Belgrade, October 2013 – The "Divac Youth Fund," a new project launched by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, was unveiled today at a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the Belgrade Media Center.

The project will establish funds for youth projects in the five municipalities of Prijepolje, Vladičin Han, Vlasotince, Vršac and Kanjiža.  Representatives from the municipalities signed the memorandum after being chosen following preliminary talks with a dozen municipalities.

"I am very pleased that we found five municipalities in Serbia willing to participate in the Divac Youth Funds project, which have demonstrated the need to put words about the need to help youth into action," said Ana Divac, Founder of the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation. "Besides contributing funds, the municipalities will help us to convince the local business community to significantly contribute to this project."

The Divac Youth Funds project is a part of the Civil Society Forward program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Communities.

"USAID is proud to support the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation's new project, which is an investment in the Serbia’s most underutilized resource – young people," said USAID Mission Director Susan K. Fritz.  "Youth will organize their activities, develop a sustainable plan, raise money and control the funds' use."

The Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation will now form boards of 10 young people, aged 15 to 30, in each of the five municipalities for the management of the Divac Youth Fund in their municipality.  All board members will go through training to learn how to manage projects, raise funds, and be good leaders.  The project's goal is to have young people running independent projects across Serbia as well as maintaining and spreading the network of sustainable youth fund projects to additional municipalities across the country.