KUTINA KUTINA, Sept 21 (Hina) - The mayor of Kutina (some 70 kilometres east of Zagreb), on Saturday evening signed a petition of welcome for HIV- positive girl Ela, who has recently arrived in this town to attend the second grade of
the primary school.
KUTINA, Sept 21 (Hina) - The mayor of Kutina (some 70 kilometres
east of Zagreb), on Saturday evening signed a petition of welcome
for HIV- positive girl Ela, who has recently arrived in this town to
attend the second grade of the primary school. #L#
"Kutina is not an intolerant and xenophobic place. I am sorry to see
that the problem has not been solved for the three years," Mayor
Velimira Toth Prosoli said, and voiced hope that a systematic
education and provision of correct information would yield
results.
The signing of the petition of welcome was initiated by a group of
young people in Kutina after the parents of the children attending
the "Stjepan Kefelja" primary school in the town, which Ela
enrolled this year as a second-grader, transferred their children
to other schools in the town, while Ela has been attending classes
together with only one pupil. Two years ago, the same problem
cropped up when she enrolled in the first grade in a school in
Kasteli (outside Split).
On Saturday evening, Kutina youth organised a concert under the
slogan "Noise Against Prejudice" in order to help the local
residents to free themselves of the prejudice that it was dangerous
to have Ela and her sister, also HIV positive girl, as classmates of
their children.
Last Thursday Croatian Premier Ivica Racan and experts from
relevant institutions and ministries agreed that the government,
state bodies and experts must continue making efforts to solve the
problem of education of HIV-positive girl Ela. Racan met with a few
competent ministers and experts to once again discuss all elements
of the case. It was agreed that efforts should be made to solve the
case to the benefit of the girl and residents of Kutina.
(hina) ms