All her plans instantly changed, making way for the vision of providing shelter to orphaned and impoverished children in Tanzania, Africa. Ivana Marasović, a teacher of Croatian and German, left the comfort of her classroom for the vast African savanna, and her commute became rough rides often stopped by lions and elephants crossing the road. She overcame several bouts of malaria, and Croatian was replaced by the African language Swahili. Yet, she has no regrets and is grateful to God for allowing her to devote her life to caring for those in need. Ivana is a mother of four, a wife, and the founder of Kolajna ljubavi."

This is how our Ivana Marasović was introduced on Zaprešić’s Televizija Zapad during her recent appearance on the program Oasis of Peace, where she shared her story and life’s journey >>.

With moving images of African life and Tanzanian children singing “Our Father” (Baba Yetu), Ivana spoke of moments that profoundly changed her life and how, step by step over the years, she built Kolajna ljubavi—a remarkable chain of compassion that now helps the socially vulnerable, both in Africa and Croatia.

Ivana shared a particularly touching moment from her first volunteer trip to Africa when shaking hands with a grandmother inspired her to build an orphanage in one of Tanzania’s poorest areas. The grandmother, stricken with cancer, was raising her six-year-old grandson, Yohane, an orphan facing the harsh realities of life alone. She begged Ivana to take him and save him from the fate that awaited him on the streets. Ivana spoke with a local bishop who provided land for the orphanage, and at only 26, she took on the rest, fueled by help from volunteers and supporters from Croatia. Yohane became one of the first residents of the St. Anthony Orphanage, which Ivana, along with a small team of volunteers, established in the city of Songea. Today, Yohane is a university graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, living and working in Tanzania.

From the orphanage grew the Godparents program, as Ivana realized that education is the most reliable way to provide a livelihood for these children. Today, Kolajna’s Godparents program supports over 3,000 beneficiaries, from preschoolers to university students, mostly supported by godparents from Croatia.

Ivana also spoke about helping those in need in Croatia and preparing for volunteering in Africa.

Ivana Marasović and volunteer Matej Skenderović, a physiotherapist who assisted her in building the orphanage.