There are people among us who create and emit light to others. For seafarers, they aren't people but lighthouses, and for the poor - these people are benefactors. The merciful light of charity has reached Tanzania, Africa, from where longtime volunteer, Croatian Zoran Jagec, told Morski his story.
For a long time now, Zoran Jagec has been building schools and thus bringing a hint of hope to those who need it the most. For us, school is a very everyday (and often unwanted) thing, but for the kids there, the idea of going to school on a daily basis is a very different thing indeed. School is a place for socialising, a place to learn, a place to play, and a place to be safe. Zoran Jagec considers the very fact that a bulb is lit up in front of the school all night to be yet another victory and says: "It reminds me of our lighthouses. There somewhere in the bush, you can see the lights of the school.''
Morski brings us a good story, so that we can turn our attention away from Croatia's masochistic love of a daily dose of negativity, jitters, and politics, if just for a moment. Zoran Jagec came spoke from Tanzania after he successfully completed his project; he built another school for the children. He briefly described his praiseworthy humanitarian path.
''This is our third project. The first was in Cambodia in 2016 in the village of Tonleisar, where we gave the school a breath of new life by repairing the roofs, the doors, the windows, and we restored the walls. We brought with us a donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste, and the jerseys worn by the Croatian national team... After that, in the village of Pongro where I lived during last year's work, I got a local water pump and piping for the school. The next project was the building of a school in Masaai Village Mogero, Rujewa, Tanzania. The school is for pre-school age kids and the first two primary grades,'' stated Zoran Jagec.
Zoran Jagec then talks about what he is now engaged in.
''This project is also a construction (I call it a school) for preschool kids and the first two grades. There will be about 150 children (the exact number here is difficult to get) from three villages, Mwanza, Arusha and Maseramo.
How much does the light for the school cost?
''Every school gets a solar power system, that's always been the first electrical current in these villages! They're used to secure the school, so the lamps are bright in front of and behind the school all night, they remind me of our lighthouses. Somewhere in the bush you see the lights of the school. It's a bit poetic... like a roadmap for future generations to a better life.
They also have the ability to recharge their phones so they don't have to wonder where they'll be able to charge their batteries around the town,'' added Jagec.
''In this case, a large classroom and a teacher's office building are being built. Due to the lack of money we decided on this variant, by negotiating with the local authorities, teaching will take place in two shifts. That type of school is about 4,500 euros, maybe a little more if you're going to buy benches and chairs but that's not crucial. It is important that they get the school! The second type is a bigger school with two big classes and a teacher's office, and that costs about 7,500 euros. I must mention that a toilet for the kids and especially for the teachers is included.''
How many schools have been successfully built and what was your first urge to engage in this humanitarian gesture?
''It started since my first four-month trip to Southeast Asia; Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, in 2013/14. In Cambodia, I met my friend, Un Nhan (who has his own humanitarian organisation) who invited a couple of us tourists to tour the villages outside of the tourist areas where he showed us the reality of these people's lives. There, I also saw an English language school which had been set up by Un because they didn't have any organised classes in English language schools.
In conversation, he asked me if he would like to volunteer, and as it sounded a little bit far out, the conversation kind of stopped there. But... I started thinking about how and in what way I could help. Upon returning to Zagreb, I couldn't really stop thinking about it and as my desire grew, I came to the decision that in this way, by building or renovating schools, I'd be able to help the kids the most as that's the only way to get them an education. We know what this means for children in such societies - it's the only chance they have for a better life.'' stated Jagec.
''This is the second school that we'll build, along with the one that we refurbished. That's followed by the donations of jerseys, toothbrushes and toothpaste, school supplies, notebooks, rugs - everything is welcome!'' said Zoran Jagec.
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