Joy from a distant world – Vesti online

Marija Milanović from Sydney received 200 dollars, and Stefan Pendić a scholarship of 370 dollars, while Jovana Pešić from France made Nikola Petronijević happy with 100 euros.

That the good people from the distant world never forget the poor pedestrian students in the Raška region, they were convinced, once again, in the first days of May.

Marija Mara Milanović from Žunjević on Rogozna, Stefan Pendić from the hamlet of Đonlije on Golija and Nikola Petronijević from the village of Joše on this mountain.

Hard life

They are all very poor and good students. They have been wards of our Humanitarian Bridge for many years, and if it weren’t for the help of our readers from all over the world, they wouldn’t even be able to feed themselves, let alone get an education, in the mountainous backwaters and poverty.

The youngest, Marija Milanović, is finishing the fourth grade of elementary school, Stefan Pendić is a fourth-grade student at the Secondary Technical School in Novi Pazar, and Nikola Petronijević is in the second grade of the Secondary Mechanical School in Kragujevac. Marija lives with her poor parents Milan and Eva, in a dilapidated house with a dirt floor and no running water or bathroom, Stefan barely survives with his mother Rada, father Vladan and brother Srdjan, Nikola has only his sick father Milovan.

Benefactors OV and Marko from Sydney, and the humane Jovana Pešić from Paris made sure that Mara, Stefan and Nikola continued their hiking and schooling without fear of having money for a muffin, a notebook, boots or a jacket. All three donors have helped the poor many times in this region and other parts of Serbia.

Marija Milanović says that she and her parents, Milan and Eva, have received a donation of 200 dollars, which is regularly sent to us by good Marko from Sydney and his family.

– This is our only income now and it means a lot to us, because there is a big crisis and bankruptcy in Rogozna. There is no wood cutting or any other work, so dad Milan has no chance to earn even for flour – says Marija Milanović.

She points out that her mom and dad say that God will reward Marko from far away Sydney and his kindness in taking care of them.

– We send him big greetings and even bigger gratitude – says the little mountain woman from Rogozna.

The only income

Stefan Pendić is grateful to the noble OV from Australia.

– And for us, the scholarship from Sydney, which has been sent to us by benefactor OV for several years, is our only income and hope. If it wasn’t for this help, which enabled me to rent a student room in Novi Pazar, I would have stayed in a mountain village and would not have been able to study – says Stefan Pendić, a future shoe modeler who gives everything he can to his father Vladan and mother Rada to buy groceries and pay for electricity.

Everyone, he says, is infinitely grateful to this great, successful and humane man from the other side of the world.

– We greet him a lot, we wish him good health and every happiness in life – says this little boy from Golija.

The poor schoolboy from Golija, Nikola Petronijević, was very happy with the donation of 100 euros sent to him by Jovana Pešić, our reader from France. He lives in the isolated village of Joše with his sick father Milovan. He decided to go to Kragujevac because he could not walk to Novi Pazar, 30 kilometers away, and in the town of Lepenica he got a free room in a student dormitory.

Milovan Petronijević is extremely grateful to this benefactor.

– Thank you Jovani for remembering my son and me. May God protect her, every help means a lot to us – says the caring father.

He says that he would much prefer Nikola to be in Novi Pazar, at least they would be together every weekend.

– Our poor people drove him so far, but just let him be alive and healthy, he will finish school, he will have his own bread, he will be, God willing, a good welder and he will be able to help me, but also other people in need – says Milovan and emphasizes that he is looking forward to the summer and the upcoming school holidays when he will be together with his son for a longer time.

Help also to grandmother Slobodanka

A benefactor from the Netherlands who wishes to remain anonymous was delighted these days, the lonely and partially debilitated old woman Slobodanka Milošević from the village of Znuša in Rogozna, from which the left side of her body was taken. Sick grandmother she received 50 euros and more in groceries and hygiene products.

Our associate and well-known benefactor Hido Muratović made sure to bring flour, oil, sugar and coffee to Slobodanka’s doorstep. Like many other lonely grandmothers in this area, she lives hard and barely survives. Her only salvation and hope are our readers who have been helping her for several years.

Good people are our salvation

Marija Milanović emphasizes that she received her first help when she was only five years old.

– Good people saved us from even greater misery, they bought us a horse, a harness cars, chainsaws, a cow, a goat, a fridge, so we can’t be anymore hungry. They provide me with warm shoes, clothes and books – she says.