This month, we would also like to introduce the story of fourteen-year-old Borislav Đekić from Nevesinje, an excellent eighth-grade student at “Risto Proroković” Primary School. Borislav is a long-time scholarship recipient of the Hastor Foundation, a dedicated Red Cross volunteer, and a successful karate athlete who achieves remarkable results through his effort, hard work, and commitment. He has been training karate for seven years at the “Velež” Karate Club, and even a one-year break due to health problems did not diminish his love for the sport.
Karate represents much more than ordinary training for me – it is a place where I feel accepted, safe, and happy. Training has helped me develop concentration, responsibility, and perseverance, but also gain new friendships and valuable experiences, says Borislav, emphasizing the importance of his coaches, who have been a great source of support and motivation throughout the years.
Borislav already has numerous competitions, medals, and memories behind him. This year, he achieved significant results – at the regional competition in Bileća, he won first place, while at the Championship of Republica Srpska he secured second place in his category. A medal won in Goražde is particularly meaningful to him, where he competed in a higher category, which represented a major challenge and confirmed that effort and hard work bring results.
As someone who has been a scholarship recipient of the Hastor Foundation for six years, which he considers a great source of support and a place where he has gained extensive knowledge and valuable experience through various activities, Borislav particularly highlights the importance of the mentors, who have always been ready to help, explain every topic, and motivate scholarship recipients to work on themselves and their education.
The Hastor Foundation has shown me how important support, knowledge, and togetherness are for young people, says Borislav, who developed self-confidence and communication skills through the Foundation, while the experiences he gained further motivated him to be an exemplary student and an active member of his community. For this very reason, he often recommends to his peers that they apply for the scholarship and take advantage of the opportunity for personal development.
Although young, Borislav demonstrates through his example how important education, sports, and humanity are for the proper development of young people:
I would tell young people to believe in themselves, work hard, and take advantage of every opportunity to learn and improve. With hard work, perseverance, and the right people around you, everything is possible to achieve.
