Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO), with the support of the Evangelical Lutheran Chuirch of America (ELCA), marked International Mother Language Day (February 21) by organizing a workshop with migrants at the Reception Center Bujanovac.

The workshop was dedicated to preserving the mother tongue and encouraging mutual respect through creative activities. Participants discussed the importance of language as the basis of identity and connection to family and tradition. Then, by drawing a globe and writing the names of the languages they speak or want to learn, they created a “World Language Map”. The activity encouraged the exchange of cultural expressions and mutual learning.

The final activity was the “Language Parade” – participants read words and messages in their mother tongue, and then translated them into Serbian or English. The workshop ended with a joint poster symbolizing the richness of linguistic diversity and the importance of preserving the mother tongue.

By celebrating the Mother Language Day, EHO, in partnership ELCA, continues to strengthen cultural identity, mutual understanding and respect for diversity among migrants in PC Bujanovac. The workshop showed that language is a bridge that connects people and communities, and pivotal for the preservation of cultural wealth.