Despite numerous challenges that did not bypass most organizations engaged in humanitarian work and development this year, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, thanks to the support of donors, companies, and individuals, managed to provide assistance to more than 10,000 citizens in Serbia, with donations worth one million dollars.
At the beginning of the year, after the closure of the American development agency USAID, the Foundation was forced to stop work on the project to assist persons with disabilities and the agricultural development funds project to support families in the countryside. However, with the help of numerous donors and the support of partners, the Foundation managed to continue its long-standing assistance to the population engaged in agriculture. Thus, this year, 196 holders of agricultural holdings were supported with 386,500 dollars, which improved the living conditions in the countryside for about 1,000 people.
In efforts to improve living conditions in the countryside and influence the reduction of migration to cities, the Foundation, with the support of partners, distributed 165 greenhouses to agricultural holdings in five municipalities during the year, and 11 agricultural producers from Prijepolje received equipment for fruit and vegetable processing. Also, 20 final-year students of the “Ljubo Mićić” Agricultural School with a student dormitory in Požega were supported, receiving agricultural equipment with a total value of 4.98 million dinars, with the aim of establishing or improving existing holdings.
Additionally, support for the improvement of education continued this year, and another 40 primary schools in rural areas across Serbia received a donation of new school furniture to improve learning conditions for more than 7,000 students.
For the 2025/2026 school year, the Foundation awarded 114 scholarships to outstanding high school students living in poor or single-parent families, and the non-profit school program for retraining in the IT sector, “IT Bootcamp,” which has been implemented for seven years in cooperation with a group of donors from the USA, was also continued. During 2025, 59 young participants enrolled in this retraining course, nine of whom found a job or internship, as did 23 previous participants.
During 2025, the Foundation continued to provide support to young people to become more actively involved in the social, economic, and political life of the community, as well as to identify areas where it is necessary to improve their position. A special focus was also placed on improving gender equality, the economic empowerment of women, and the promotion of sustainable development goals and equality for all.
Work also continued on the development and improvement of the Youth Participation Index, which has been used for the eighth consecutive year as a regional tool for monitoring the political, economic, and social inclusion of youth in Serbia, the Western Balkans region, and Turkey, providing relevant data for evidence-based policy making.
During 2025, the Foundation actively participated in the work of the “Sustainable Development for All” Platform, contributing to the advocacy of Sustainable Development Goals and their application at the national and local levels. A special focus was on strengthening cooperation with local self-governments and involving various social actors in the dialogue on Serbia’s development priorities.
With the aim of nurturing long-standing successful cooperation with numerous companies and their continuous involvement in programs and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens, as well as the employees of those companies and their families, during 2025, the Foundation actively contributed to the implementation of the project “Family-Friendly Workplace,” providing support to companies in introducing gender-responsive and family-sensitive policies in the workplace.
Within the “Odvažna” (Courageous) project, 16 small businesses that contribute to economic stability and the improvement of the position of women were supported, and also through grants, mentoring, and capacity building, 17 civil society organizations were supported, and regular monthly donations were provided for two animal shelters.
The Foundation continued to support vulnerable families, civil society organizations, animal shelters, as well as many individuals, especially youth and women.
A house for a family of four in Vlasotince was reconstructed, and firewood was procured for a single mother with six children in Belgrade, and for the residents of the Toplica region who suffered enormous damage due to fires this summer, firefighting equipment for inaccessible terrains was procured to better prepare them for next summer.
Thirty families in Kosovo received donations of food packages, firewood, and basic groceries, while in the vicinity of Kuršumlija, 500 users received donations in the form of firewood, food packages, footwear, and clothing. Regular support to the Church Kitchen of the religious charitable guardianship of the SOC for the distribution of 2,000 daily meals per month also continued. In the Juvenile Correctional Facility in Kruševac, 20 young residents went through dog training instruction as part of their resocialization process.
For its achievements so far, as well as for its contribution to the preservation and promotion of Tesla’s legacy, the advancement of culture and science, and the connection between Serbia and the diaspora, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation received the prestigious Tesla Medal and a letter of gratitude for 2025 from the Tesla Science Foundation.
The Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation is grateful to partners and donors from Serbia and the diaspora, as well as to companies, civil society organizations, local self-governments, ministries, the media, and all individuals who were part of the big Divac team again this year. Despite growing challenges, the Foundation continues to show endurance and resilience, and determinedly continues its mission of providing concrete support to citizens and improving the quality of life throughout Serbia.
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Source i Photo: Fondacija Ana i Vlade Divac