The roof under which nine children sleep is falling apart. The Banjaš family begs for urgent help!

As if the situation in the house of the Banjaš family is not already bad enough, the winter storm took away part of their roof. Earthen walls, uneven floors, dilapidated furniture, and disconnected electricity have become minor problems in relation to the threat that their entire house could collapse!

Milica (3), Nikolina (5), Marinela (10), Andrijana (12), Andrija (14), Sonja (16), Danijel (18) and Dragan (27) spend such gloomy days, filled with anxiety, in Dobrica near Alibunar, with parents Mirjana and Radoslav.

We are being hit from all sides. We bought this house 20 years ago for 3,000 marks. We only have two rooms, and they cut off our electricity due to unpaid bills. The roof was already damaged, and now the storm has taken away another part, so most of the house has in fact been completely exposed – Father Radoslav tells us.

The Banjaš family does not have a bathroom. The children have been bathing in a trough since they were little, and the mentioned storm made sure that they no longer even have an outdoor toilet. It fell!

I would very much like to have a bathroom! – said ten-year-old Marinela.

We also asked the other children what they would most like. The answers ranged from a room for the girls to a room for the boys, to electricity, but a bathroom is a wish they all had in common!

The father works whenever someone offers a job, he mows, cuts wood, although he says the per diems are bad. Mother Mirjana, too. She works seasonally, digs in the garden, and is there whenever she finds a job. The eldest son also helps in the village working with cows, so they survive somehow. They have two more children, but they started their own families. They had the most trouble with their son Dimitri:

He had to have heart surgery. He had a hole in his heart. It is good now, but he must not overdo it – says Mirjana.

Sixteen-year-old Sonja has already become a mother. Six months ago, she had little Ivan, whom, unfortunately, she was forced to take care of on her own.

His father left us. He still has children of his own, so he is not able to help. What could I do, I did not ask for alimony. Ivan was born prematurely, it was a matter of life and death because he had a brain hemorrhage, and they had to extract some air from his lungs. Now, because of epilepsy, he undergoes therapy and checkups. We have to take great care of him to keep him healthy – said this girl who has had to grow up quickly.

“As we raised our children, so will we raise him“, adds grandmother Mirjana. And indeed, the children do not appear to be missing anything. They are well-mannered and apart from answering the questions asked, not a word of complaint was heard from them. What they lack are better living conditions.

We all sleep on these two beds and two armchairs that fold out – they told us, although it remained unclear how everyone managed to fit.

They say their mom and dad are the best in the world. We also asked the mother what it’s  like to prepare meals for so many of them:

Well, you know,  it can be tough but my daughter helps. I think we eat five loaves of bread a day, which alone costs us 7-8,000 dinars a month.

The Charity Serbs for Serbs is launching a large fundraiser to help the Banjaš family. Such a large number of children and the hardships that have befallen them require a response from all of us. We invite you to help us through your donations to help them get a new home!

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