Tanja

Tanja is 40 years old. She is a professor of English language and literature in elementary school.

Serbia should be an economically strong country in the future. “What I find very important is that Serbia must be an economically strong country, it must be a country that provides the future for all who live there, no matter their age. This means that when we retire, we will be able to live normal lives. Unfortunately, today, a pensioner in Serbia is someone who is more of a care receiver.”

Small tourist places are a positive side of Serbia. “What is specific about Sokobanja is that it is an air spa, and therefore its advantages are the air and water. On the other hand, here, we have the opportunity to meet people from all over Serbia during the summer season. The good thing is people see opportunities in tourism and they can employ themselves, after school they can be here and create their jobs, even though we are a small place.”

Abandoned villages are something Tanja considers negative. “I have to tell one of my experiences, that is, one of my impressions that I experienced in a village near Negotin. Around 200 people are supposed to live in that village. It is beautifully decorated with beautiful homes, beautiful backyards. I talked to a granny who lives there, she says that rarely any of the children from the whole neighborhood have ever come to Serbia. So, their parents live abroad, their children were born there, they finished school there, they have never visited, and they may never as well. Parents have built houses, invested their whole lives, they might return when they are retired to be in the village for 10 or 15 years, but unfortunately all of this will be left to no one. And, unfortunately, there will be no one to live in a village with a complete infrastructure.”

Tanja who is full of positive energy, is always ready to motivate others to be positive, not to give up. What she wants to accomplish along with others is to create an environment where individuals will feel beautiful, whether it is within one group of people, in one place, or in the entire country.