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 »  Home  »  People  »  Croatian pupil Martin Kotarski and Bill Gates awarded in Japan
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Croatian pupil Martin Kotarski and Bill Gates awarded in Japan
By Nenad N. Bach | Published  11/13/2008 | People , Ideas , Education , Croatian Cuisine , Charity | Unrated
Martin Kotarski initiated writing a cookbook in order to help poor people in his school


Bill Gates, USA, Croatian pupil Martin Kotarski (14 years), and Drago Štambuk, Croatian ambassador in Japan.



 
PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
       
International Essay Content for Young People (2008)
   
Children's Category 1st Prize (Bravo Martin!)

Joined by a Cookbook

Martin Kotarski
(Age 14, Croatia)
Ksaver Šandor Gjalski Primary School, Zabok

Society, culture, ecology, economy, citizen responsibility ... all the words which I, a fourteen-year-old boy, don't know much about. But, a sad friend with no proper food on his table, nice clothes to wear, pocket-money, toys to play or computer for studying, sounds familiar.

One day I came to school and saw that my friend was sad. I asked him about it. He wouldn't tell me at first, but I found out that his father had lost his job and his mother were about to give birth to a new child. He was very depressed because his parents couldn't pay the bills, food, give him money for his school lunch. So he lost some weight, his clothes were worn out and other kids started picking on him. He became aggressive and he fought all the time. He lost his friends and started getting bad marks. He desperately needed help. I wanted to help him but I didn't know how. I had known before about the kids with the same problem but I didn't think about it so much till now. Then I came up with an idea how to solve such problems in my school.

Why don't we make a cookbook with traditional meals cooked by our grandmothers and mothers? We could sell that book and get money for poor people of our school. And not only that. We would bring old meals back to life and throw fattening and unhealthy fast food away. Say hello to delicious food my parents used to eat when they were little. I found a solution for two problems: how to help the poor people and dump fast food.

I knew I couldn't do it without help. I went to the school pedagogue and told her about my idea. Since she is a volunteer for the Red Cross (and she deals with the social problems of school children all the time) she liked the idea. We made an action plan and she put it in motion. She decided to involve students, parents, grandparents and the whole community to collect recipes for the cookbook. She informed teachers and then they threw themselves to work. They motivated children to talk with their grandparents about the forgotten "old ways" and write down their stories in local dialect. With students' help a recipe pile was bigger and bigger. Even my friend, an excellent footballer, brought a whole bunch of old recipes. My Croatian teacher, pedagogue and librarian took a big part of whole job - they read the recipes, prepared the dishes, took photographs, wrote introduction, all in all, gave their precious time. The National Foundation for Civil Activities, located in the capital of Croatia, stepped in with a donation of 10,000 kuna ($2,000) for its publication. The Town Hall, Red Cross, Folk Group Zabok, regional newspapers, ecological organizations and some companies gave us a hand, too. After all, Zabok is a Town Friend of Children. That means that it supports all the programs of our schools, creative workshops and sports clubs.

When it was finally published we presented it to the public. The presentation was held in our school on May 30. Some mothers and grandmothers got themselves involved by cooking some old strudels, local cheese and corn cakes and so on. Two couples performed traditional dances and made the event even more special. I had a small part as well. I had to recite a poem. I forgot some of the words, but never mind. I felt great on the stage when they said it had been my idea. The whole bunch of people came to see the cookbook and taste the meals that were served at the end of the presentation. Many people have bought a cookbook as a gift, souvenir and some were trying to cook a meal using the recipes. My friend's mother at first bought three cookbooks and then she wanted five pieces more. "It is excellent! I really like the design - the photographs and the way it is written in the local dialect. That's a nice touch. I can almost hear my old grandmother teaching me how to cook," she said. Others agreed with her so we have sold five hundred cookbooks and collected $3000.

We raised enough money to help twenty - five needy families of our school friends in our region. My sad friend was happy, too, because his family was one of them. And not only that. We have become aware of the unhealthy food we eat every day and of the forgotten traditional values. Realizing that, we started visiting our grandparents more and enjoying their old stories and meals. Who knows? Maybe we will "dig out" some more good books.


 

The Zabok Cookbook


Zabočka kuharica, OŠ Ksavera Šandora Gjalskog, Zabok 2008., 98 pp, ISBN 978-953-55203-0-6

I te bi angelji jeli da bi zube melji! (Nevenkina babica)


Front page of Zabočka kuharica

Sadržaj

Predgovor
... Za kuharicu se je zmislil Martin Kotarski koji nije bil lien, pak je te napisal. "Važno je zdravo se hraniti, a još je bolje znati od čega su narasli naše bake i djedovi, mame i tate. Oni su se hranili zdravije, a jela su spravljali na drugačiji način..." Te se jake dopale Nacionalne zaklade za razvoj civilnog društva pak su nam dali neke penes. ...

DOBER TEK!
Urednica: Ružica Kotarski

DOMAČI KRUH MOJE BABICE
Bieli kruh, Šenični domači kruh, Kruščeki, Koruzni kruh z hrženu melju, Kruh od kumpiera, Koruzni kruh, Močica

JELA ZA SAKI DAN

JUHE
Riezanci, Nokljeci, Čučekova juha z domačemi riezanci, Štruklji na juhu, Kuhana sirutka, Župa z kuhanu sirutku, Biela župa, Biela koruzna župa, Poriluk na čistu juhu, Juha za betežnika, Ruljena kašica, Kašica h mlieku, Kašica od jajec, Rieska juha za oratje, Emprem juha, Kisela juha od čvrčki, Prežgana juha z kimlinem, Juha od telečeg jezika, Fureš, Guljaš z kumpiera, Zametena juha, Zameteni kumpier, Zameteni bažulj z kumpierem ili korenjem, Bažulj s kiselem zeljem ili repu, Bažulj z prisiljenim zeljem, Pretepani bažulj, Zelje ili kelj na slatke


Marija Hanžić, 3rd grade (9 years old) brought a recipe from her grandmother, now published in the cook-book on p. 24.

TRDA JELA
Žganci, Puodljev za žgance, Puodljev za žgance od čvrčki, Koruzni žganci, Kumpierski žganci, Žganci z mliekem, Bielji žganci, Jetrica z žganci, Jagljena kaša, Jajca z koruznu melju, Vrganji z jajci, Rieske buče, Vugorki z vernjem i kumpierem, Poleana šalata z čverčki, Krpice z zeljem, Kisiela riepa ili zelje z mesem, Zaleane mese h masti, Zalejani čverčki h masti, Sir z vernjem, Purica, raca ili guska z mlinci, Pečena kuokoš z riestanem kumpierem

POGAČE. STREPE, ZLIEFKE
Pogačke, Koružnjača, Koružnjača z sirem, Koružnjača z pekmezom, Zliefka, Pečeni štruklji, Bučnica, Digana sirna strepa, Zelnica, Repnica, Strepa, Kram-pogačice, Vuzemni pereci

SLATKE ILI ZA SVETEK
Babičini vuzmeni pereci, Slatka zlievanka, Orehova gibanica, Rožičkova gibanica, Makova gibanica, Gibanica od suhega sadja, Gibanica od fig, Sirna gibanica, Pekmezova gibanica, Pruosti kolač od jabuk, Črešnjev ili višnjev pruosti kolač, Buftlini, Kraflini

Pogovor

Those interested in the book may write to prof. Natalija Jurišić at the Primary School in Zabok.


 

Od ideje prema projektu i eseju

 Učenik naše škole, Martin Kotarski iz 8.a sudjelovao je na Međunarodnom natječaju u pisanju eseja (2008. International Essay Contest for Young People ) u organizaciji Goi Peace Foundation-a i UNESCO-a. Natječaj je bio objavljen na web stranicama Ministarstva znanosti, prosvjete i sporta. Mentorica  je učiteljica engleskog jezika Natalija Jurišić.Između 4711 radova iz 137 zemalja Svijeta u kategoriji za djecu (do 14. godina) upravo je Martin osvojio 1. nagradu. Ponosni smo što će Martin u pratnji mentorice Natalije Jurišić predstavljati svoj esej u Tokiju 9. studenog 2008. na svečanosti Goi Peace Foundation-a.


Martin Kotarski, Natalija Jurišić prof.

Učenik naše škole, Martin Kotarski iz 8.a sudjelovao je na Međunarodnom natječaju u pisanju eseja (2008. International Essay Contest for Young People ) u organizaciji Goi Peace Foundation-a i UNESCO-a. Natječaj je bio objavljen na web stranicama Ministarstva znanosti, prosvjete i sporta. Mentorica  je učiteljica engleskog jezika Natalija Jurišić.

Između 4711 radova iz 137 zemalja Svijeta u kategoriji za djecu (do 14. godina) upravo je Martin osvojio 1. nagradu. Ponosni smo što će Martin u pratnji mentorice Natalije Jurišić predstavljati svoj esej u Tokiju 09. 11. 2008. na svečanosti Goi Peace Foundation-a.

Tema natječaja je kako projektima pokrenuti pozitivne promjene u vlastitoj okolini i time pokrenuti razvoj društva. Esej (Joined by Cookbook) govori o školskom projektu "Zabočka kuharica" koji je bio realiziran prošle školske godine.
Projekt je započeo Martinovom idejom koju je uobličio i prijavio Nacionalnoj zakladi za razvoj civilnog društva. Oni su podržali projekt i školi donirali 10.000,00 kuna za izradu knjige "Zabočka kuharica". Osim toga škola je dobila priznanje "Škola prijatelj zajednice".

Publikacija "Zabočka kuharica" ima tradicijsku i kulturnu vrijednost jer nastoji sačuvati trag o tradicionalnim zabočkim jelima na kajkavskom narječju. Knjigu su uredile pedagoginja Ružica Kotarski i knjižničarka Branka Vrbanec. On ima i humanitarnu vrijednost jer su primjerci Kuharice rasprodani, a sredstva su utrošena za nabavu paketa namirnica za socijalno ugrožene obitelji grada Zaboka.

U realizaciji projekta sudjelovali su učenici uz pomoć roditelja,učitelji naše škole,udruge grada Zaboka i gradska vlast.

Izvor: OŠ Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, Zabok


 
International Essay Content for Young People(2008)


Organized by The Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO
Sponsored by the Earthrise Society
Endorsed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nikkei Inc., Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education
Supported by Japan Airlines.

The United Nations has designated 2001-2010 as the "International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World" and 2005-2014 as the "United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development." Not only should young people benefit from these global initiatives, but they should be empowered to play a leading role in them. The theme of the 2008 International Essay Contest for Young People was "My project to create positive change in my environment. How can I foster sustainable development in my community?"

From among 4,711 entries from 137 countries, the following winners were selected. The first prize winners will receive the Minister of Education Encouragement Award at a ceremony during the Goi Peace Foundation Forum 2008 to be held at Bunkyo Civic Hall in Tokyo on November 9, 2008


List of Winners


1st Prize

Children's category (1 entrant)
    Joined by a Cookbook
Martin Kotarski (Age 13, Croatia)


Youth category (1 entrant)
    Cargados de Vida
Valeria Cortez Vaca Díez (Age 17, Bolivia)

etc.

Source: Goi Peace Foundation, Japan


Formated for CROWN by prof.dr. Darko Žubrinić
Distributed by www.Croatia.org . This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know!


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Comments
  • Comment #1 (Posted by Tanja)

    Ovo je jedna od najljepsih prica koje sam procitala u zadnje vrijeme. Bravo, Martine!
     
  • Comment #2 (Posted by Violi)

    Congratulations on your achievement Martin! What you have done goes beyond writing a good essay. It also demonstrates a very mature and caring way of looking at a problem and doing something about it. Another good effect was the involvement and mobilisation of the community in the project. If more people around the world have the same outlook, the ripple-effect would be awesome.
     
  • Comment #3 (Posted by Mara Radich)

    Truly inspirational!!!
     
  • Comment #4 (Posted by slavica skracic)

    Excellent article! What i liked most is the fact that what drove Martin's desire to come up with a good idea to to raise money is his sense for charity. Most kids his age would be more likely to ignore the struggling friend or feel helpless and not do anything. Martin is a good-hearted, courageous kid. Not only did he give of his heart, but he did it in a creative way that involved many. A great example to all. God Bless.
     
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