In 2013, NURDOR started an initiative to build a new children’s oncology department in Niš, the main treatment location for patients from South Serbia. Five years, many fundraising campaigns and events, charity boxes, numerous kind individuals, and EUR 850,000 (RSD 100,000,000) later, the department is officially open and ready to host first little patients.

As Joland Korora, the Director of NURDOR stated: “This hospital complex in Serbia has the newest equipment and fulfills all the European standards; the one that is made according to the ‘needs of children, their parents and the hospital staff’”.

The new complex, offering a comforting environment for children and their families, is the result of persistence and joint efforts of kind-hearted people. This object has 773 square meters, and 15 beds for patients as well as their parents, who can now stay with them. The new department is also equipped with a separate playroom with toys and books.

Initiated in 2013, the project officially started in 2015, on February 15, the International Childhood Cancer Day, when NURDOR sets charity campaigns to raise funds and invite donors to contribute to this cause. The construction began in May 2016.

The total of expenses for this project is EUR 850,000 (RSD 100,000,000) and majority of it was raised through different campaigns and events. During five years, NURDOR organized 400 different initiatives, had help of 1,000 volunteers and received 240,000 SMS donations. Charity sales, fundraising events in cities all over Serbia, donation boxes, raising funds during the Jedicon and a charity walk are only a few examples of how NURDOR engaged their community.

During the years, NURDOR was also trying to persuade the Government of Serbia that this project should be free of VAT. It wasn’t until the very last moments that the Government decided to return the VAT to NURDOR.

Dear friends from NURDOR, we applaud you for bringing people together for five years to do a wonderful thing. You not only reached your goal and fulfilled your mission, but you also restored public’s trust in nonprofits and showed us all how we should reach out and build communities around our missions. Thank you.