interview
CHILdHOOD CANCERs
There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Andrijana Serafimovska, active member of SANO, has a solid message to the kids who have cancer. The NGO SANO, created by parents and friends of children being treated for cancer, has been considered an incredibly positive example in the community for years. Their spirit and fighting modes motivate all of us and give strength to those who need it most. In this edition of "VOICES", we talk to Andrijana Serafimovska, who will tell us what it is like to volunteer in this organization.
What your volunteering experience consists of? - I have been volunteering in SANO since its first day, almost four years ago. I started by going to the Children's hospital at the hemato-oncology department to organize events and coordinate projects. Besides organizing and coordinating the projects, I participate in them as well. My favorite part of volunteering is when I visit the child in the hospital. I sit beside their bed, and we read stories, draw, talk, laugh, and form an unbreakable bond and lifelong friendship. How did you get involved in your organization? - I have been going to conferences in ex Yugoslavian countries since 2012. When it was Macedonia's turn to be the host in 2018, we needed a legal entity behind us to find finances. We organized a three-day conference in Struga for 50 young cancer survivors. Amid all that organizing, I began my volunteering journey at the hematooncology department at the Children's Hospital in Skopje. What motivates you to do this volunteering experience? - My primary source of motivation is my will to help others and my personal experience with cancer. Since I was a little girl, I have wanted to help everyone. Being diagnosed with cancer at 12 years old just showed me the
10 - VOICES
