High in the Balkan hills above Skopje is a small village called Koliçan. Since the 1940s, children from the village have attended a small primary school there. The six classrooms were heated by individual wood-burning stoves, fired up each morning by the school caretaker. Over time, the walls and ceilings were darkened by soot and every day the air in the classrooms filled with smoke.
The structure of the school was also compromised, with dangerous cracks in the foundation. The plaster on the walls, both inside and out, was damaged and falling off. A good deal of work was needed to make the school safe for the children coming every day to learn.
Elder and Sister Stringham, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints noticed the unhealthy situation and approached the school principal, asking what he would like to see done. Humbly, he asked, “Could you help us paint the classrooms to get rid of the smoke stains?” The missionaries answered, “We think can do that, but wouldn’t it be better to also replace the old wood-burning stoves?”
With hope on his face, he asked, “You would do that?”
Then, looking out a classroom window the missionaries noticed a small shelter down the hill and asked if that was the toilet facility for the school. They followed a muddy trail to check the condition of the toilets–two holes in the ground with no running water for hand washing.
Working with the local families, the missionaries determined to help make a difference for the children at the school. What started as a small project with some paint and some new HVAC systems turned into a village miracle.
The families of the children began to come and help. When the mayor of the municipality learned what was happening at the school, he found additional municipal funding to help with needed projects. He and the whole village became invested in making their school a safe and happy place for the children to learn.
With donations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the missionaries replaced the wood-burning stoves with wall-hung HVAC units and painted the classrooms.
Then they went to work on new bathrooms. Local construction workers came to help, donating time, labor and materials. The old firewood storage room in the school was turned into a bathroom with actual running water and real toilets. Concrete repairs were made to stairs, sidewalks and pilasters. The entire school was re-plastered and the exterior was painted. Broken fences were repaired and a new concrete retaining wall was built so that the sloped playground could be filled in, making it a safe play space.
One sixth-grade student said he donated his birthday money to help fix his school. The generous donations of time, labor, materials, food and anything they had to offer, exceeded all expectations.
Everyone in the village came to celebrate the grand reopening. The Imam from the nearby mosque added his blessing. The children sang and danced while a musician played a traditional two-stringed çifteli, and speeches of gratitude were given.
In addressing his townspeople, the mayor said, “Today we want to show that such good is accomplished only when we work together without personal interest for a peaceful purpose. This day will be remembered in the history of this school.” He thanked the missionaries and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their contributions.
Afterwards, as the missionaries met with the local organisations who helped with this school project, they learned that the value of additional funding and labor donated more than doubled what the Church had contributed.
