They extinguished the darkness of prejudice, took a "step forward" and turned the impossible into possible.

"Over the past 15 years, we have faced numerous challenges, we have changed, adapted and grown. With insufficient equipment, but with great ambitions and desires, we managed to open Sector B in 2018, so today this institution has 50 users in both sectors," said Milica Milović at the ceremony marking 15 years of operation of the Public Institution Day Care Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Nikšić.

And the staff, led by the former director and current director, Radojka Koprivica and Radovan Dragnić, have grown so much that today there are few institutions in Montenegro that can boast such unity, empathy, dedication and humanity. As Milović, who led the program, said, the path was not easy at the beginning, but somehow "they all walked together and started on the paths of life". Now, together with the beneficiaries and their parents, they run and it is difficult to catch up with them.

"We managed to extinguish the darkness of prejudices, attitudes and beliefs about the limits and possibilities of children and young people with developmental disabilities, to create 'Iskorak', just as the TV show in which young people with intellectual disabilities found themselves in the role of hosts and reporters, to realize all the ideas that seemed unimaginable to others 15 years ago," Milović emphasized.

As the director of the Day Care Center said, the impressive results they have achieved in a decade and a half would not have been possible without their employees – "great colleagues and even greater people."

"We have progressed year after year. The foundations were laid by the previous director, Radojka Koprivica, and together we have created a wonderful family that is on the path of ascent. I would like to thank the parents with whom we have exceptional cooperation, and the smiles of the beneficiaries speak best of the work of our colleagues and the unity that reigns in the Day Center. Few have such good cooperation with local government, volunteers, the community, organizations, sports clubs," said Dragnić.

This cooperation has resulted in the introduction of a second shift at the Day Care Center from September, in order to accommodate new users and thus respond to the needs of a larger number of families. This will also, as he emphasized, be a transitional solution until the opening of the Autism Center.

"Day care centers in Montenegro are a bright spot in social protection and we have shown this in all cities where they exist," said the director of the Nikšić Day Care Center.

The ceremony was also an opportunity to thank the friends of the institution for their support and for believing in their mission and selflessly helping them achieve it. Letters of appreciation were received by the Mayor of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, businessman Goran Barović, the EPCG Trade Union, Zoran Šoškić, who until recently served as Secretary for Finance, Development and Entrepreneurship, and journalist Svetlana Mandić.

"When someone goes to Hilandar, the monks teach them that only what we give to others is ours. Imagine how rich we Nikšićians are when we don't have to go to Hilandar, but can come to our Day Care Center and see how much the users and the collective give to each other. And when we come here, they give to us too, and we also try to become part of that mutual giving. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to at least sometimes try to achieve the purity of heart and soul that you have," said Kovačević.

He said that the Municipality of Nikšić remains committed to supporting the Day Care Center and all users who find safety, support and love in that institution.

After the Day Care Center users "treated" the attendees with choreographies that they had prepared for the occasion, together with the educators, a video postcard of Montenegro, "A Friend's Hug in the Whisper of Nature", was shown. In the focus of the postcard, the users and children of the employees were reminded of true values ​​- empathy, togetherness, friendship, equality, honesty... how important it is to be human.

The ceremony was attended by numerous guests, friends of the Day Care Center, including the President of the Nikšić Municipal Council, Milica Lalatović Žižić, the Vice President of the Municipality Vidak Krtolica, the President of the Special Olympics of Montenegro, directors of day care centers from Montenegro, councilors from the local parliament...