The capital wants to "revive" the resort on Veruša

Generations of Podgorica residents have spent their holidays in children's resorts in Veruša and Sutomore for years, and if the city authorities' announcements come true, the tradition could be revived.

For generations of schoolchildren, the Children's Association's resorts meant almost certain attendance at the "School in Nature" program, because the prices were "friendly" to parents' pockets.

The importance of the children's resort on Veruša was recognized by the Agency for Construction and Development of Podgorica, so they announced a tender for its renovation worth 24.793 euros, excluding VAT.

The director of the Children's Association confirmed in an interview with "Vijesti" that the youngest children again need outdoor activities with animators and children's instructors. Duška Šljivančanin.

According to her, the Veruša resort is not functioning, because in 2024 "two pavilions were demolished, and the existing urban and technical conditions do not provide for the construction of new ones."

"The previous administration demolished two pavilions, which legally restricted us from building new facilities on the same site, because we only received urban and technical conditions for reconstruction. For the renovation of the existing ones, according to the urban and technical conditions, we have permission and the possibility of building another auxiliary facility. We will renovate the main building, we are working on a conceptual solution for that. We plan it to be modern, stable and safe. We will renovate the entire kitchen. We will try to make it an inclusive space, and we would also like it if it were possible to connect the canteen with the main facility," explains Šljivančanin.

A more inclusive resort

Although the renovated resort will be more modern and inclusive, says Šljivančanin, "the reconstruction will not excessively increase the capacity for children":

"Precisely because we are not able, at this moment, to build new necessary facilities."

Šljivančanin points out that in addition to rest and recreation, "it will also offer the possibility of organizing a school in nature to all educational institutions in Podgorica."

"As well as recreational classes. What is very important to me to emphasize is that the Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges us not to make any distinctions between children. Regardless of their individual characteristics, we are obliged to provide them with access to all facilities. So, if we are talking about children with vision problems, we must provide them with the conditions for their stay. The same applies to children with mobility problems...", she told "Vijesti".

She emphasized that the document on the reconstruction of the children's resort on Veruša is "still being drawn up" and that she hopes that the renovation can begin at the end of this year.

In order for the resort to function properly, Šljivančanin points out, children's instructors are also needed.

"The fact is that Veruša as a resort has not been functioning since around 2021. The resort in Sutomore has not been in operation since 2012. As a result, children's instructors are losing their importance. The previous ones have grown up, and the new ones have not been recruited, or gathered and educated. The Children's Association will gather new instructors in the coming period, and they will, due to the changed circumstances, have a slightly different function. They will gather and work together with the Children's Association. Their participation is important to us, so that we can work better. The Children's Association cannot know what children need if it does not ask them," she pointed out.

Hear the voice of children

According to Šljivančanin, the new instructors will be taught animation, that is, how to entertain younger children and their peers.

"Honestly, if we want to genuinely work with children and give them a role, the Children's Association must create conditions for their work, through regular communication and cooperation. As you could see, we are struggling with office space, and we cannot announce the competition for children's instructors until a spatial solution is found for them. Of course, it must be a room in which children will be able to meet at least once a week."

Šljivančanin said that the Children's Association has also visited rural schools in the past, adding that they noticed that there were very few students.

"The schools are located within the territory of the Capital City. However, they are quite far from many facilities, which should not happen. We discovered that the transportation to some schools was not good, so we informed the relevant city services. Many schools did not have sports equipment, so we donated and presented some to them," she said.

She emphasized that the Children's Alliance “in no way excludes children from other social spheres.” She added that they will continue to support all children, and that their feedback on their work will be important to them.

"For example, the children suggested that we organize an excursion during Veruša's stay, which will be dedicated to photography, editing and filming. We constantly criticize them for having phones in their hands, so this will be a great opportunity for them to use all their knowledge and skills. I am very much looking forward to this activity and I am sure it will be a great day. Maybe this way we will 'provoke' a child to be more actively involved in photography in the future. Children are a phenomenal resource for us and we draw inspiration from them to be as good as possible," said Šljivančanin.

Construction of a resort in Sutomore next year?

According to Šljivančanin, the children's resort in Sutomore “has not been operational for more than 10 years.” That, he says, does not mean that the topic is not current in the capital.

"In April last year, the Children's Association raised the issue of a resort in Sutomore. That was the first thing I did when I took over as director of the Children's Association. As far as I know, there are plans to amend the Detailed Urban Plan 'Sutomore Center', which will include a resort for children."

She also pointed out that last year they received permission from the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property to build a new resort in Sutomore.

"We hope to complete some of the work on the project documentation by the fall, so that we can plan the start of construction through the 2027 budget. It is difficult to predict exactly when the work will begin now, because there are many phases until the construction itself. If all the tenders go smoothly and there are no delays in selecting the contractor, we hope that construction could begin in the first or second quarter of 2027."

The children's resort in Sutomore has been closed since 2012, and the then mayor of Podgorica, Miomir Mugoša, announced that he would sell the plots, because they are owned by the Capital City.

Children's Association activities planned in advance

Podgorica was declared the European Youth Capital for 2028 last November. Also in the running for this title were the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, Cyprus' Paralimni, Bulgaria's Pernik, and the Dutch city of Leeuwarden.

Šljivančanin said that this is an extremely important recognition that the capital city deserves, but that the activities of the Children's Association were "previously planned."

"Our activities were planned much earlier, precisely because it is logical, but also because the Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges us to do so. We must ask children for their opinions. They are not mere objects and only users of our services. They must also be active participants and creators. The Children's Alliance, at the end of last year, began and continued with workshops in elementary schools, in order to familiarize children with their rights and get feedback on what they are missing."