OEF’s 2009 Concord Award to Kolga Secondary School

On April 17, the Open Estonia Foundation (OEF) gave the Concord award for 2009 to Kolga Secondary School for active support to its partner school in Georgia, damaged in Russian bombings last autumn.

Encouraged by their headmaster Mr Tõnu Valdma, the pupils from Kolga initiated a fundraising campaign to support the 7th Secondary School in Gori, Eastern Georgia. They opened fundraising boxes in local stores, sold self-made calendars, organized charitable bake sales and flea markets at school. In October some of the pupils flew to Georgia to manifest their support to friends from Gori.

„This kind of courage and freedom from prejudice should set an example for everyone. Good partners and friends can also be found in the South and East not only in the West,“ OEF’s Executive Director Mall Hellam commented.

The Concord award was established in 1997 to honor people who have had an outstanding impact on the development of open society in Estonia and abroad.