Coronavirus Relief for Children in Serbia

by Pomoc deci

Project Report | Dec 14, 2020
Mihajlo and Mila are warm and fed this winter, thanks to you.

By Lena Martinovic | Communications Coordinator

Mihajlo and Mila

Over the past couple of weeks, coronavirus cases across the world, and in Serbia, have been rising. A lot of businesses cannot keep up with the after effects, to pay their bills and their employees, and as such, they had to shut down. In December, further restrictions are being placed, putting thousands of people under risk of job loss, homelessness and inability to pay for basic necessities.

Here is the story of Mihajlo and Mila, two children who live only with their father, Dragan. The family just barely makes it out every month, living paycheck-to-paycheck. As the lockdown orders were issued, Dragan lost his job. He is on occasion able to pick up a shift to earn some money for his family, however it is not nearly enough.

Dragan contracted coronavirus and was not able to work a job that already was not paying him enough to get by. Thanks to the generous support we have received over the past couple of months, this has allowed us to help him get by by paying for his injections, ensuring a faster recovery time, allowing him to get back on his feet faster. Every bit of support helps.

In September, just as school started, Mihajlo and Mila were able to get textbooks for school. Their father had no way of paying for their school supplies. “It was either food for us or textbooks.” Now, they can do homework and study on their own. A necessity as majority of students across Serbia move to virtual learning this December. We will also be transferring money to parents whose children can no longer go to school due to coronavirus measures.

The family struggles so much, that without the support they get from us, they would not have been able to get some logs for their wood burner to keep them warm.

And they are not alone. Hundreds of families have been left to fend for themselves and they need our help. This holiday season, consider supporting families like Dragan, Mihajlo and Mila's. In the spirit of giving, if you set up a recurring donation December 14-18, GlobalGiving will match it at 200%. (For terms and conditions, click here)

Times are tough, if you are unable to support us this holiday season, consider reaching out to your friends or family and help us in our mission of helping families get fed this holiday season.

Links:

Permalink

Aug 11, 2020
Living through the pandemic: A single mom and her two daughters

By Lena Martinovic | Communications Coordinator

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

So far, we have been able to help 71 children receive food and personal hygiene items that are so very much needed, but the number of families who need help, who have lost their jobs, is immense. When children go back to school in a couple of weeks, parents will have to pay for personal protective equipment themselves. When you are unemployed and relying on government assistance, it is almost impossible to also spend what meager income you have on masks and personal hygiene items.

Sanja is a single mom from the Kragujevac area who sadly lost her husband five years ago. Since then, the family has struggled greatly. She works a minimum-wage job at a plastic processing plant, trying to make ends meet. On top of being a parent and providing for her two daughters, Mina and Lena, she is also the primary caregiver to her sick mother-in-law. All in all, a very difficult situation for the family. Living in a single-income household makes it that much more difficult to afford some of the even most basic necessities.

In a couple of weeks, her daughters will head back to school as there is no one to care of them while their mother is at work. This means that they will also need to buy protective masks among other school supplies that are already very expensive for them.

Sanja is incredibly grateful for the support she has received from Pomoc Deci, which was made possible by your generosity and the generosity of people like you. "At least I do not have to worry about what my children will eat. At least they have a guaranteed meal," she says. By providing masks, personal hygiene items, and some money to help pay for utilities, Sanja can pay for their groceries and feed her little angels and their grandmother.

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 the effects of the virus.

As an extra incentive to donate and help, your donation will have double the impact if you set up a recurring donation. Throughout 2020, GlobalGiving will be matching your first recurring donation.

Don't hesitate. Donate today.

With love,

Pomoc Deci team

Links:

Permalink

‹ 1 2 3 4

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.