, an experienced instructor with enclave children, dedicated classes in the mother tongue to grammar and important life lessons from folk literature. Through age-appropriate exercises, children solved word games, puzzles, riddles, and wrote about their favorite epic heroes. Special enthusiasm emerged for folk songs, which the children sang together under the teacher’s guidance
In the Spirit of Saint Sava
Religious education, led by Dr. Sava Milovanović from the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Belgrade, covered stories like the Prodigal Son and the Transfiguration of the Lord. Children explored the parts of the Orthodox church during their stay in Gračanica and learned about the Liturgy in the parish church of Bostan. The teacher commented:
-Gathering children in a school with both theoretical and practical spiritual aspects is of exceptional importance for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija and the development of the children in the spirit of Saint Sava.
Children’s Olympics
During the school’s Olympic Games, children competed in tug-of-war, relay races, sack races, and a football tournament with kids from Prekovce, led by veteran teacher and coach Ivan Arsić. Emphasis was placed on fair play, sportsmanship, and participation medals.
Creative Workshops and Excursion
After the language workshops and religious education classes were over, the children were usually given paints, beads, glue, swings, balls…Free activities led by our Katarina Kojić were the most dynamic part of the program, given that it was always necessary to listen to the mood, will, and interest of the children after a hard day and offer them the right way to have fun until dinner. Most of the children are interested in sports, history, geography, and some of them have diplomas from various competitions, which is confirmed by this. Both groups made models of crowns based on the crown of King Milutin using the papier-mâché technique. This technique requires patience and focus, which the older participants tested during the workshop, and the younger ones learned.
One of the most vivid encounters with the endowment of King Milutin and medieval Serbia was experienced by the children in Gračanica, visiting the monastery and then the Ordo Draconis theme park. During this trip, they tried out old games, visited the Museum of Chivalry, and got acquainted with the tools and weapons of that time.
Thank You
We sincerely thank the donors whose generosity made this year’s Summer School possible. Previous humanitarian activities helped convey the purpose of the project, and many supporters contributed according to their means.
We look forward to new ideas, collaborations, and support so that the Summer School continues to become a place of the most beautiful memories for children from villages across Kosovo and Metohija.
