Apollonia Foundation Annual Report 2013 by Susan Lopez

ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Investing in culture and community

“We must build a new world, a far better world—one in which the eternal dignity of humankind is respected.” Harry S. Truman

Contents 4 Welcome 6

About Us

Vision and Mission

8 Culture 16 Education 18 Environment 20 Volunteerism 22 Inclusion 26 Other Activities 30 Board and Staff Members 31 Accounts

Welcome Letter from the Director “The best boards are at the very heart of the institutions that they govern.” In 2013, I have to say the Apollonia Foundation Board was at the heart of everything we accomplished. Keeping this in mind, I am pleased to share the Apollonia Foundation’s Annual Report for 2013. This year we are proud to announce receipt of our first substantial European Union grant for the project “A program for full socialisation of special needs children into their communities.” This grant was signed on 25/12/2013 so I am including it in this year’s report but we hope to hear great things next year as it is implemented. The project was a natural extension of the work we have been doing to assist in the socialization and integration of special needs children into Gevgelija community life; through our sensory room project, clay workshops, and Nature Day Program.

Aco Ristovski Director

On the cultural front, we funded and organized over 20 events in 2013 including the 13th annual Apollonia Art Commune where artists from Macedonia, Sweden, Serbia, and Bulgaria came together to create the artistic synergy that has become the hallmark of this event. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Apollonia Foundation founder, Lars Kling, the Board of Directors, and the Supervising Board without whom the Foundation could not exist. It is through the tireless work of these extraordinary people and their vision to create a better community here in Gevgelija that we are able to achieve great things. They provide so much more than their time: a commitment to our shared values and the mission of the Foundation. I cannot thank them enough for their continuing generosity and support.

“Commitment to shared values shapes the organizational culture of the Apollonia Foundation”

Increased awareness A Path Forward

The Apollonia Foundation’s Community Engagement Progress Community engagement refers to the process by which community-based organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of the community. The Apollonia Foundation’s assessment of their adherence to their mission includes continual assessment of their level of community engagement. In considering the extent of participation in community engagement, the Foundation identifies increasing levels of public participation. Processes where the community are passive recipients of the programs and projects we undertake are not considered effective community engagement. The Foundation believes that community engagement needs to be a two way process. Therefore, our progress as a community-based Foundation is measured by how well we engage the community in this two-way process, and how actively community members are involved in Foundation decisions and activities that affect them. This ensures that our focus remains on involving, collaborating with, and empowering the community.

In addition to support of cultural activities in the community of Gevgelija, the Apollonia Foundation also supports regional and national events such as the Skopje Jazz Festival.

About Us The Apollonia Foundation supports work that expands opportunity and strengthens resilience to social, economic, health, and environmental challenges—affirming its philanthropic mission since 2007 to promote the well-being of the commune of Gevgelija in the Republic of Macedonia.

Since 2007 the Apollonia Foundation has continued this philanthropic mission through their support and sponsorship of programs in education, cultural heritage, care for the environment; and projects to assist individuals, groups, societies, and institutions to improve their activities for the betterment of the entire community. In this way, the Foundation fulfils its pledge to serve and improve the communities where it is active, and to take responsibility as citizens of the world for improving these communities.

The Apollonia Foundation operates in partnership with like-minded organizations across the globe. The Foundation’s efforts are overseen by a Board of Trustees and managed by its Supervising Board president through a leadership team drawn from scholarly, artistic, scientific, and private and nonprofit professional areas.

“Throughout its 30 year history, the Apollonia Group has been active in all aspects of the communal life of the city and municipality of Gevgelija.”

The Foundation

Vision and Mission

supports the development of fine arts though

The Apollonia Foundation sup-

the Apollonia

ports and sponsors education,

Art Commune

cultural heritage, care for the

held each year in Gevgelija.

environment, and other projects to assist individuals, groups, societies, and institutions to improve their activities for the betterment of the entire community. In this way, the Foundation fulfills its pledge to serve and advance the communities where it is active, and to take responsibility as citizens of the world for improving these communities.

Mission The Apollonia Foundation supports and sponsors broadly inclusive projects that focus on education, culture, and environmental awareness to assist individuals and organizations in Gevgelija and across Macedonia to improve their activities for the betterment of the entire community. Vision The Apollonia Foundation will become a model for those committed to enhancing the lives of Macedonian citizens by fulfilling its pledge to serve the communities where it is active, and behaving as a responsible citizen of the world to improve the quality of life in these settings.

Culture Support in areas of culture and the arts. The Apollonia Foundation believes that cultural heritage forms our individual, local, and national identities; and should be respected and celebrated. The Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural activities in 2013 focused on the areas of music, literature, poetry, art, theatre, and archeology. Specific support included official sponsorship of the Skopje Jazz Festival; organizing more than 10 classical music events and concerts featuring artists from Macedonia and abroad as part of the Musical Moments project; and sponsorship of local folklore groups that preserve the tradition of ethnic musical folklore. In the field of literature and poetry the Foundation organized and hosted the Literature Nights series, featuring writers and poets from Macedonia and abroad; funded the Struga Poetry Evenings in Gevgelija, and funded the publication of various poetry books, essays, and history books. As well as the Apollonia Foundation Art Commune, which for 13 years has welcomed artists from Macedonia and abroad, the Foundation also funded, organized, and hosted various art exhibitions throughout the year in the Art Gallery of the Apollonia Hotel and co-organized the Osten Art Commune in Gevgelija and biennial of awarded artists. The Foundation funded theatre performances of the OFF group and is a strategic partner of the Public Museum of Gevgelija, funding the Museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities at Vardar Hill, a famous archeological site on the outskirts of Gevgelija. Future plans include continuation of our support for the activities above, and to expand our support to collaborate with the Association of Artists in Gevgelija and the Association of the Artists in Macedonia; and funded projects that protect and preserve objects that represent Macedonian cultural inheritance (such as the reconstruction of churches in Sermenin and Huma).

“Through its support of arts programming, the Foundation seeks to weave the arts into the fabric of the community in order to engage and inspire the people living within it.”

Musical Moments 2013

In 2013, the Foundation continued its commitment to the funding of the musical arts through organization and funding of the Gevgelija Musical Moments events. In June, a performance took place by the sisters Tran Dieu Linh and Tran Dieu An from Vietnam. Since they were five years old, they have played piano and have studied in Moscow with Professor Tatiana Gligorievna Shlovskaja. So far they have participated in many concerts, festivals, and competitions, and have received awards from international competitions. There were several concerts held from students in the class of professor Ljubica Ulisheva, from the primary music school “Vaso Karajanov” in Gevgelija.

Learning through culture Exposure to arts and culture has been shown to have a positive effect on personal development. Research suggests that engagement

Admirers of classical music were able to attend a concert on the 24th of June by one of the foremost and most active pianists in the country - professor Dr. Marija Gosevska. This event is supported by the Ministry of Culture in Macedonia, as a project of public and national interest in 2013.

with cultural activities bolsters self-confidence, boosts self-esteem and enhances creativity and communication skills.

Apollonia Art Commune 2013 As part of the Apollonia Foundation’s mission to contribute to the advancement of the Gevgelija community, the Foundation organizes, sponsors, and hosts the Apollonia Art Commune. This annual event, which has been held every year since 2000, provides the opportunity for artists to live together in a creative communal situation and create art. This occurs in an environment open to the community of Gevgelija so the community can observe and be a part of the creative process. Depending on that year’s theme, the Foundation invites a number of artists, painters, sculptors, graphic artists, mosaic artists, potters, and photographers to stay together at an attractive site in Gevgelija for 1-2 weeks to create art.

The Foundation provides for the artists’ needs such as travel costs, accommodation, meals, and all the materials needed for the artists to produce their work. A public exhibition of the newly created works occurs at the conclusion of the Commune at the Apollonia Hotel, which is attended by Commune participants. The Apollonia Art Commune has an Art Council whose permanent members are notable artists from Gevgelija, including Dragi Hadzi-Nikolov and Jordan Janev; with ongoing support from painter Danco Kal’chev and members of the Society of Artists of Gevgelija.

“The Foundation is committed to taking art out of the museums and making the arts accessible by bringing them into community life.”

The Foundation hopes that the Art Commune will providesa unique opportunity and a relaxing and inspirational environment for the creative socializing of artists between themselves and the community.

“The Apollonia Foundation believes that the arts are a catalyst for public dialogue and that shared cultural experiences contribute to a sense of place and communal identity.”

IIt is a Commune tradition that the artists bequeath

Osten World Gallery of Drawings – The Biennial of Awarded Authors

the work produced during this event to the Foundation, where it is on permanent

For the second time, Osten and the Apollonia Foundation jointly sponsored the World Gallery of Drawings – The Biennial of Awarded Authors in April 2013.

display at the Apollonia Hotel.

The Osten World Gallery of Drawing is an event where the Biennial of Drawing (held on even years) and the Biennial of Honoured Authors (held on odd years) are held together. The Apollonia Foundation was proud to have sponsored and hosted the biennial exhibition of painters of works on paper “Osten,” which featured artists from around the world. This year’s event showcased three weeks of the international art colony “Osten 2013.” The art colony was located in Gevgelija, at the Apollonia Hotel, which donated lodging, exibition, and work

space and was funded in part by the Apollonia Foundation. The exhibition exhibited the work made in large format (2,80 mx1,90m) of the 16 Osten artists of the year. At the start of this event a presentation of the winning authors was made with awards presented to the artists of the year by the ambassadors from Osten. A Special Prize of the World Gallery of Drawing “Osten “ was awarded to the Macedonian painters Tony Šulajkovski and Mirjana Krsteva Massetti - a Gevelija artist and youngest member of the art group “Osten.” The “Apollonia” award was presented to Pavle Kuzmanovski and additional prizes were presented to Atanas Botev (Macedonia) and Antonov Ventzeslav (Bulgaria).

Apollonia

More than 4,700 archaeological sites have been discovered in the Republic of Macedonia, but very few of them have been explored.

Supporting the preservation of cultural artifacts at Vardar Hill In previous years, the Apollonia Foundation had financed, in partnership with the local government, the dislocation of the sculpture “The Monument of Liberty,” and provided support for enabling a smooth execution of the archaeological excavations. In 2013, the Apollonia Foundation has further solidified their long-standing relationship with the National Museum Gevgelija and signed a long-term collaboration agreement. The Foundation has arranged, as part of this agreement, for part of the Motel Vardar, owned by the Foundation’s funding agent Corona International, to be

used by the National Museum to house archaeologists working at the Varder Hill site. Vardarski Rid is one of the oldest known settlements in Macedonia and was the principal settlement of the Paionians for much of the prehistoric period. The archaeological site of Vardarski Rid (Vardar Hill) is composed of six layers of different settlements, dating back to the period between the 13th and the 1st century BC and is of great historical importance. In addition to participation in the financing of conservation projects, the Foundation intends to cooperate in the future to develop the archaeological tourist potential of this site.

“Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.” UNESCO, World Heritage

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.

Preservation of

Multimedia Center Gevgelia

antiquities at the Vadar Hill archaeological site in Gevgelija.

In June, a multimedia exhibition was launched by the Multimedia Centre Gevgelija titled “In the Frames.” The exhibit was housed at the National Theatre in Gevgelija and featured the work of twenty artists working in varied forms of media, from traditional painting techniques (paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures) to performance, video, art animations, and a music set. The exhibition was open to the public for 10 days. The same exhibition was in Skopje as part of the “Skopje Summer Festival 2013” at the NLB Tutunska Bank. The exhibitions of the Multimedia Centre are supported by the Apollonia Foundation.

Association of Artists in Gevgelija In order to revitalize the activity of the Association of Artists in Gevgelija, the Apollonia Foundation created a formal schedule of exhibitions of the artists’ work in the galleries of the Apollonia Hotel. The Foundation provided gallery space, advertising for the event to the community, and hosted the event cocktails. Additionally, the Foundation funds the jubilee publication of catalogues for the exhibitions. In the last ten years, the Apollonia Foundation has organized more than 60 individual and group exhibitions of artists from Gevgelija, Skopje, Strumica, Kavadarci, Kumanovo, and Tetovo.

The Writer is Present The Foundation organized its first regional literary event “The writer is present” with the participation of eminent writers from the region and members of the association “Independent Writers of Macedonia.

Network for European Knowledge The project “European Knowledge and Qualification Network in the Cross-Border Region of Bulgaria and Macedonia was initiated to promote economic development and social cohesion between cross-border communities. The project was funded by an IPA cross border grant to increase the capacity of the NGOs, VET Centres, employers and the public administration to deliver joint networkoing initiatives, programs, and training. Seminars were held in throughout 2013, which consisted of of workshops, round tables discussions, exchanges of ideas on best practices, and study visits. In early June the participants, who consisted of representatives of NGOs, and public and private companies from Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Gevgelija, worked on “Strategies for adaptation and coping with stressful

situations and other extreme factors in the socio-economic environment.” This was followed a training session and a study visit to Blagoevgrad, on the 27th, 28th and 29th of July. The theme of the training was “Good practices for development of human resources” which was hosted by the Apollonia Foundation. It is hoped this program will increase of the quality and the adaptability of the Human Resources to the needs of businesses in the cross-border region, Municipalities of Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Gevgelija.

“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” Mother Teresa

Apollonia Foundation Director, Aco Ristovski and participants in the annual Apollonia Art Commune 2013.

“If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.” Seamus Heaney

Stuga Poetry Reading in the Apollonia Hotel Gardens

Struga Poetry on the Road The Struga Poetry Evenings is an international poetry festival held annually in Struga, Republic of Macedonia and is considered one of the world’s largest poetry events with over 200 worldrenowned poets performing readings. Immediately following the event in 2013 a selection of Stuga poets traveled to Gevgelija to participate in the event “Poetry on the Road.” This event was held in the Apollonia Hotel garden where the Gevgelija audience was able to hear and become acquainted with the works of poets Amir Or from Israel, Joanna Jeronim from Romania, Lilija Gazizova and Tatiana Danilijanc from Russia, Rajko Lukakj from Serbia, Ron Winkler of Germany, Dmytro Chistiak from the Ukraine, and Veronica Dintinjana from Slovenia. The organizers of this event were the Gevgelija municipality, the city library of Gevgelija “Goce Delchev,” and the Apollonia Foundation who was proud to be a contnuing sponsor.

Education Support in providing education programs. The Foundation promotes environmental awareness at the local level through an educational program for children and youth, and annual seminars and forums for organizations. The Foundation believes that education is the key to providing a better future, and has focused on activities that provide the means for community access to education programs and training, and to participate in education programs about preserving the environment. These activities have taken the form of developing the Nature Day program to teach children about the environment and how to preserve it, by providing support to programs such as the Volunteer Resource Centre where participants are provided education and training to assist them in improving their chances for employment, by providing financial assistance for capital improvements to schools, classroom equipment, and learning and teaching aids; and to assist students in their studies. Additionally, the Foundation sponsors cultural activities that support education such as the production of theatre shows, art exhibitions, and poetry book publishing. Finally, the Foundation supports specific ongoing projects linked to the socialization of children with special needs, particularly in outdoor activities related to the environment and educating the local community and interested professionals about special needs issues.

“Educating children about the importance of environmental responsibility is one of the keys to protecting natural resources in the future.”

Nature Day Program 2013 Each weekend in 2013 the Foundation programmed activities, projects, and excursions in the environmental education program Nature Day. There were 94 “Nature Days” organized in which children from Gevgelija and other municipalities participated in structured educational programs and excursions designed to broaden their education on environmental issues and environmental awareness. Activities organized in 2013 included clean-up events, mountaineering on Kozuf, a visit to the recycling centre “Bliznak-com” (a waste management company), learning about recycling, planting flowers, testing the waters of river Vardar, a visit of a weather station, and a visit of local factories and farms. The Nature Day program took part in the environmental activity “Tree Day - Plant Your Future,” with more than two dozen children participating. Once again, we took part in the global campaign to collect garbage and clean the dumps “Let’s do it world!” and together with the mountaineering club “Kozuf” we cleaned the picnic area called “Dinkjut.”

Environment Supporting environmental awareness. If our children are to develop a sense of connectedness with the natural world, they need frequent positive experiences with the outdoors. The Apollonia Foundation provides opportunities for such experiences, which for these children are the essence of environmental education.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.â&#x20AC;?

Several times during the year local children are provided the opportunity to travel to local farms in order to experience their connection to the environment through the foods they eat every day.

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world” - John Muir

Planting trees as part of the Nature Day

Earth Day Celebration 2013

Program.

The Apollonia Foundation once again participated in the celebration of World Earth Day on April 22nd. In 2013, Foundation staff together with the eco boards in the elementary schools “Krtse Misirkov” and “Vlado Kantardziev”, organized an eco parade with bicycles and pedestrians and music reflecting the theme “OUR PLANET - OUR FUTURE.” The parade began in the park near the train station, and passed through the city square in Gevgelija, stopping by the municipality headquarters for a meeting with the mayor of Gevgelija, before continuing on Marshal Tito street until it arrived at the picnic area “Dinkjut,” where there were competitive games organized for the over 150 children who participated in the Day’s events. The purpose of participation in this worldwide event is to raise environmental awareness in young people and other citizens in the community. It also provided the opportunity for the eco boards to ask the Mayor’s office for more green areas and that recycling be made available in Gevgelija.

Volunteerism Volunteering at the Apollonia Foundation Volunteers are critical partners of and participants in societies throughout the world. At the Apollonia we depend on our volunteers to provide the assistance we need in order to provide the programs beneficial to the community. Volunteering at the Apollonia Foundation benefits the volunteer as well as the community and provides opportunities to learn new skills as well as creating a positive change within society. Here are just a few reasons you should consider volunteering. Volunteering connects you to others. Volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together while allowing you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts. Volunteering is a great way to strengthen your ties to the community and broaden your social network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighbourhood resources, and enjoyable and fulfilling activities. Volunteering increases self-confidence. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Volunteering can advance your career. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to reinforce important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization.

Volunteer Resource Centre

Increase in confidence 94% of participant in job search workshops reported an increase in confidence and 98% would recommend these workshops to a friend.

The Apollonia Foundation and the NGO Puzzle have recently received a Small Project Assistance grant from USAID to open a Volunteer Resource Centre for youth in Gevgelija. This grant was made possible through the efforts of Peace Corps volunteers Jenny Upton and Terri Jones. The Volunteer Resource Centre will create a volunteer program for youth aged 15-29 in the Gevgelija municipality. As well as promoting volunteerism in the community, the Centre will assist volunteers in gaining work experience, and valuable knowledge and skills to enrich their CV, make them better job candidates, and assist them in determining their future professions. It is the aim of this project to assist in decreasing unemployment in Gevgelija-in addition to providing a location for organizations and NGOs to access volunteers. The foundation will provide technical and operational support to the centre as well as linking volunteers and companies. The Centre will also provide seminars to develop each volunteer professionally, with topics including writing a CV/resume, writing a cover letter, utilizing the Internet to find jobs and job training, how to handle stress in the workplace, and public speaking.

Inclusion Support in the area of social inclusion. The Apollonia Foundation continues its support of several projects related to the inclusion of special needs children into mainstream schools and the social inclusion of these children into the community. The Apollonia Foundation believes that it is of great benefit to the community to demonstrate the value of early intervention education of all children about disability. We seek to encourage awareness from an early age by creating groups that include children with and without disabilities in order to prevent segregation in society; by changing perceptions, prejudices, and the resulting stigma attached to having a disability. Inclusion is built on the premise that all people should be valued for their unique abilities and included as essential members of the community. In keeping with this philosophy, the Apollonia Foundation has funded several projects that provide the opportunity for the social inclusion of children with special needs into the community life of Gevgelija. The David VanDerVege project for the socialization of children with special needs provides funding and professional staff to assist children with disabilities to participate in the Apollonia Nature Day project and other community events. Additionally, we continue to support the operation of the local Sensory Room, the first of its kind in the region.

“Inclusion is not a place or a practice; it is a way of thinking. It is a mindset and a belief that everyone has value and something to contribute.” Aron Hall, Researcher

The David VanDerVege Project

The David VanDerVege” project for the socialization of children with special needs has deepened the cooperation of the Apollonia Foundation with the staff and the members of the Gevgelija day-care centre for children with special needs. Since 2012, six youths from this institution, with mild and moderate disability, have participated in the Apollonia project “Nature Day” and together with their peers planted trees, flowers, made terrariums, hiked and played games with other children from the community, and through multiple activities learned about ecology and the local environment. For the other children in the day care centre Apollonia staff and volunteers organized a workshop in which the children learned how to make handmade jewelry, which was sold for donations to support the current activity and future projects of the Daily Centre.

Increased access Four in five children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome are excluded from school at some point, quite frequently because of a lack of staff with autism experience.

In 2013 we continued to expand cooperation with the Daily Centre, with special emphasis on the socialization of children and youth. In addition to organizing eight activities in this year’s Nature Day program, Apollonia Foundation staff organized clay workshops held twice a month throughout the year at the Daily Centre. The participation of community volunteers and other young people who wish to socialize and to make the days of these kids happier clearly demonstrates the program’s success in the social inclusion of these children into their community.

Sensory Integration Therapy for Children with Autism Sensory environments are aimed at providing autistic individuals with the opportunity to stimulate, develop or balance their sensory systems and thereby enable them to engage more fully in the classroom and with their peers. Sensory Integration Dysfunction occurs when the brain inefficiently processes sensory messages coming from a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own body and his or her environment. The person has difficulty responding in an adaptive way to everyday sensations that others hardly notice or simply take in stride. The aim of sensory integration therapy is to improve the ability of the brain to process sensory information so that the child will function better in his or her daily activities.

Sensory integration therapy is a type of occupational therapy (OT) that places a child in a room specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. During the OT session, the therapist works closely with the child to encourage their movement within the room. Successful sensory integration therapy has been able to decrease sensitivities to touch and other stimuli. The result is that the autistic child is better able to play, learn, and interact with people and their surroundings.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inclusion in mainstream schooling provides the best opportunity for my child to learn.â&#x20AC;? Parent with autistic child

Children participating in the Earth Day Celebration from the local schools and the Apollonia Foundation Social Inclusion of Children with Speciaal Needs Programs.

“Most of us unconsciously learn to combine our senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, balance, body in space) in order to make sense of our environment. Children with autism have trouble learning to do this.”

The social inclusion of special needs children in the community of Gevgelija has been a huge success with children participating in many community events.

Worldwide increase Over 67 million people are affected by autism around the world; as many

Sensory Room Project Last year we announced the opening of the first sensory room in Gevgelija for children with special needs. The sensory room is designed to assist in the development of children’s motor skills, visual stimulation, auditory relaxation, and tactile reassurance. Construction, equipping, and operation of the sensory room is a joint project of the Apollonia Foundation and the Primary School Vlado Kantardziev and is funded with a generous donation from Korona International, a grant from Peace Corps Macedonia funded by USAID, and a donation from the NATO Charity Bazaar. Additionally, the Apollonia Foundation has funded and hired a permanent staff member to operate the sensory room who is fully qualified as a special needs therapist.

as 1 in every 110 children.

The Foundation has also recently applied for an additional grant to expand the sensory room project to other sites in the region next year.

Other Activities Bringing together the community. Community-based fundraisers bring together government agencies, local businesses, media, and residents of the community to support a worthy cause. In keeping with their mission to serve the community of Gevgelija, the Apollonia Foundation engaged in several additional activities in 2013. By providing support and a venue for special events of great interest to the community and solidarity in support of activities that promote social cohesion the Apollonia Foundation continues its dedication to the common good, measuring success according to its impact on the quality of community life in Gevgelija. The Apollonia Foundation began the year with the first of several annual fundraising events. The Christmas Charity Event brings the community together to support the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progams through the sales of handcrafts made by the children themselves and sold during the events festivities. This is followed by the Easter Charity Event, where Easter themed crafts are made during the Easter Workshop. The Apollonia Foundation also supports the Annual Blood Donation Day at the Apollonia Hotel where over 50 employees give blood twice each year. The Foundation was also the proud host of the 2nd Annula Waste Management Conference , which is a national event.

“You give little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give..”

Annual Easter Charity Event

Increased access Four in five children with autism or Asperger’s syndrome are excluded from school at some

The annual Easter charity event provides an opportunity for the community to gather in support of the charitable activities of the Apollonia Foundation and their partners in the community. The 2-day event benefits the David VanDerVege - Socialization of Children with Special Needs Program through the sale of Easter decorations made by the children, homemade holiday cakes donated by parents, children’s works made out of clay, and handmade jewellery produced by children in the special needs programs. With the support of the generous citizens of Gevgelija, the parents of children with special needs, and the teachers and professionals that take care for these children, the Easter sale collected over 18,000 denars. A donation in the amount of 6,000 denars was also received from a group of citizens, initiated by parents of children with special needs. This event also seeks to raise public awareness and provide an opportunity for the children to actively participate in a community event.

point, quite frequently because of a lack of staff with autism experience.

Waste Management Conference In May 2013, the Apollonia Foundation hosted the second annual Waste Management Conference in conjunction with Peace Corps’ Environmental Working Group and Ajde Makedonija. The conference focus was on the topics of effective recycling techniques, new approaches to landfill designs, and the importance of implementing waste management strategies in various communities. Over 30 people attended the conference representing municipalities and non-governmental organizations throughout Macedonia. In the first session of the conference, panellists discussed current waste

“Plans are underway to provide Heading the citizens Uciet molor sinverum re everita ssitis sum. ofsumMacedonia conferences on the topics of green architecture and sustainable agriculture in the coming year. ”

management techniques implemented in their respective areas. In the second session, attendees discussed the panelists’ views on topis such as whether or not a “clean landfill” can reasonably exist in Macedonia. This is the Environmental Working Group’s second Waste Management Conference since its founding as a Peace Corps committee with great hopes for future action following this year’s meetings.

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Did you know? The second annual Waste Management Conference was considered to be a great success with over 30 attendees representing municipalities throughout Macedonia debating topics of great importance to the preservation of the Macedonian environment.

“60% of the population will need blood at some time in their lives, yet less than 5% of the population donates.”

Collecting blood at the Apollonia

Apollonia Blood Donation Day

Hotel where over 50 employees donated blood.

The Apollonia Foundation, in cooperation with the Department of Transfusion Medicine- Gevgelija and Red Cross Gevgelija assisted in organising their annual blood drive where 53 donors responded and more than 30 units of blood were collected. This event had the largest response ever from citizens. In ten hours a total of 49 units of blood was collected. The Foundation organizes this activity twice a year in keeping with its commitment to continuous support of activities that seek to improve the overall life of the local and wider community.

Gastronomic Exhibition

Club Glow Macedonia

Additionally, in 2013 the Apollonia Hotel hosted the

Club GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is an

fifth traditional tourist and gastronomic exhibition

extracurricular activity for teenage girls to work

of alternative forms of tourism, organized by the

on their leadership potential, learn new things,

Faculty of Tourism and Business Logistics at the

practice their English skills, and have fun! The female

University “Goce Delchev” Stip. The show consisted

students of Josif Josifski school participate and have

of old items, national costumes, ethnic fabrics and

the opportunity to apply to attend Camp Glow in

traditional home-prepared food. It was well visited

the summer. The meetings are led by Peace Corps

by the citizens of Gevgelija, students from local

volunteer Jenny Upton at the Apollonia Hotel.

primary schools and the Gevgelija high school.

Board and Staff Members The best boards are at the very heart of the institutions that they govern. They nurture, provide an ethical weather vane and serve as trustees of the organization’s mission. While an organization is given its identity by the skill of its employees, the heritage and future of the organization is the sole province of the board.

The Apollonia Foundation governance is managed by its Board of Directors who in turn are managed by the Supervising Board. These part-time Board members are tasked with the responsibility of serving as fiduciaries to ensure that the nonprofit’s assets serve a public benefit. Board members also serve the role of visionaries, community leaders, and cheerleaders for the Foundation’s mission, as well as ambassadors to donors and funding agents, volunteers, and the community served. The Board’s most important function, however, is to provide strategic leadership to the Foundation by setting its course,

making policy and strategy decisions, overseeing and monitoring organisational performance, and ensuring overall accountability.

“As a community foundation, we can offer things that are just as important as money, perhaps more so, such as bringing people in the community together, networking, and ultimately, learning from each other.”

Maria Kling

Milica Stojanova

Gjorgi Ulisev

Jordan Janev

Lazar Nikolov

Board Director

Board Member

Biljana Kling

Boris Trajkovski

Stefan Kire

Mitko Krdzev

Aleksandra Kaeva

Supervising Director

Supervising Board

Board Member

Aco Ristovski

Snezana Saramandova

Natalija Pavlova

Anita Goshevska

Jennifer Upton

Director

Grant Project Manager

Nature Day Coordinator

Special Needs

Peace Corps Volunteer

Accounts Statement of Activities For the year ended 31 December 2013 CHANGE IN NET ASSETS REVENUE AND GAINS

Operating surplus: continuing activities 2012

2012-2013 Denars

2012-2013

2011-2012

Euros

23,533.30

9,752

(1,372,891.)

21,944.

7,805

99,437.

1,589.38

1,914.55

119,781.

1,914.55

99,437.

1,589.38

1,914.55

119,781.

Grants received Donations

1,352,507.

Korona International Other Donations Interest receivable and other income Total Revenues and Gains

40. 1,472,328.

EXPENSES

Grants and donations given Donations-Nature Day

(62,274.)

Donations-VanDerVenge and Special Needs Programs

(33,244.)

Donation-Musical Moments Donation-Art Commune Other Donations

(723,947.)

Direct charitable expenses Transport services Seminar costs Other costs

(570.) (1,200.) (13,184.)

Administrative expenses Salary Accounting services

(522,344.) (5,535.)

Postage

(340.)

Administrative taxes

(100.)

Bank provision

(6,138.)

Negative rate differences

(1,015.)

Total Expenses and Losses Change in Net Assets TOTAL ASSETS BEGINNING OF YEAR TOTAL ASSETS END OF YEAR

Apollonia Foundation Gevgeliski Partizanski Odred 1, 1480 Gevgelija T: +389 (0)34 211 911 E: fondacija@apollonia.com.mk W: www.apolloniafoundation.org