No storm can break the Đeković family – war, exile, floods, hardships…

“Hello, good hearted people, this is me with my five angels. I was born in Krajina just before the  life-changing year of 1995. Only a baby at the time, I survived what only a few in the world experience – I was exiled. I don’t remember Operation Storm, but I carry it with me… Before that, my mother left me, so I grew up only with my father, grandmother, and grandfather. Then came years of refugee life, poverty, sadness…”

This is how Milena Đeković (née Jelovac) began her story, surrounded by mold covered walls and windows patched with sponges.

“My school days were not bad. My grandparents were always there for me, like a father and mother. Until they passed away… It’s painful to recall everything. At barely 18, I met him – Dalibor. I was commuting for my pastry-making placement, and he was a bus conductor, working that job since he had arrived from Berane. Everything happened so spontaneously…

Our lives were quickly blessed with Ognjen (13), Uroš (10), Vasilije (8), Filip (7), and finally, our little princess Mika (4). People ask me, “Why so many children?” I raise them, dress them, and care for them all. If my marriage wasn’t happy, and if we didn’t get along, we wouldn’t have had so many children. Whether we are well off or struggling, we will provide as much as we can for them. I started working in a supermarket, while Dalibor delivers milk and yogurt for a dairy company. Our salaries are minimal, and we also have a loan I took for firewood, a stove, school supplies, and basic necessities. That’s why he also works on the side as a tinsmith, spending every weekend on rooftops, just to make sure the kids aren’t hungry or dressed in rags!

For many years, we rented. The house we lived in, in Obrenovac, was destroyed by the 2014 floods. We were given this house in Banjani near Ub by the Commissariat for Refugees, although it was built more as a vacation house. It was never finished, so we live cramped in two small rooms. In this room, my husband, Mika, and I sleep, while the four boys share a single bed in the other room. Here, we do everything—sleep, eat, and the kids take turns doing their homework because there isn’t enough space. We’ve fixed it up as much as we could, repainted several times, but the dampness is overwhelming and eats away at everything. Substantial investment is needed, which we cannot afford, as all our earnings go towards bare necessities.

Another problem is that we haven’t had running water for years. We get it from neighbors or occasionally from a delivered water tank, but that is not enough—after all, we are a big family. If we had water, I could at least plant a small garden. We do keep chickens for fresh eggs and have one duck that, believe it or not, our son Uroš treats as his best friend. How they understand each other is a mystery! The kids, in general, are very helpful.

The only one with health issues is Vasilije, who has an allergic asthma. When he has an attack and struggles to breathe, we have to rush him to the emergency room or medical center for an injection. You can imagine how this damp environment affects him, and I fear for the other children as well. We only have an old, outdated inhaler. I also wish we had more wardrobes because right now, their clothes are stored in bags. Winters can be harsh and cold. Despite running the stove constantly, it never warms up enough.

And so, on one hand, we are a strong and harmonious family that doesn’t sit idly by, but on the other, life is incredibly difficult. Many storms have raged through my life over these past 30 years, and I only wish for my children to have a somewhat carefree childhood. If not a bed for each, at least two to share one. They never complain—they’ve gotten used to it.

I don’t even know how I heard about the Charity Serbs for Serbs – I was searching for someone who could help us. It’s been a while since then. At one point, I even gave up, believing that if help were to come, it would. But deep down, I didn’t lose hope. And then one day, I got the call—I was so happy! I’m truly grateful that you will share our story and invite kind-hearted people to help us however they can and wish. We will be endlessly grateful!”

This was a shortened version of an emotional confession from a brave and selfless woman who has endured so much. Many parts of her story were told with tears in her eyes, yet she continued with the same determination and resilience that have carried her through life. Now, it’s up to us. We invite you to help us with your donations so we can repair and complete the home for the wonderful and hardworking Đeković family!

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

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