“We’ve got cockroaches and worms” — the little Krstićs’ house is falling apart and SINKING!

“We have mice, those big black bugs that stink, and cockroaches, and sometimes worms show up in the water. But we’re not afraid, we’re used to it — we’ve lived like this for a very long time. What’s hardest for me is wearing the same tracksuit for three days, then when I don’t go to school Mom washes it and I wear that same tracksuit again. And I don’t even have T-shirts — two or three, like that,” began Rado Nikola (11) sadly, hugging his little sister Milena (6).

“‘When I’m lying down, I can hear it creaking!’”

The Krstić family also includes Radislav (2), Rade Rajko (13), mother Mira, and father Danijel. For family reasons, the older sons have two names each, and the youngest was named “for joy,” because before him, sadly, they lost twins in the seventh month of pregnancy — something that hit them very hard. They live in the Bačka village of Ratkovo near Odžaci, in a house that is literally falling apart and sinking!

“A few months ago a strong storm knocked down the gable wall, which dragged part of the roof down into the street. It’s a real miracle no one was killed. People helped us patch it up somehow, but it isn’t safe — we sleep in that room, so we’re scared whenever the wind blows. When I’m lying down, I can hear it creaking. Unfortunately, most of the house isn’t usable, and what is, is really bad and rotten. Because of the huge dampness, in a few places the house is caving into the ground and sinking — I don’t even know how to explain it — and the windows are cracking from the strain,” added the eldest son, Rade Rajko.

He used to be a mountain of a man!

Everything started going downhill six or seven years ago when the father’s health problems began. One surgery, then another, then a third—hernia, a tumor, thyroid issues, worsening eyesight, depression… One hardship piled onto another. The mother even says she doesn’t dare go to the doctor; she’s afraid of what they’ll find because she’s been feeling very unwell for some time. We tried to persuade her to go as soon as possible, but we couldn’t press the issue, it was clearly a very painful topic for her.

“He used to be a mountain of a man, but he just broke, literally. Even though he shouldn’t, he still does whatever he can—mowing, plastering, whitewashing, hauling stumps, helping at the church, making paving blocks… I work in the auto industry, sewing seats. The pay is low, and now I haven’t even been receiving it for a few months because the bank takes it. We also have some animals in the yard; without them we wouldn’t make it through. We really both fight hard, but it’s getting harder and harder. So many times we feed the children, and then when they go to bed we take some bread and lard,” said the mother, Mira, who has undergone four C-sections and a miscarriage, unfortunately with lasting consequences.

“We played with shrapnel and empty shell casings!”

Father Danijel went through very hard times in his childhood. He grew up in a village near Brčko, and the war began when he was in first grade. A lot happened after that, best illustrated by his story about how they played with shrapnel and empty shell casings. He now finds himself in a situation where his children don’t even have their own beds; several of them squeeze into one, and the oldest sleeps on a mattress. Winters are the hardest, especially when the firewood runs out, so everyone crowds into the same room around a wood-burning stove, while he lies down in his army sleeping bag.

“Every day I got up at five, running around, working, helping people in need; I never asked for help, but now we have nowhere else to turn. Especially after the storm. I’m forced to beg for my children, their urgent need is to get those walls fixed. God willing, we live for the day when we won’t be in these ruins anymore,” said this hardworking, long-suffering man whose slippers, we noticed, are stitched together with screws!

“We play in the sand, we have nowhere else!”

The youngest Krstić children are very bright. Despite severe poverty, they have various interests and big dreams. For example, the oldest, Rade Rajko, loves fishing and spends every free moment at the Bager Pond, we happened to overhear him excitedly telling a friend in passing: “Looks like they want to fix our whole house; maybe I’ll even get a fishing rod.” The others told us they love watching us on the phone, the one device they all share, and that their favorite part is seeing those BEFORE and AFTER photos.

“I play in the sand with my brother, we have nowhere else, we make fruit and vegetables. As for toys, we only have a broken bicycle and a tire. And can I be on your video when you help us?” asked the adorable, cheerful Milena, now a first-grader.

“After,” before winter!

The Charity organization Serbs for Serbs invites good people around the world to support our new aid campaign for the Krstić family near Ratkovo. Let’s secure a safe roof over these wonderful little ones before winter!

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

SERBIA
1. SMS to 7763 (200 RSD)2. Account: 160-0000000279491-71, Banka Intesa
2. Pay Pal
3. Foreign currency account

REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
1. Call 17763 (3 КМ)
2. Account: 56201281300241-58 (NLB bank)
3. Pay Pal

MONTENEGRO
1. Account: 510-91548-03 (CKG bank)
2. Pay Pal

USA
1. Donation platform (credit card, bank account)
2. Pay Pal
3. ZELLE: szsamerika@gmail.com
4.Check to: Serbs for Serbs, Po Box 34206 Chicago, IL 60634
*all donors exercise the right to tax deductions

CANADA
1. Pay Pal
2. Check to: Serbs for Serbs Canada, 635 The Queensway, Lower Level, Toronto, ON, M8Y 3B3
3. Е-transfer to: donate@serbsforserbs.ca
*all donors exercise the right to tax deductions

GERMANY
1. IBAN: DE97 7606 9559 0002 7519 92
2. Pay Pal
*all donors exercise the right to tax deductions

SWITZERLAND
1. Konto: 61-335679-5
IBAN:CH57 0900 0000 6133 5679 5
Hedwigstrasse 3, 8032 Zurich
2. Twint: donate.raisenow.io/stbdh
3. Pay Pal
*all donors exercise the right to tax deductions

AUSTRIA
1. IBAN:AT97 3200 0000 1036 4339
SWIFT/BIC: RLNWATWW
Customer: Org. f. hum. Hilfe – Srbi za Srbe
Kalvariengürtel 39/6, 8020 Graz Austria
2. Pay Pal
3. Call 0901 300 201 (3 Euro)

SWEDEN
1. SWISH: 1230 133 900
2. Pay Pal
3. Bank Giro: 5302-1077
4. Account: 5226 1060 858

NORWAY
1. VIPPS: 104 414
2. Pay Pal
3. Account: 1503 83 80483

AUSTRALIA
1. Donations via Bank Account:
BSB: 032-278
Account No: 878615
Bank: Westpac
2. Pay Pal
3. Donations via PayID
PayID Type: ABN
PayID: 57472783829
4. Donations via Cheque:
Check to Serbs for Serbs Inc, 18 Mantle Ave, North Richmond NSW 2754, Australia

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