Kara2Mijael - Miller Place Senior Kara Patrovic Off to Bolivia to Visit Well Construction

Kara Patrovic, a 17 year old senior from Miller Place High School, has reached one of her many goals. Patrovic is the Miller Place senior who has sponsored a little boy, Mijael, since he was born and she was 9 years old. Mijael lives in an impoverished village in Tarija, Bolivia and Kara sponsors him through ChildFund International.

In 2012, Patrovic, then 14, created a charity organization called Kara2Mijael and began aggressively fundraising so that she could visit Mijael and provide aid to his community. She surpassed her fundraising goal and was able to help Mijael and 55 additional children in his community. While in Tarija, she was brought to the Barrio 27 de Mayo village. There, the village elders pleaded with her to help them secure a source of clean water. Patrovic recalled what they said, ”Agua es vida.”, meaning “Water is life”.

Since then, Patrovic has been on a mission to help this village build the wells that they need. She expanded her charity with the “Agua es Vida” project and has been fundraising continually since then. Her most recent fundraiser, a Yard Sale stocked with items donated by community members and organizations, raised more than $1,500. She has created a website http://www.kara2mijael.org, where she chronicles all the operations of her non-profit, including communicating fundraisers, posting pictures and, most importantly to her, raising awareness of the global water crisis.

Patrovic’s hard work and perseverance have paid off. She has raised all of the $25,500 needed for the well system for Barrio 27 de Mayo. She worked with several international aid organizations to manage the finances and logistics of the project and well construction has begun. Patrovic will be visiting Tarija in late November, providing further aid to Mijael and his community and visiting the well construction sites.

Patrovic has decided that this is her life’s passion. She relayed her passion, “Because of the great generosity of all the people who supported my fundraisers, more than 750 peoples’ lives will be changed forever, and so many more as the village grows. These people have never had access to clean water and this changes everything for them!” She has expanded her charity to provide clean water to other areas of the world and she intends to continue her fundraising. She is currently partnered with other international aid organizations and has raised enough money to provide a well to a needy area in India, where 3,000 people will benefit. She plans on additional projects in Bolivia, India, and areas of Africa. She intends on majoring in International Development and Business when she starts college next year so that she may turn her charity into a bonafide international aid organization.

Patrovic has been recently honored by Legislator Sarah Anker and the Suffolk County Legislature and Councilwoman Jane Bonner and the Brookhaven Town Council for her international service. She has also been honored by the people of Barrio 27 de Mayo, who have sent their gratitude and anxiously await her visit.