Utalaya Foundation has published its second Children’s Book, with the help and support of UNMIK.
This project aims to encourage reading among children, by producing localized multilingual children’s books that will promote trust, reading comprehension, and the consumption of intelligent entertainment produced in Kosovo. The book is highly visual and could be read simultaneously in two languages Albanian and Serbian. The project hopes to contribute to building dialogue and empathy in the next generation through reading while promoting inter-ethnic cooperation between writers and artists in the present day.
“Colors of Nature with Uta and Miljana” narrates the story of a spontaneous friendship born between Uta-an alpinist from the Albanian community and Miljana- an artist from the Serbian community. The whole story highlights our shared humanity and conveys educational and peace-loving messages for Kosovo, the environment, and the communities and children that inhabit it.
An amount of 1000 copies of the book were printed and donated to NGOs, Centers, Schools, Kindergartens, and Art Spaces targeting Mitrovica, as one of the cities with the highest rate of different ethnicities living together.
Utalaya Foundation gathered 30 children, along with care-takers, teachers from NGOs, and other centers from vulnerable communities living in Kosova, in an event held at North Mitrovica and introduced each community to successful women from both communities to create a bond and break the barrier of ethnic stereotypes and prejudice.
During the Event Uta and Miljana had their motivational speeches in front of the children, read the story of the book “Colors of Nature with Uta and Miljana” for them, answered their questions, and donated the book along with colorful postcards, bookmarks, and stickers to each child with their autograph.
In the end, we just want to say that, sometimes it takes just one speech, one book, or one hour of engagement with a child to trigger thousands of new brain connections that positively shape their life. Utalaya Foundation is determined to be a nest of joy, education, and shared values with everyone especially children.