Diaspora donated $4.25 million to Serbia in 2020

Tanjug/Rade Prelić

Serbia's diaspora donated 4.25 million Dollars to the country last year, the 'Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac' said on Tuesday, citing the Catalyst Balkans organisation's study.

The research presented at the ‘Philanthropy Has No Borders’ panel showed that 46 percent, or 1.95 million Dollars, was sent for fighting the coronavirus epidemic, 54 percent, or 2.3 million for reducing poverty, medical treatment and other purposes.

The panel gathered more than 130 participants from Serbia, the US, Austria, Netherlands, Finland, France, Canada, Great Britain and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who discussed the cooperation of the non-profit organisations with Serbia’s diaspora.

It was said that the most considerable amount came from the diaspora in Germany, almost 40 percent, followed by those living in Canada and the US.

The donations helped the building and renovation of hospitals across Serbia.

„We started to offer support and organise aid to our country when we were in the diaspora. Now when we are based in Serbia, we have enormous support from our people from abroad,“ Vlade Divac, former NBA basketball player and the founder of the Foundation, said.