Little Tijana Has Only One Wish – To Have Food to Eat

Jun 28 NGO – 12/10/19

Marija Dojčinović (32), an ailing, single mother and her daughter Tijana (5) from the village of Gornja Koznica near Surdulica, are hungry more often than not. Each day brings new uncertainty because they don’t know if there will be food on the table.

Mother and daughter spend their days at “home” in constant danger of the ceiling literally falling on their heads. An old stove, a ripped wardrobe, one armchair, a table, all donated by families who have had more luck in their lives. That’s all, no TVs, no other home appliances.

“The two of us are alone, we have no one. Tijana’s father left us, the child doesn’t know him. I have no one either, I never met my father, my mother and grandparents died, so we are alone. We survive thanks to our neighbors and kind strangers, our only income is child allowance and social assistance. We have a debt for electricity of about $500 and I’m afraid they will soon cut it. We only use electricity for light, one light bulb and that’s it” – says Marija.

Although she had an operation in the summer, Marija pulls branches from a nearby forest so they can have the fire.

Little Tijana always goes with her mother because she has no friends, no children to play with. No boots for the winter, no jacket. She never even had a doll. She goes in torn clothes and talks about how she can’t wait to go to school.

We are the last hope for families like this one. We can’t let them down, we have to be those kind strangers.