UEFA Foundation awards HNS and World Roma Organization project

UEFA Foundation for Children is a special programme of European Football Federation dedicated to the activities and projects helping the children in Europe and throughout the world.

At the suggestion of Croatian Football Federation, the UEFA Foundation for Children management headed by president Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, former European Commission president, has decided to award Croatia's World Roma Organization among the best projects. In the previous years, and with close partnership of Croatian Football Federation, Croatia's World Roma Organization has organized numerous activities for boys and girls of Croatia's national minorities.

Alongside this award, and to support the activities and projects, UEFA Foundation for Children has decided to donate EUR 50,000 to World Roma Organization to fight against discrimination, racism, and poverty. 

Foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

"We are overjoyed to hear about this UEFA Foundation for Children decision. These resources will allow us further activities with the objective of including national minorities' children in society. I would like to express my gratitude to Croatian Football Federation, our key partner in the application for this award. Without this support, we would never make it. This award shows how much UEFA and HNS care about the most sensitive, the most important element of society - the children. When you see their smiles in our football camps, then you become aware how much these projects mean to them. We will continue to work for their benefit, and further resources mean more camps, more educational and other activities seeking to develop respect for differences and tolerance", said World Roma Organization president Toti Dedić.

Foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

Croatian Football Federation was already awarded by UEFA for the organization of national minority football camps, as one of three best Grassroots projects in Europe in 2015/2016.

"We are proud of our friend Toti Dedić and his associates. Their enormous effort, enthusiasm, and energy dedicated to helping the national minorities' children has been recognized in UEFA Foundation for Children. These resources will surely enable them further activities. Croatian Football Federation will continue to support projects fighting any form of discrimination. Let this valuable award be the incentive for even better results, for more camps, more children, more workshops, more footballs and more equipment. Football has once again proved how much it cares for society", said HNS president Davor Šuker.

Foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

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