Dealing with the Impossible
Dusan Vukojevic Mars
Photo: CWS Balkans
|
CWS-Balkans implemented a project specifically targeted at providing opportunities and creating jobs for an extremely vulnerable segment of the population - disabled landmine victims – the majority of whom are without jobs or an income in a society with an inoperative social welfare system.
In the region, in-kind income generation and employment opportunities were provided for 19 disabled landmine victims. CWS also organized training courses for 60 disabled landmine victims in computers and accounting. As an incentive to the students, 10 computers were given as gifts at the end of the course. The following workshops were organized – shoemaking, auto-mechanical, vulcanizing, orthopaedic, etc. The participants have performed services for other war invalids, their families' and other displaced persons.
Mr. Dusan Vukojevic Mars, a disabled landmine victim, is one of the beneficiaries who has received the CWS grant to re-open his art studio. Before the 1991-1995 Civil War, Mr. Vukojevic was a stone-carver and a painter. He received serious wounds by a landmine explosion in 1995. The injuries left him without both legs, his right arm, and harmed his eye-sight. Owing to the donation of CWS, Dusan Vukojevic Mars was able to paint around 60 paintings in a period of 12 months. He held one painting exhibition in Kragujevac, located in Central Serbia. Upon his initiative and in accordance with the principle of mutual solidarity and aid, the exhibition had a humanitarian character. Some of the funds obtained from the paintings sale at the exhibition and at the International Book Fair in Belgrade were donated to the children in the enclosures in Kosovo. One of the recepients was a 16-year old high school student, Borso Krstanovic, who had lost his leg during a landmine explosion and also had lost his parents during the war.
Mr. Mars's life has changed a lot after the CWS donation. After a prolonged period of bad luck, the good news finally brought hope to Mr. Mars's life. Daily work in the art studio helped him to overcome his psychological problems. In addition, the budget of Dusan's family significantly improved because the artist sells several paintings a month. Besides the financial improvement, the psychological aspect of being able to contribute to his family is of tremendous importance for Dusan Mars. After terrible war ordeals, he paints again. Mr. Mars said, "Art in spite of everything."