Marita Western Balkans is a registered NGO, founded in February 2015, with a compelling mission to prevent drugs abuse and spread anti-drug message amongst youth in Serbia and other Balkan countries. Marita drug prevention program is officially recommended by Regional Department of Education and it is very well accepted in elementary and high schools, at youth gatherings and parent meetings. In just two years, 188 drug prevention workshops were held with 6.740 participants and school representatives.

Marita aim is to encourage and support each person to make strong decision to say “NO” when they are offered drugs. In Marita prevention workshops, former drug addicts tell to young people, who still had not tried drugs, about how they started to take drugs, and the losses of life this addiction led to. “Marita” prevention workshops intend to expose the myths of drug use – and tell the true story of fear, depression and permanent consequences they experience today due to their earlier drug abuse. Also, Marita prevention is educating teenagers about the way drugs make people dependent. “It is much easier and smarter to say NO when you are offered drugs, than try to stop after you get addicted”.

All of Marita staff are ex-drug addicts who had found their way out of addiction through faith based Teen Challenge rehabilitation program. Throughout drug prevention workshops in schools they have a valuable opportunity to share their testimony about God breaking the power of addiction and gave them new fulfilled lives. With those compelling life stories, they are putting an axe at the root of the problem of addiction – before it starts!

Read more on Marita Norway website: www.marita.no

Since his early age, Zoran (now 41 years old) was experienced consequences of substance abuse amongst his closest family members. At time Zoran was age of 6, his father started to heavily drink alcohol often using it together with sedatives – which made him unconscious most of the time. Several years later, his sister become heroin addict and stay addicted for 6 years involved in criminal and dealing drugs to feed her addiction. Four Zoran’s cousins where also addicted to drugs, so addiction related problems were familiar to him pretty much all of his life.

At age 14, Zoran’s sister won fight over her addiction and start new life. In those days they were often speaking about her drug usage and how it had almost destroyed her life, so Zoran was first time listening “spontaneous one-on-one drug prevention” which made him decide to never try drugs or become addicted.

At age of 25, Zoran were founding member of Teen Challenge Serbia and was director of men’s rehabilitation program in next 9 years. Through that time, he helped more than 160 people find their way out from heroin addiction. Some of them are Marita prevention lecturers today. He was also intensively working with drug addict families so they can experience necessary changes and become functional.

Today, while leading Marita Western Balkans he is eager to spread warning and anti-drug message amongst youth in Serbia and other Balkan countries.