By Milos Karaklajic
My name is Milos Karaklajic, I live in Serbia. I was in Belgium last year as an AFS student and spent a wonderful eleven months in Erembodegem, province of Oost-Vlaanderen. I keep in touch with my host family and friends. I often think about them. I talk to them, and I especially like my Skype talks with grandpa and grandma. I have a lot of great memories from the family, school, and cities I visited, and I try not to forget the Flemish language.
A year after my return, Serbia has been hit hard by floods. A lot of people have lost their homes. The tragic photos from the flooded areas appeared all over the social networks. Both my mother and I received a message: “Are you all fine?” from my host mum. “Yes, we are fine, but many people are in danger and things are really hard in a great part of Serbia”, I answered. My Belgian family was worried about me and my family, which was a comforting feeling.
And then, on Facebook, there was my host mother’s call for help for Serbia. From her sweet shop ‘t Soetebekje”, my host mum had organised a charitable action. I was truly moved. I can hardly wait to see them again and hug them firmly. I am very much looking forward to our getting together in Serbia.
Left: Els Neukermans, Belgian host mother; right: Miloš with his Belgian host family at Aalst Carnival