Milorad Jurković from the village of Rakovac near Beočin, better known as Carpenter Mile, has a huge heart. His selflessness and dedication have helped thousands of families across Serbia for years.
This 54-year-old is known for his humanitarian work and the free production of feeding chairs for children with special needs, as well as many other forms of assistance that change people’s lives. Carpenter Mile has become synonymous with goodness and solidarity, and his workshop is a place where chairs are created that bring smiles and security to the youngest.
Milorad Jurković from the village of Rakovac near Beočin, better known as Carpenter Mile, has dedicated the last ten years of his life to making feeding chairs for children with special needs – completely free of charge. His selflessness, great faith in good, and deep humanity have left an indelible mark on thousands of families across Serbia.
Could you have imagined that one day you would make over 3,000 chairs?
Well, honestly, I couldn’t. I thought it would just be one chair and that’s it. But, the opposite happened. The chairs went out one after another. So far, we have donated 3,015 chairs. The initial idea was to make a dozen chairs, to help as much as possible. However, there were so many calls, support, and requests that in the end, we were able to make up to 5,000 chairs. All of that in ten years,” Mile recalls.
At a time when he could have earned serious money – as he himself says, even around 27,000 euros – Mile chose a different path. He rejected personal gain and remained consistent in his belief that every child deserves a safe and dignified childhood, regardless of the parents’ financial situation.
This vow was continued by his son Stefan, to whom his father left a clear message: no children’s chair must ever be charged for.
Milorad does not only help by making chairs. Thanks to a large community of over 120,000 people who follow him on social networks, he has organized numerous humanitarian actions: collecting aid for sick children, purchasing special wheelchairs, providing firewood and basic necessities for families on the verge of existence.
What was the biggest motivation not to give up? The smiles of children.
I always say – out of those 3,000 chairs, not a single child cried. Even when parents said ‘my child won’t sit’, every child sat. We received pictures of children sleeping in the chairs, not wanting to get out of them. Parents would take them out, and the children wanted back in. That’s when you know you’re on the right path,” Milorad honestly shares.
Joyful children and parents crying tears of happiness give him the strength to continue his incredible story. He makes baby feeding chairs and gives them to families who need them most.
He will especially remember meeting a girl from Požarevac, who did not speak after a difficult head operation. “We got her special, so-called sports wheelchairs. When I told her: ‘Here are the sports wheelchairs,’ she put her hand on my shoulder and said ‘sports’. Then my legs gave out, I sat on the floor next to the bed. You don’t forget that moment,” Mile recalls.
Although he doesn’t like to stand out, stories of families in difficult life situations deeply moved him. One such family from Dobrinci, with three children, two of whom cannot see or speak, while the boy was born without eyes, showed how invaluable his help was. With the blessing of Father Evgenije and Father Nemanja, he managed to overcome the most difficult periods. “A man thinks he can’t do anymore, but with the right word and prayer – he manages to get up,” he says.
Milorad emphasizes that life lessons have taught him that nothing material is more valuable than love, gratitude, and a child’s smile. “You can have money, wealth, but you can’t buy some things. You can’t turn back time. It’s all up to us. What you are, that’s what your life is like,” he says.
All of us can be anything in life. And the hardest thing is to be and remain human in today’s times
He finds support in his family, friends, and a large army of people who follow and support him. He says he will continue his humanitarian work as long as he can. Children who received chairs ten years ago are now grown up and have started school, and the chairs are further passed on to those who need them. “We try to meet everyone’s needs, especially families with more children and those in difficult financial situations. The only thing we never do is take money,” Milorad points out.
Finally, the message he would send to everyone in Serbia, and especially to his younger self, is clear: “Nothing material is valuable. Everything else is an illusion. If we don’t change ourselves from within, we cannot change the world around us.”
And while his tools still echo in the workshop in Rakovac, Mile is not lacking in strength. Quietly, without fanfare, he makes a new chair – only with faith in one idea: “Just let children be born.”
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Source: Kurir, Photo: Kurir / D.Š