By Ljiljana Vasic | Director
A little house, looking more like a slum, one of many similar in the densely populated distant suburb of Belgrade city is the place where Marija S., an eight-year-old girl is growing up. In a small front yard, she spends most of the time of her Summer holiday, often playing and cuddling her three dogs. They were stray dogs which she took from the street and brought home to befriend.
“If she could have it her way, there would be a pack of dogs from all the neighbouring streets here getting their home. She is fond of all the animals, but little less of the cats because of scratching” said her mom Duska. Like no other child, in the Zoo, she even liked the snakes: “They are calm and good”, explained Marija.
At first sight, with her long, wild dark hair and three natural “highlights”, and a tiny body she looks like the Mogli’s best friend, whom she unwillingly had to leave round the corner after playing with animals. She is definitely an unusual child and a a big talker as well. She is full of cheerful stories, almost about everything which comes and goes in her young life.
Marija is very good at school, but some subjects are not that easy for her. She is fond of her class teacher who is full of understanding, willing to help her to overcome troubles with those less easy subjects. She is fond of classes where children spend more time drawing and talking. That was the reason she decided she wanted to change religious class for civic education classes next year when she starts the third grade. “In civic education, children play and talk, and don’t do too much writing like we did in religious classes. It was so boring”, explained Marija.
Marija also loves spending more time with her family, younger brother Dusan, who will start the first grade in September, her mom and dad. Her Dad is the one who “gets” hundred percent of her love, and for her mother, she deducts one percent because “Mom keeps saying you can’t do this and can’t do that all the time”, says this cute little girl.
Listening to the stories of irresistibly charming Marija, one gets the sense just of the bright side of her life. In reality, it is a life of huge poverty. This is the story of a poor family of two hairdressers, who get jobs every now and then, here and there. Since they came from Bosnia as refugee children during the nineties, they have been struggling to find a way to get the education, grow up and live as normal life as possible. They fell in love with each other, started a family, got two children and found themselves in a small slum-like house where they first lived with other four people of the extended family. The house is full of moisture all the time. They have never had enough money to make it a really dry and safe home. Barely do they have enough money for food and essential needs for their children, but with the scholarship for Marija, things are slightly better because at least, they can provide the children with the school necessities, clothes and shoes.
Pomoc deck is trying to keep helping Marija and other children like her.
Thanks to your donations we are able to provide scholarships for nine children in similar situation. Please, help us continue helping these children get the necessities. Every child deserves, at least, that.
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By Ljiljana Vasic | Director
By Ljiljana Vasic | Director
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