Coronavirus Relief for Children in Serbia

Dear Friends,

How are you? We hope you and your loved ones are safe, wherever you are in the world. 

We would like to show you how we have been using your donations for the children and their families affected by COVID-19. Two years ago, we told you about a single parent Sanja and her two little daughters in the city of Kragujevac. Lena, who is 10 years of age now and Mina who is 14, lost their Dad seven years ago. Their mother, Sanja, although a seamstress by profession, started working at her late husband’s work place – a factory producing small plastic parts for various machines, because her original employer went bankrupt. She had to learn completely new skills and prove herself worthy of the opportunity she was given. In addition to caring for her little daughters and herself, she also had a sick mother-in-law to provide for.

As it wasn’t enough already, the factory where she works has financial and distribution of products problems because of COVID-19 consequences on the market, so all the employees are working 80% of the full-time and already minimal salary is reduced by 20%. Sanja has found a second job which she does on Fridays and weekends. And all this barely pays for the bills and food.

Now, the younger one, Lena, who has developed allergy-based asthma has been prescribed therapy which she will need to take regularly for the next three years at minimum. This therapy is not covered by the health insurance, so Sanja needs to find more than 100 euro every three months to pay for the medicine.

Thanks to you, we could provide support for getting the medicine, as well as regular school meals for both girls. This has changed completely the life of Lena – she has been much better since she is taking this medicine!

Mina will be graduating from the elementary school next May and the choice of the high school she would enrol largely depends on the costs related to going to school. We would like to help this girl realise her dream of becoming a veterinarian. Whether we could do that, solely depends on your generosity!

“I love animals, and would really like to become a doctor for them”, says Mina whilst patting a little stray dog that had walked into their garden and she managed to convince her mom to keep. “I have also saved the money I received from my relatives for my birthday and have managed to buy two little gold fish. I sometimes manage to save some money from the money my mom gives me for bus ticket and buy the food for my fish. When I can’t save enough, I have to ask mom to buy it, but I know that it is hard for her to give money for the food for fish when sometimes there is not enough money for us”.

We need your help to ensure that these two girls and their mother Sanja, can be well!

The help that we get from individuals like yourself, helps families like Sanja's immensely. 

We rely on word-of-mouth promotion to crowdfund for families across Serbia. To amplify our message, please consider sharing the story of Sanja and her family with your friends, family, and colleagues, and encouraging them to support children's well-being and education. Donations allow us to buy personal protective equipment, pay for utilities, and help families to get back on their feet while weathering many long-term effects of the pandemic. 

As an extra incentive to donate and help, your donation will have double the impact if you set up a recurring donation. Throughout 2022, GlobalGiving will be matching your first recurring donation.

Don't hesitate. Donate today.

With love,

Pomoc Deci team

Links:

• Our website
• Our Facebook page
• Our Instagram profile

Two years ago, a 13-year-old girl felt completely helpless. Both her parents lost jobs at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in Serbia and they couldn’t pay for her little brother’s school meals any more. Andjela did not mind being hungry herself at school, but she couldn’t look at her three years younger brother going away from his friends at school breaks and standing alone in the school yard because he was the only one not getting the school meal in his class. She looked up “organisations helping children” on internet, found our organisation and wrote us a letter. “My little brother and I go to elementary school in Kragujevac. Our parents lost their jobs and my brother Aleksandar is often hungry now because our Dad and Mom cannot pay for his school meal. Could you, possibly, help us. At least him, he is younger and needs it more and I do”.

We turned to you and asked for donations to help Andjela and Aleksandar, but also other children in the similar situation. You responded! With the donations you gave us, we paid school meals till the end of that school year for both of them and for other 35 children throughout Serbia. And we have continued supporting them with school meals and school supplies needed.

Today, Andjela is in the Vocational Secondary School studying for a pharmaceutical technician and Aleksandar is in his final year of the elementary school. They are both very good pupils, but Andjela is also volunteering with us and helping reach out to those children in need who do not know who to ask for help. “I really want to help others like you helped me. When I wrote to you, I almost did not expect even an answer, let alone help and understanding. I know how much it meant to me when you said you would help not only my brother but me too. Even today, I know I can turn to you if things go really wrong and we cannot find a solution. And I promise that the moment I start earning some money, I will donate to help children in need and to help you bring hope to them”. This brave girl also understands that it was YOU who enabled us to help her. "I wish I could give a hug to every single person who has helped you help us and all these other children. Please, thank each and every one of them on our behalf!", she told us when we asked her to send us a photo for this report.

Please, consider donating to our project so that we can help children and their families that have been suffering during this pandemic. And mention us and what we do to your friends and colleagues. Every small donation counts.

With Gratitude,

Yours Sincerely

Pomoc deci Team

Links:

• Our website
• Our Facebook page
• Our Instagram profile