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During the war in Croatia, so many visitors noticed the same thing:
So few people have a smile on their face.
Unfortunately they were right, but out of extreme circumstances
and the outreach of a small group of foreign students
who visited Zagreb in 1993 came the seeds of what became Udruga Fokus.
In the first few years, a group of about 50 students would meet weekly
to find encouragement in their faith,
inspired by the message of Jesus Christ.
After the war ended in 1995, we were able to register,
and our history officially begins.
In 1996 we first employed three nationals.
We have grown to 18 national staff and 10 international volunteers,
which makes us one of the largest Croatian non-profit organisations.
Desiring to positively influence Croatian society,
convinced that a changed individual can change those around them,
we first focused on the student population.
We found a solution in the complete development of each individual:
emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
In 1997 we began a 10-year long media project.
We distributed a feature film about the life of Jesus Christ
based on the Gospel of Luke and produced by Warner Brothers.
We had top Croatian actors voice act the movie.
We showed the film for free:
first in settlements with a population above 3000,
and afterwards in Croatian villages and islands,
with the goal of making the Gospel accessible to everyone.
We had showings in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo and other cities there as well.
Finally we aired the film on Croatian National Television,
as well as local TV and radio stations.
Based on the feedback information,
more than one quarter of Croatia’s population watched the movie!
The experience from the JESUS Film allowed us to work on the translation of
Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion Of The Christ, which was an honor for us.
In 2000 we began promoting ethics, integrity,
and spirituality amongst athletes.
The crowning event of this initiative was hosting
the European Christian Soccer Championship in Zagreb.
This tournament demonstrated that soccer can be played honestly,
without faking injuries, cheating, or fixing the games.
For this occasion we printed a sports edition of the New Testament
with testimonies of famous athletes
about how Christian faith helped them play sports and keep their integrity.
Our modern style of life and an eroded value system
have left scars on the foundational unit of society - family.
We believe even the worst marriages can be transformed.
Only solid marriages ensure healthy families.
Through our trained staff, we offer marital and premarital counseling.
We also offer lectures and practical workshops on communication,
conflict resolution, and understanding interpersonal differences.
The Weekend to Remember, a warm conference for married couples,
has strengthened hundreds of Croatian marriages.
The best hours of the best years of our lives we spend at work.
A corrupt work environment has a very negative effect on workers
and promotes a false set of values.
In 2002 we started working with business people,
an area in Croatia in desperate need of changed values.
We are especially grateful to the international partners and organizations
that trained us and gave us ideas.
Many came personally to address the challenges of working
in corrupt economies while maintaining their integrity.
It is a great privilege and honor to have hosted
a number of distinguished guests. Michael Leahy, an American activist,
speaks worldwide about his personal experience with the devastating
consequences of ***. This event gathered a lot of media attention.
Twice we have hosted Dr. Henry Schaefer,
a computational chemist from the University of Georgia
who was nominated for the Nobel prize several times.
Dr. Schaefer held a series of lectures at our best known physics institute,
as well as delivering a series of lectures to the students.
The most high-profile guest was the US astronaut, Charles Duke,
a member of the Apollo 16 crew, one of the 12 people ever to walk on the Moon.
During his 7 day visit, Mr. Duke visited Zagreb, Čakovec, and Split,
gave 9 public speeches and was widely covered in television, radio, and print.
Although Duke fulfilled his dream of walking on the Moon,
and afterwards of becoming a successful businessman,
his private life was falling apart.
The Dukes’ message to the people of Croatia,
who find themselves in similar challenges,
was to focus on the family, love, and personal faith.
It is hard to summarize the last 20 years in an 8 minute video,
but we hope these examples clearly illustrate our vision to change society
by changing individuals, and engaging them to change their world.
Through our projects, lectures, seminars, field trips, mentoring
and other activities, we have directly touched the lives of thousands
of citizens. If we add to this our Jesus Film distribution efforts, we have
in some way affected the lives of more than one quarter of Croatia’s population.
All of these activities would not be possible without the help
of so many individuals, organisations, churches,
and governmental organizations from both Croatia and abroad.
We are especially thankful to all our donors and financial partners
from many nations, without whom all this would not be possible.
We are fully aware that Croatia still needs radical changes
in all segments of society, and that our work is just beginning.
If we are to successfully transform Croatian society,
we need your help, and are looking forward to every future project with you.