In a time when interests and money are most important, true values and true friends are rare and we must cherish and nurture them.

Greece and the Greek people have always been our best friends, and we have proof of that in recent events.

During the crisis and wars of the nineties, and after that, almost every family in Thassos hosted one or two children from Serbia for a fairly long period. I believe that this practice of periodic hosting of children lasted for about a decade.

The islanders organized themselves very well and set up a center where shoes and clothes were brought, not just any, but well-preserved and high-quality ones, sometimes even new. They collected toys and money, and they stood in line at clinics to voluntarily donate blood.

In Kavala, various organizations and individuals organized similar actions, as did football team fans (especially the fans of the football team A.E.K).

At that time, I lived in southern Serbia where tons and tons of oranges and other fruits were being delivered.

In Vranje, there was a humanitarian organization called “Love for Humanity” where tons of aid from Greece were being delivered, including medicines, furniture, electronic devices, and food…

Greek monasteries, especially the monastery of St. Lydia near Asprovalta, hosted thousands of our people and children for longer or shorter periods, organized free summer camps, and collected aid.

At that time, the monastery was home to Archimandrite Theophilos Zisopulos, a great friend of the Serbian people who organized all the aid actions for our people.

In the nineties, Father Theophilos organized convoys of aid for the people of Republika Srpska, found donors and foster parents for war orphans, money for scholarships for students…

Father Theophilos devoted his entire life to humanism and mercy, and he was awarded the Order of Njegoš of the first degree of the Republic of Srpska and the Order of St. Sava of the first degree of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Church leaders from Patras are known for sending aid to Serbia amounting to tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros year after year.

Protests against the bombing of Serbia were organized in squares throughout Greece, and many famous singers held concerts in support of Serbia. Some Greeks stayed in Serbia during the bombing as a sign of solidarity.

When we think about it, do we really have better friends than the Greeks?

In the nineties, the Children’s Village for orphaned children (without parental care) in Sremska Kamenica was almost left to itself. Crisis, war, and very little help. Only a few benefactors cared for and helped the children.

Ana Vukojev lived in the Children’s Village at that time, and her experience was as follows:

“Father Isaias and Father Makarios from the Church of the Holy Apostles in Nea Kallikratia collected food and clothing throughout the year, together with the faithful in Kallikratia, and sent aid to the Children’s Village in Sremska Kamenica. I can’t say exactly how this was organized, but I remember that trucks with aid occasionally arrived at the village, and we also received gifts for Christmas from young Greeks. At that time, this aid meant a lot to us. In the summer, a kind of camp for children was organized in the monastery, usually around 50 children were “rewarded” for their success in school or other achievements, and a bus would take us to Greece. Children who wanted to be baptized had that option, and the godparents were Greeks who wanted to baptize children. That’s how I was baptized there, and my godparents were from Thessaloniki, but unfortunately, I lost contact with them as they moved to Australia about 15 years ago. My story and the story of other children from the Children’s Village speak volumes about the Greeks, their religiosity, love for life and youth, selflessness, and understanding of alienation, loneliness, and rejection… Oh, I have something else to add. Father Isaias financed that trip for us from his personal income, I found that quite admirable… That was the first time I truly understood what it means to be a monk. He ate very little, spent almost the whole day in his garden where he grew vegetables, and the rest of the day was in the church within the monastery - a wonderful, gentle man…

Tatjana Sikima also shared her experience with us:

“Unfortunately, I don’t know the specific names of people and organizations that helped us. I lived in a collective accommodation called “Zvezdani Gaj” in Zvezdara as a refugee from 1992-1994. We regularly received aid from Greece, in food, clothing, cigarettes. I also know that children of fallen fighters and children who were alone in that home went to Greece for vacation and were hosted by Greek families for longer periods. Some children stayed to study with those families, who continued to care for them later on. Unfortunately, the names were either unmentioned or faded with the years. We were not the only collective accommodation that received help.”