Anita Ogulin, a great humanitarian and an Honorary Citizen of Ljubljana, who dedicated all her life to helping others, especially children, passed away. We said goodbye to Anita Ogulin at the City Council of the City of Ljubljana commemoration session.

She was a strong voice for those who were tested again and again by life. She saw what the most turned a blind eye to. She felt and heard all those stopped by life, ignored, marginalised and alone. She gave them unwavering support and encouraged them on their life's journey.

Anita Ogulin received the title of Honorary Citizen of Ljubljana in 2018, and in the justification of the title, we wrote: »When the crisis began a decade ago, »Aunt Anita« should have been invented if she had not already been here, at the Friends of Youth Association in Moste, trained and ready to set up effective models of support for the needy and to weave networks to make them a reality. She was used to working from a young age; helping weaker peers and adults with disabilities was a matter of course for her. She was forged as a volunteer – and has remained a volunteer despite increasingly longer working hours and her mandate as president. Her successful projects are many, but her key achievement is the Sponsorship (Botrstvo) project – a stronger and more lasting link between donors, media and the deprived, which aims to level the playing field as much as possible for children from financially disadvantaged families. The title of Honorary Citizen is not only a thank you and an expression of gratitude of all those who Anita Ogulin directly and indirectly helped, but it is also a confirmation of hope and confidence that no person will be left alone and forgotten here.«

Anita Ogulin will leave behind a void that no one can fill. She has always held up a mirror to us in terms of our attitudes towards our fellow human beings, including in an interview with the Ljubljana newsletter, where she said, among other things, how we can all offer our help and support: »The political and socio-economic situation has alienated and unfortunately stratified us so much. That is why it is essential to make an effort to be aware of our surroundings and to look around us. And simply to feel for our fellow human beings. The one who cannot look us in the eye, does not engage in conversation and withdraws from socialising. Let us approach respectfully and start a conversation unobtrusively. Above all, let us listen – and hear. Every person in need gives out verbal and non-verbal messages. And if we cannot perceive this ourselves, we turn to someone we know who can approach them, and thus take action. It is not easy and many people cannot do it. Children crave friends, companionship and equality, so let us not pick and choose our children's friends, let us not tell them who they must not associate with. And if we can, let us take our children to the theatre, cinema, on a trip or for a walk, with those children for which we know that they stay at home. That they are alone and excluded«.

Anita Ogulin will be remembered with respect.