The Mara Foundation provides aid to groups of people on the Balkans without distinguishing between ethnic groups. Over the past 15 years, Mara Foundation had offered medical care in places where people (due to economic and political reasons) did not have proper access to regular medical care. Since the maiden transport in 1993, the students of the Mara Foundation have organized more than 100 humanitarian transports with medical equipment to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The transition taking place in the Balkans is a long one. Tito’s Yugoslavia went from unity to ethnic conflicts and wars, to independent and self-functioning countries. One of the  transports of Mara Foundation took place just after the proclamation of independence in Kosovo and clearly signaled different needs of aid. The critical problems encountered in 1993 are not the same problems encountered nowadays. Because nearly a whole generation has grown up during wartime, many students seem to have psychological problems. This is furthermore influenced by the lack of economic opportunities and absence of hope of a structural better future. In addition there are problems in the field of education. In some areas there is large deficiency of study materials, while in other regions students are in need of educational exchange programs.  Many people are thus not able to fully participate in society resulting in a strained situation among the youth.  On top of that, as many youngsters – particularly in Serbia – have never left their country, radical nationalism is fed. Where medical care and equipment care solve problems during war times, a different sort of aid is needed when a country passes into a new phase.

The Mara Foundation is currently researching whether and how it can provide help in places which are not covered by the regular international development organizations. Mara Foundation wants to provide help to people on a more equal base. We want to hereby challenge youth in the Balkans to think along this path. We are currently also undertaking several pilots projects in which a different kind of help is provided and tested. One of the pilots went to Kosovo where, on request of several school and university libraries, Mara Foundation donated thousands of study books which connected to the wishes of the youth. Until a definite conclusion can be drawn from the research, Mara Foundation continues to organize transports of medical equipment and medicines.