These are the families that we support ...

Family Petkovic, 9 kids from Lazarevo by Banjaluka, Republic of Srpska

40 year old Ljubinka Petrovic, single mother, is raising 9 children in one of the barracks in the colony of Lazarevo near Banjaluka. This generous woman has 7 children of her own and she has adopted 2 children. " When I was younger, I have adopted baby from Children's center in Split, Croatia due to the fact that I knew baby's mother. Couple years later, my brother and my sister-in-law have died and I have adopted their son." Ljubinka's husband has died 5 years ago and since then she is raising 9 little children.
" Raising many members is very hard. The beginning of September is the worst part of the year due to the fact that all children are starting school. It's hard to manage 9 children and support their school as well as paying the school expenses. Winter is also hard due to the fact that I have to manage to get wood to warm up the house.", said Ljubinka.
Ljubinka works in " Autotransport" but her earnings and husband's retirement funds are not enough for many members of her family.
" Sometimes, I have a feelings I am working 20 hours a day. For example, last night I was washing one woman's rug until late at night. Children are taking care of each other and the most important thing is to feed ourselves." The oldest son, Zoran, has finished baker's school with very good marks and is planning to finish agriculture university but he can not afford it. Children are not able to accomplish their dreams.
" I would love to go for ballet dancing but mom says that we do not have money to afford monthly payments", said Sladjana with tears in her eyes.
This generous woman states that she is not receiving any help other than children fund for three of her children. She talked with many organizations, including national Center for social workers but with no success. She would like to fix the roof and the bathroom of her barrack. She would also like to build another room due to the fact that the space where she lives is very small but she does not know if she is going to have money for all of her accomplishments.

Family Milic, 6 kids, Ribnicka vrela ( Fisherman's fountain ), Montenegro

Family Milic, with their 6 kids has been banished from the holy ground of Kosovo and have found their second home in Montenegro. Housekeeper of the house, Miladin Milic, was born in 1959 in the village of Racaj by the city of Djakovica. Miladin and his wife have two twin boys Zoran and Dejan who are 8 years old. They also have 4 daughters; Zorica ( 11 ), Zorana ( 13 ), Ivana ( 16 ) and Dijana ( 20 years old ). In August of 2006 we have included family Milic in our program when we visited them in Podgorica's lodgement, Ribnicka vrela ( Fisherman's fountain ), the lodgement designated for refugees from Kosovo.

Parents are stating that the most important thing for them is that their kids are alive and healthy. They had one more son who died in car accident which happened in 1998. Ivana and Dijana have finished elementary school but parents could not afford for the two of them to continue their education. The rest of the children are in the elementary school which is approximately 50 minutes walking from the lodgement where they live. Family is in the debt for mroe than 500 euros in the store near by. They are borrowing money from others for a long time and they return some parts whenever possible.

They are dissapointed at the fact that nobody is paying attention to people like them in Montenegro and knowing their position they are aware that their future is not looking good. Living in the refugee lodgement can not be called perspective life.

Their current situation is as follows:
- They are managed as refugees in Montenegro
- Commissariat for refugees in Montenegro has announced CLOSURE of refugee lodgements.
- Family Milic has no further options as to where to go if the commissariat announces CLOSURE
- They can not go to Djakovica since their house and the rest of the owning has been burnt.
- The government has canceled funds long time ago
- Family does not have washing machine nor the fridge which makes life harder than it allready is during the winter time

Check the photo gallery of family Milic

Family Gogic, 13 children, village of Stolac, Montenegro



Family Gogic lives in the village of Stolac by the city of Pruzina in Montenegro in very hard conditions with 10 children, 5 daughters and 5 sons, and their mother always says to herself, " Be brave, Nada, the sun will rise for you and your kids"

Names of children and the year of birth:
Zorica - born in 1990
Nebojsha - 1992
Danijela - 1994
Danka - 1996
Zeljka - 2000
Slavisha - 2001
Danko - 2003
Darko i Darka ( twins ) - 2004
Danijela - 2006

Two older daughters, one of them named Svetlana, are married and their sixth son works in Budva, Montenegro. In total, family Gogic has 13 children.

Family Gogic is one of the families with the biggest amount of members in it. 12 of them, including baby Danijel, live in very poor barrack with no floor, water or hydro.

Milun (43) and Nada (41) are not complaining even though the life is living hell for their members of family.

" Kids are, thankfully, all alive and healthy and we can only pray to God for better life and better future. It's not easy to live with many children in one room without being able to provide children with separate rooms. I have no idea what are we going to do when girls grow up.", said Nada, housewife of family Gogic.

Barrack where family lives is located in clearing, away from the village, so if family needs anything, they have to walk long way. They eat potatoes, beans and milk products from cow that family purchased from our donations. They do not have the financial ability to even think about meet product in their food menu. Sweets cost a lot and Nada is very sad that she can not afford to buy her kids sweets sometimes.
" Sometimes, I feel like screaming and crying when one of my kids asks me to buy them something and I just can't", says Nada.

Former electric factory employee, Milun, does not have any job and works any job for any money in their village.
" I would accept any job with no question as long as I can support my wife and my children and provide them with food and clothes. We are scared of winter due to the fact that there is less jobs available and kids have to eat."

Serbs for serbs are supporting this family since may 2006.

Family Ljiljak, 9 children, village of Neuzina, Serbia



Family Ljiljak, with 7 children at that time, lived in Glina, Croatia. Father Slavko as the only worker in the house, has worked in metal factory in the city of Sisak, Croatia. From his earnings, with the cooperation with his brother, they have built the house where they have lived together. He worked really hard to support his many members in the family.
Due to the well-known situation in the 1990s in former Yugoslavia, family Ljiljak had to leave everything behind them and departure with the long colony of refugees to Serbia where they have to start everything from the scratch. They do not like to talk about that time due to the fact that it only brings back the bad memories from the near past. They lived for a little bit in the refugee center in Novi Pazar

Being used to work and support his family, Slavko moved with his family from Novi Pazar to Neuzina, Vojvodina and started his life from the beginning. With will for better life, he has expended his family and even though he still has the refugee status, he is happy and optimistic.
Family Ljiljak has been member of our program since March of 2007. With proudness in his words, Slavko says " I am very happy man. I have achieved a lot and I have expended my family with 2 more sons and I have a lot of friends all over the world."

Family Ljiljak includes following members:
- father Slavko; born in 1955 - unemployed
- mother Katica; born in 1967 - unemployed
Children
- the oldest son Alexander; born 1988; high school student
- Djordje ( George ); 1989; high school student
- Slobodan; 1990; 8th grade of elementary school
- Danica; 1993; 7th grade of elementary school
- Stojanka; 1994; 6th grade of elementary school
- Mirko; 1995; 5th grade of elementary school
- Rajko; 1999
- Jovica; 2002
- the youngest Ilija; 2005

There is also 73 year old grandpa living with them as well.

Check photo gallery of family Ljiljak

... more families coming soon ...