{"id":1300,"date":"2018-06-19T17:12:50","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/sitenews\/2018\/06\/19\/world-refugee-sabbath-programming-impacts-lives-around-the-world\/"},"modified":"2018-06-19T17:12:50","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:12:50","slug":"world-refugee-sabbath-programming-impacts-lives-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/world-refugee-sabbath-programming-impacts-lives-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"World Refugee Sabbath programming impacts lives around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

19 June 2018 | Belgrade, Serbia [Victor Hulbert\/Corrado Cozzi]<\/p>\n

Trapped in housing where a family of six may share just one room \u2013 and then share cooking and washing facilities with other similar families, migrants in Serbia can suffer deep socio-psychological problems.  Two years ago, ADRA Serbia was busy providing emergency aid to the tens of thousands who weekly passed through their country in hope of a new life further west.  Now it is providing much needed aid for those living for longer periods within its borders; helping with social integration, education, life-skills and counselling.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Such is the success of the ADRA Serbia community centre in Belgrade that it became the venue and focus for a special live-stream broadcast on World Refugee Sabbath, 16 June.<\/p>\n

Refugees crowded into the women\u2019s resource room at the ADRA community centre, keen to share with the world how ADRA had become their family.  Sotude, a mother with two young daughters, shared how she was in despair before ADRA became a part of her life.  Now she comes to the compound each day. She told how it lifts her spirits, allowing her to develop life-skills, engage in sports, talk to others back home via an internet caf\u00e9, and socialise in a safe environment.<\/p>\n

ADRA also works with school-aged migrants, helping integrate them into the school system, providing mentors to help them with the language, and extra support at the centre to help them catch up with the schooling they missed during difficult journeys from Afghanistan or Iraq.<\/p>\n

\"2018WRS<\/a>Twelve-year-old Farhad is one example: a musician, keen football player, and a skilled artist, his time at the centre has helped him develop his skills.  An art exhibition sharing his paintings helped raise funds for a Serbian boy in need of a serious operation. ADRA\u2019s \u201clittle Picasso\u201d is already giving back to the community that is supporting him\u2014which has not gone unnoticed.  Last August, Farhad and his family were invited to the presidential palace to meet with the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107, who graciously offered them citizenship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to focus on the fact that among the refugees there are a lot of children,” noted Corrado Cozzi, representing the Adventist Church in Central and Southwestern Europe. Interacting with the children at the centre he emphasised that “a child needs special care, special food, and secure shelter every single day.” Reflecting more broadly he noted how many children sadly live in a dramatic conditions that will he a big impact their future.<\/p>\n