On a stall at the annual festive market in Pristina, volunteers sell cards featuring drawings by children with autism to raise money for an NGO providing training and educational services.
As well as hot chocolate, soft drinks and cakes, one of the stalls at the annual seasonal market in Kosovo’s capital Pristina is selling brightly-coloured cards with pictures drawn by children from the local NGO Autizmi Flet (Autism Speaks Up).
The director of NGO Autizmi Flet, Violeta Hyseni, at the booth 32, at the end of the year market in Pristina. Photo: BIRN
The cards with their images of Santas, reindeer, Christmas trees and other festive motifs help raise funds for the children with autism who are being helped by Autizmi Flet, a training and education centre founded by parents in January 2015.
“The cards are made every year by the children and all the funds go to the organisation,” said Riga Raci, 18, who is volunteering for a second year on the stall this year.
The volunteer Riga Raci (R) and the director of NGO Autizmi Flet, Violeta Hyseni (L), at the booth 32, at the end of the year market in Pristina. Photo: BIRN
Raci said that the “interest is higher in the cards than in the drinks or hot chocolate”, explaining that people “want to help someone as a holiday gift”.
The idea to add the children’s drawings to the cards came from another volunteer, Flaka Jasufi, who started designing them several years ago.
The cards, painting by the children, bear the message “Gezuar Festat e Fundvitit” (“Happy End-of-Year Holidays”) Photo: BIRN
Each card bearing the message “Gezuar Festat e Fundvitit” (“Happy End-of-Year Holidays”) costs one euro and fifty cents.