On June 10, 2026, a ceremonial promotion of a unique collection of children's stories and poems entitled "We preserve the language, we share stories" was held in the summer classroom of the "Olga Milošević" Elementary School in Smederevska Palanka.

This bilingual collection, translated into Serbian and Romani, was created as a result of creative work, play and socializing of pupils, pedagogues, teachers, school principals and pedagogical assistants, with the professional support of editors from the Association of Roma Writers from Belgrade. The book constitutes a genuine bridge between cultures and a direct contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage.

The activity was implemented by the Center for the Development of the Roma Community "Amaro drom" (CRRZ) from Smederevska Palanka, in partnership with the "Olga Milošević" Elementary School and the National Council of the Roma National Minority.

This initiative was implemented within a project that is part of the wider program of the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO) "Empowerment of Local Roma Organizations", with financial support from the organization HfO-Hoffnung für Osteuropa Diakonie Württemberg from Germany. The goal of this program is to build capacity and support local initiatives of smaller Roma associations throughout Serbia.

The event brought together a large number of children, parents and associates, and through a dynamic program, warm messages of support and children's creativity alternated.

On behalf of the CRRZ "Amaro drom", Zdravka Simić presented the key goals of the project and reminded of the importance of partnership, while the representative of the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (EHO), Milisav Milinković, emphasized the commitment to programs that directly empower children and the local community.

The teacher and program coordinator Sanja Stevanović and the workshop facilitator Biljana Živković spoke about the creation process itself and the work at the workshops, sharing first-hand impressions. A special tone was brought to the event by the renowned Romani writer Zlatomir Jovanović, who, through an open conversation with children about literature and reading segments of stories in the Romani language, brought the magic of the written word closer to all those present.

The central and most important part of the event belonged to the children. The pupils took turns reading four stories from the collection in Serbian and Romani, thereby demonstrating all the beauty and richness of bilingualism.

After the official part, visitors enjoyed an exhibition of photographs from the workshops, an interactive quiz "Find Inspiration", followed by a cocktail party and socializing.