PROGRAMME OF CAMP TEKERIS

Bread of Life recognizes the importance of this long-term project. It understands that raising new generations of young people in a good spirit and healthy environment, is an important step for them to learn how to develop right relationships with others, and to learn how to take on more successfully various responsibilities in society.

The recreational-educational Centre covers an area of about 3 hectares on in beautiful countryside. It is part of an old estate in the small town of Tekeriš below the very top of the mountain Cer, at an altitude of 300m.

Our Vision is for the property to become a place where children and young people from financially needy families from Belgrade and other parts of Serbia, can come and be involved in recreational activities, learning sports skills, and in a variety of educational seminars and socializing activities. Also, as part of the psycho-social programmes of Bread of Life, the camp can also serve for adults and the elderly to have excursions or retreats, with appropriate programmes organized for them.

The camp ground will also be made available to organizations with similar goals and projects, especially to those dealing with children and youth from marginalized groups.

Center capacity: up to 60 people.

The concept of the camp is to spend time in nature during summer holidays, when accommodation is provided using both tents and a building. The capacity of the camp ground prepared for tents is around 40 people. Around 20 people can stay in the buildings.
In the two newly erected buildings comprising a total area of 300m2, there is a professionally equipped kitchen, rooms for lodging, and for social events and recreational activities, with fully furnished bathrooms and lavatory.
The larger building, which is 200 m2, has the capacity to accommodate a group of up to 20 people throughout the year.
The property has its own source of drinking water. A drinking water treatment system and a wastewater treatment system have been installed to protect the environment. Football, volleyball and archery courts are also available.
Excursion trips can be organized to Mount Cer, to the Museum dedicated to the Battle of Cer in Tekeris, and also to nearby spa centers, Badanja and Koviljaca Spa. Visits to Vuk Karadzic's birthplace in nearby Trsic are also offered.

Development of the recreational Centre: The current design of the Centre was based on the construction plan from 2015, when all the necessary building permits were obtained from the relevant municipality and a construction project for 3 buildings was created.

Football, volleyball and archery courts are always available. Walks are frequently organized to the top of the Cer mountain,and also visits to the Museum dedicated to the Battle of Cer, which took place in the First World War. This is the area in which the Centre property is located. The trips to the spa centers Badanja and Koviljaca, as well as visits to the birth house of Vuk Karadžić in Tršić, are always made available.

Development: The current appearance of the Centre was designed according to the construction plan from 2015, when the necessary building permits were obtained from the relevant municipality institution and the construction plan was drawn up.

The last phase of construction is still in progress, and in 2020 the final work on the main building was completed.

In the next phase our goal is to build a third facility, a conference hall with an area of about 100 m2.

The property was purchased in 2003. At that time a rural household of two older houses with auxiliary facilities was in existence. Since the property has its own spring and water well, the first sanitary facility and wastewater treatment system were built at that time. During that period also the first excursion trips with children and adults from the Bread of Life programme were organized on the property.

The Centre is currently being administered by a temporary team from the Bread of Life staff, but work is underway to form and train a permanent team which will undertake the overall management of the Centre.

Donors: Support in the construction and development of the Centre has been provided by regular donors and partners who support the social programmes of Bread of Life with children and youth from marginalized groups and programmes for the elderly.

Our donors from Germany allowed us to visit several similar centres in Germany, Romania and Croatia, which provided us with significant experience to get started. Also, the current construction project and the concepts underlying its development were designed by an architect from Germany who has experience in working at similar centres. Assistance in leading the construction was also provided by representatives of donors who organized groups of volunteers to come and help us with the construction of the facilities

Camps with children and young people, lasting from 3 to 5 days, have been organized since 2015, when the old property facilities were still in use. In the same year, the construction of a new facility with a kitchen and additional bathrooms began, which provided better conditions for camps to be organized.

When the final phase of the construction was finished during 2019, the new facilities allowed for more frequent use of the property and an increase in Centre's capacity.

So far, a total of 10 camps, with a variety of content and activities, have been organized for children and youth aged 10 to 18 during the summer season.