Nada founded Smile Keepers in Serbia during the years of war 1991-93. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, was  flooded with refugees, many of them children who were orphaned. Nada witnessed the state of the overall social instability and the need of children for stable emotional response. Yet adults being affected in a similar way and still being in shock of the sudden state of war affecting their roles as educators and caretakers for children.

After a few months of feeling immobilized and devastated upon the situation Nada found herself in, she found strength to get together with psychologists and pedagogues to start to support teachers in schools with the children.

To find ways for children to share about their own life experiences whether affected by war directly or indirectly, the adults started to create structures, questions and games to help children to feel and externalize what they have lived through. Through the support from UNICEF and European Union they supported more than 100,000 children through Smile Keepers. Nada was a teacher and coach for many years at the NVC-Center Steyerberg.