Greta Minh, majka bez poroda

Abstract

"… Greta nije imala svoj porod i to je bila njena velika i neprebolna rana. Zato je celu rudarsku koloniju tretirala kao svoju veliku porodicu, a decu rudara kao sopstvenu. „Ja nemam dece“, govorila je, „zašto se ne bih brinula za tuđu, zašto da ne osete radosti koje im lako mogu učiniti. A razume se da se moj muž sa tim slaže.“. Pod njenim nadzorom otvorena je osnovna (1922), a potom i srednja škola, bioskop, pa Sokolski dom (1936), fudbalsko igralište; naravno, opremlјena je i moderna ambulanta koja je brinula o zdravlјu rudara i njihovih porodica. Iako su većinu učenika činila deca radnika drugih nacija i vere (naročito stručnih kadrova koji su dovođeni iz inostranstva), nastava se odvijala na srpskom jeziku i po programu, poštovani su pravoslavni verski obredi, a škola je slavila Svetog Savu kao školsku slavu. Pored škole u naselјu Rtanj, izgradili su i škole u dva susedna sela - Mirovu i Rujištu - odakle je bio najveći broj njihovih radnika. Najbolјi učenici su stipendirani za dalјe školovanje, a dobre šegrte su upućivali na usavršavanja kod vrsnih majstora po Srbiji o svom trošku…"

"... Greta didn't have her children, that was her big wound. That's why she treated the whole mining colony as her big family, and the miners' children as her own. "I don't have children," she said, "why shouldn't I take care of others, why should they not feel the joys that I can easily do for them? And it is understood that my husband agrees with that". Under her supervision, an elementary school (1922), then a secondary school, a cinema, then Sokolski dom (1936), and a football field were opened; a modern infirmary was also equipped to take care of the health of the miners and their families. Although many students were children of workers from other nations and religions (especially professional staff from abroad), classes were in Serbian according to the program; Orthodox religious rites were respected, and the school celebrated Saint Sava as a school honour. In addition to the school in the settlement of Rtanj, they also built schools in two neighbouring villages - Mirova and Rujišta - where the largest number of their workers were from. The best students were given scholarships for further education, and good apprentices were sent to training with excellent masters in Serbia at Minh's expense...