A Flower Shining in the House of Darkness, Poverty, and Fear – Biljana (2) from Mokrin!

In the home of two-year-old Biljana Mijucin, there is no holiday cheer, beautiful gifts, or decorations on the windows. Instead, cold, poverty, illness, fear, and darkness dominate. Cold, because their broken stove can’t keep them warm; poverty, because they lack everything; illness, because some family members have severe health problems; fear, as the house is on the verge of collapse, with walls already crumbling in several places; and darkness, because they have no electricity. Yet, amidst all this gloom, Biljana’s clear and innocent eyes shine with an almost unreal brightness.

Their house is located in Mokrin near Kikinda, where brave, young Ognjen (7), who has developmental challenges and epilepsy, also lives, along with Nevena (16), Branislava (17), Sanja (19), their mother Anđelija, and father Milan, who also suffers from epilepsy. To add to the Mijucins’ misfortunes, they have recently been subjected to harassment by a neighboring family.

“We’re going through hell. They throw stones at us day and night; all our windows are broken, so we patch them up with plastic and foam. We’ve reported them multiple times. One morning, I found a brick in the room. The children are very scared—they even throw things at our little Ognjen when he’s alone, despite him being small and ill,” the Mijucins lament helplessly.

To prevent seizures, little Ognjen is given strong liquid medications and is taken to Novi Sad for therapy. Despite everything, he never stops smiling and remains full of joy. The entire family strives not to let their difficult circumstances break them, and their home is filled with children’s laughter and song. Yet, looking deeper into the faces of these wonderful children, one can see their longing for a life in much more humane conditions.

“You can see for yourself how we live. We only have water and one goat. The problem is that no one will hire me due to the nature of my illness and the potential seizures, and I also have to constantly take care of Ognjen. But we won’t give up, even if we have nothing,” says Milan resolutely, who works as a day laborer to feed the family.

Besides occasional daily wages, they receive a modest caregiving allowance and child support but no longer qualify for social assistance. They also raise chickens and ducks. Biljana, who is Branislava’s daughter, became a mother while still a child herself. Unfortunately, they receive no help from the child’s father. In a small room that might have once resembled a kitchen, mother Anđelija described their living situation, aware they cannot cope alone:

“It wasn’t always this bad, but so much has happened. Although I sometimes feel like sitting down and crying, I have to stay strong for the children. They shouldn’t have to suffer. I must cook and care for them. At least to provide the basics. Honestly, the house is too old and isn’t even ours. It was built from low-quality materials. Entire walls are deeply cracked, and in some places, they’ve completely collapsed. Sadly, we can’t afford a new house or anything better. We’re fighting for survival!“

Everything in their home—a mere shack—is worn out. No matter how hard you look, you can’t find a single item that appears remotely new. From the uneven concrete floors, to unsafe walls, to the ancient ceramic tiles that, where they still exist, make the space look even more depressing. To make things worse, the bathroom is nonfunctional, and they bathe in a trough. Their electricity has been cut off for two years, with the debt and interest only growing.

“The little I earn laboring with firewood, cows, or pigs barely provides enough for everyone to eat. Sometimes, I don’t eat so there’s enough for their dinner. A significant portion of the money goes toward fuel for the generator. With it, we charge our phones and get a bit of light in the evenings, but I turn it off quickly because fuel is expensive. That’s how we live, there’s nothing we can do—we can at least light candles. Winters are the hardest,” says father Milan, shrugging.

Although their faces are bright and cheerful, the weight of their difficult lives weighs heavily on the Mijucins. They know they cannot endure much longer. They need a home where they can live without fear of the walls or ceiling collapsing on them. A place where they can sleep peacefully.

“At least so we don’t have seven of us sleeping in three beds. It’s hard to live like this. I often pray for all of us to stay alive and healthy, and for help to come. My dream is to celebrate Christmas differently and better next year,” Branislava said at the end of the conversation.

The Charity organisation Serbs for Serbs is launching a major campaign to help little Danijela, brave Ognjen, and the struggling Mijucin family. When we visited them during our last visit, the children were singing, “We are not afraid, we’re learning to count.” We invite all people of good will to join us so that this time the Mijucins can count donations for their new home!

YOU CAN DONATE THROUGH THE DONATION PLATFORM: www.srbizasrbe.org/donacije

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