SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

A goat shed burnt down in the neighbouring village of Prelesje. It was struck by lightning and was instantly like a burning torch. It burned with such intensity that, more than 500 metres away, we could feel the power of the fire and the fear that would remain with us for the rest of our lives.

When my friend Silva told me almost two years ago that their house had burnt down The Stala, I was left speechless. I didn't understand what had happened that summer morning, so she explained. It was the day of the anniversary of my mother's death. He wanted to go to the field to be alone in the early morning with her memory. As he was tying the laces of his shoes on the bench outside the house, he saw smoke coming from the Stale. He ran into the house like a madman and woke us up by shouting. Call the fire brigade!’ 

He was shouting so much that I couldn't find my mobile phone, and the kids came running out in their pyjamas. Luckily, the older boys found each other immediately. They ran to rescue tractors, trailers and livestock. While I was calling the fire brigade, flames engulfed the upper part of the shed.«

»Firefighters always arrive quickly,« I interrupted her.

»Yes, they were very fast. Fire brigades from nearby towns also came.«

As she was reliving the horror, she fell silent for a few moments, then continued: »My husband and I were so confused that we didn't ask anyone for help. We didn't remember to call our neighbours and acquaintances, but they came out of their own accord when they saw what was happening. We were surprised that, in addition to the husbands, the wives also came to make coffee for the firefighters, to fetch water and to help with the necessary tasks.«

I listened silently and thought about what it would be like if something similar happened to me. It is hard to imagine how helpless one can feel in such situations before the power of nature. When something like this happens to you, you just freeze and watch. 

You wait silently for a miracle that will not come, or you perceive as a miracle the values that express themselves when you see your neighbour suffering and helpless. Those values that we carry within us, even though we think they have been lost in everyday life. When things are hard, the hardest, we all forget about the cruel and competitive everyday life. That is when we still know how to be a brother to a brother, to give him a hand, to hug him and to say: I love you, I will help you.

Silva has not forgotten the good gestures of the people who helped them at the time. »Knowing that we had no fodder for our cows, our neighbours brought us their hay without being asked. The local community of Sava and other organisations also offered their help. They collected money and brought it to us. Even individuals we did not know came, donated and sympathised with us. We were amazed at how much compassion people have and how selflessly they can help a fellow human being in need.«

Darinka Kobal, 22. 2. 2026