VIRTUS award for 2019
The leading award for contribution at the national level – Mastercard Europe SA Belgrade
Mastercard Europe SA Belgrade for the company’s largest single financial donation in Serbia to the National Association of Parents of Children with Cancer – NURDOR and the campaign Together for a House That Every Superhero Deserves. The company supported the construction of a new parents’ house in Belgrade for the accommodation of parents and children during treatment for 250,000 euros. During 2019, Mastercard, in cooperation with the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, supported six female entrepreneurs within the project Ja sam ODVAŽNA! intended for the economic empowerment of women in Serbia, and donated funds for the purchase of magnetic resonance imaging to the Clinical Center of Serbia as part of RTS Teleton.
Award for contribution to the local community where the company operates – Eurobank JSC Belgrade
Eurobank JSC Belgrade for the support program for talented children, children with disabilities and children without parental care within the Manchester United football school. This school enabled young 11-year-old footballers to perfect their football skills with coaches from Great Britain. In addition, during the previous year, Eurobank financed the furnishing of the cabinet for statistics and accounting of the First School of Economics in Belgrade through the School as Designed for You project. This project is intended to improve working and learning conditions in secondary economic schools in Serbia, allocating part of its income from transactions made using the Eurobank Veliko Srce humanitarian credit card.
Award for a small and medium-sized enterprise – Inter-Mehanika JSC
Inter-Mehanika Ltd., a family business from Smederevo, for furnishing one of the classrooms in the Smederevo Gymnasium, reconstruction of the toilet in the school dispensary of the local Health Center, support for the development of local sports, as well as a donation of tools and materials for the reconstruction of the Belgrade Pobednik. During 2019, Inter-Mechanika donated approximately 2.5% of its turnover to the local community.
Award for a long-term partnership between business and non-profit sector – Telenor
Telenor Ltd. for a 12-year partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF on education programs for children and their parents for safe use of the Internet and prevention of digital violence. As part of the project Safe Internet for the Whole Family: Smart from the Beginning, an initial survey was conducted on the use of the Internet among younger children and the information of their parents. The results of this research served as the basis for the production of printed, animated and online educational materials and resource packages, and the training of 150 educators and teachers in 5 cities in Serbia. These educators then piloted a program of workshops in which approximately 3,750 children and 2,000 of their parents participated. Thanks to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, the developed materials are used in all elementary schools and preschools as part of a systemic solution for the prevention of digital violence.
Award for individual contribution to philanthropy – Tamara Klarić and Bogdan Stevanović
As a continuation of the Take a Step campaign, in which they collected funds for the construction of a hospital for pediatric oncology in Niš by walking from Belgrade to Niš, two years later Tamara Klarić and Bogdan Stevanović from Belgrade created a socially responsible application for mobile phones Take a Step. In the fall of 2019, the application made it possible to secure more than half a million euros for the construction of a new Parents’ House in Belgrade with the help of 560,000 people and over 60 donor companies. This time, the two of them walked in the opposite direction, from Niš to Belgrade, and by their example motivated the general public to get involved in the action, and together they walked across Serbia twice, while all the participants of the action walked the entire circumference of the planet Earth.
Special award for the most innovative project – dm Drogerie Markt Ltd. Belgrade
DM Drogerie Markt d.o.o. Belgrade for the unique “dm Incubator” project, which enabled 18 domestic producers to receive complete support in the improvement of their products, as well as the opportunity to market 57 of their products to the citizens of Serbia through the regular range of dm drugstores. Among the series of actions that the company implemented during the last year, the global action Giving Friday stood out – on the last Friday in November, the company donated 5% of the total turnover to the University Children’s Clinic in Tiršova. On the day of the opening of the branch, it became an established practice for the company to direct part of the proceeds from sales to humanitarian purposes. Thus, in 2019, over 2.5 million dinars were collected, which were donated to 13 different institutions and organizations.
Special award for contribution to gender equality – AVON Cosmetics SCG Ltd.
AVON Cosmetics SCG Ltd. for comprehensive contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Serbia. As part of the Say NO to Violence Against Women initiative, the company donated funds to the Autonomous Women’s Centre to continue the implementation and improvement of the youth education project on partner relationships and different types of violence. Mogu da neću. Ljubav nije nasilje During the last year, the company also handed over a donation of goods to the Sombor Cancer Society worth 300,000 dinars, but also traditionally marked the National Day of the Fight against Breast Cancer with an educational forum on the importance of early diagnosis and psychosocial support in the process of breast cancer treatment. Through the volunteer work of its employees, the company prepared and presented over a hundred New Year’s packages to the residents of the safe house, and also erected the first sculpture of female courage in Belgrade.
Special award for individual contribution to the development of the local community – Marko Čikarić
For Marko Čikarić, a young teacher from Prokuplje, creating the conditions for regular teaching at the school in Tovrljan after more than 25 years of inactivity was a big challenge. Thanks to his efforts, the school soon became a kind of centre of gathering and social life in this forgotten part of Prokupa municipality. Teacher Marko transports his seven students who live in the surrounding villages to school every day. Outside of working hours, he performs tasks for the locals who cannot do them themselves. With his money, he collects the necessary funds for the school, fuel for the transportation of students, and a birthday present for each student. Through his engagement, he provides donations of modern school equipment, funds for school renovation, sports equipment, school supplies, and New Year’s packages for children, while village roads were also renovated on his initiative.
Special award for supporting children from vulnerable categories of society – Milinka Ivanović
Milinka Ivanović, a retired nurse from Kruševac, has been dedicated to philanthropic and volunteer work for the past few decades – she makes and donates toys for children from vulnerable categories of society. Last year alone, Milinka made and donated more than 1,800 ecological toys for migrant and refugee children, children with disabilities, children with diabetes and children in kindergartens in Kruševac, with a total value of about 900,000 dinars. She gave almost two-thirds of the toys she made last year to children in reception and asylum centres throughout Serbia, for whom it is often the only toy they have. Whenever he is able, he delivers the toys to the children. Milinka fosters good cooperation with the local community, where she often initiates philanthropic actions.
Special award for a young philanthropist – Matea Balani
Matea Balani, a nine-year-old philanthropist from Zrenjanin, during the past year organized and acted to restore wardrobes at the Department of Pediatrics, collected and donated PET packaging to the local animal shelter, and for the second year in a row she organized a humanitarian birthday, during which over 50,000 dinars were collected, as well as a large amount of goods in the form of clothing and school supplies. Matea donated all the collected money and gifts to children without parental care located in the Children’s Village in Sremska Kamenica, and she devoted over 60 volunteer hours to the organization of all philanthropic actions in 2019.