A-SMYLE Alumni Encourage Volunteerism to Bring Community Together

A-SMYLE alumni Aleksandr Cakic and Teodora Tasic noticed a problematic trend in their hometown of Leskovac, Serbia: instead of taking action and trying to fix its problems, people were packing up and leaving their community. Aleksandr and Teodora believe one reason for this trend is a lack of ties within the community and very little dedication to making it better. To address this, they envisioned a project to bring everyone together and spark an interest in volunteering that would set an example for future generations. From this vision, their project ACT ON was born.

Project ACT ON, sponsored by a small grant from American Councils for International Education, was held in March and consisted of three days of community service activities. A total of 25 volunteers and two additional A-SMYLE alumni came together to learn about how they can help Leskovac by building a stronger community.

Day One focused on Leskovac's environmental needs. Volunteers participated in trash clean-up in various locations throughout the city, including streets, parks, and schoolyards. Students ran into an unexpected surprise, however, with snow. They remained undeterred and used the weather situation to do extra work by first clearing away the snow, and then picking up the trash buried beneath it.

Day Two focused on helping other community members. Students volunteered at the local hospital by assisting with doctors with patients and cleaning up hallways. Aleksandr and Teodora saw this activity as an important way for students to set an example for their peers and also to gain valuable work experience.

On Day Three, the volunteers learned about fundraising. Participants organized an exhibition where they could present pictures from their travels, which were then available for purchase by exhibit visitors. All of the funds raised by this event was donated to the October 11 School for Children with Special Needs in Leskovac. The exhibition was followed by a social event where students could discuss with others their experiences with ACT ON.

Overall, the project was a great success. To publicize their event, Aleksandr and Teodora enlisted the help of the local media, which covered both the community clean-up and the photo exhibit. The A-SMYLE alumni even appeared on a local morning show during the second day of the project to talk about ACT ON’s progress, and their goals for the future.

Ultimately, Aleksandr and Teodora would like to make ACT ON an annual event in order to continue to promote the spirit of volunteerism. They also want to extend this idea throughout Serbia and create and "ACT ON Marathon" with other communities.