Something new in Mariovo

Children camp "Itar Pejo"

-So many children, so much joy, so many beautiful things in Mariovo have not happened in Mariovo for more than 30 years - kept repeating the eighty-year old Mitra Bibova from the village Staravina, Mariovo, during the Children camp "Itar Pejo".

In Staravina and Gradesnica, both villages where the cam activities were being implemented, children voices could be heard all the time, causing excitement and joy with the older inhabitants from this abandoned and forgotten, but extremely beautiful and culturally rich region. The children, dressed in their yellow T-shirts and caps, curiously observed the stone houses made of stone, putting smile on the faces of the old people, talking to them and attending activities such as shearing the sheep and making honey, as well as the history lessons, as the one in front of the Kales Anga's house, where they heard the story of this historic personality. They became familiar with Mariovo beauties, they stood with bare feet in Gradeska River, visited many churches and monasteries - the great cultural heritage of Mariovo. And everything they ate, was grown in this ecologically pure region - trout from Gradeska River, homemade cheese and bread and homegrown vegetables.

The evenings were also special - the children danced on the grass in front of the municipality building to the music of Sonja Lozanovska and Dragan Mijalkovski, to the great joy of the local inhabitants.

The children camp was organized by the ecological association "Kajmakcalan" from Staravina, in close cooperation with the local government, local inhabitants and other civic associations (Samaritjanin from Bitola, the Bee-keepers association and others). The project was part of the "Living Heritage" Programme, that has been implemented in Macedonia the King Bouduen Foundation from Belgium and the Foundation Open Society Institute - Macedonia. For both, Mariovo inhabitants and the children, this was an unforgettable event. They promised to meet again, and this event will probably be an occasion to remind many others to the forgotten Mariovo.  

 

M. Ivanova