The Royal family of Serbia continued supporting the Bridge of Life Humanitarian Organization in their mission of helping civilians endangered by the war in Ukraine. A new modular building for the Saint Nicolas Center School was built by this organization in the city of Lviv, Ukraine, with the support of HRH Crown Prince Alexander.
Before the war in Ukraine started, a Government Orphanage with a capacity for 150 children was operating in Lviv. It was later reformed into a school for developmentally and intellectually disabled children. As a result of the evacuations from the war zones, the population of Lviv has tripled from 700,000 to over 2,200,000 citizens, where the majority are women, children and the elderly. Many institutions and families who cared for children with disabilities took action so that these children would be in the relative safety of Lviv.
As a result of the conflict in Ukraine, student attendance at the Saint Nicolas Center rose from 150 to over 300 children with no additional space provided. Mr. Edward Wayne Jr, the Director of The Bridge of Life, and his wife Tatjana Trickovic Popovic, decided that the fastest way to solve this urgent need for educational space was to design and construct a modular building which was done without further delay. The space is now completed, and 5 classrooms are filled with children who are continuing their education.
“We are very grateful to Crown Prince Alexander, who has been our friend for years and who has always encouraged us to continue our humanitarian work both in Serbia and abroad, to push forward in the cases of natural disasters, mass evacuations, and in this case, a war zone.
The projects have not always been easy, and the location have not always been without personal danger, but the rewards have always outweighed the risks”, stated Edward and Tatjana on this occasion.
TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine have been supporting the humanitarian work in Serbia by The Bridge of Life for more than 20 years, where the focus of the projects was providing aid to Serbian children. The importance of these projects was recognized by the Government of Serbia, which in October 2021 presented Mr. Edward Wayne Jr with “Serbian Citizenship by Exception” in gratitude for his many years of service to the good of the children of Serbia.
In February 2022, Edward Wayne and his wife Tatjana Trickovic informed Their Royal Highnesses that they could no longer stand still and watch the terrible images in Ukraine. HRH Crown Princess Katherine, together with Lifeline Humanitarian Organization offices, which are under the patronage of Her Royal Highness, once again cooperated with the Bridge of Life on several successful projects aimed at providing help for the women and children refugees, inflicted by the terrible war in Ukraine. Emergency vehicles, incubators, food, and medical supplies and much more were delivered as a result of this cooperation.
