The Miljanovic Family
Jasmin and his wife Arijana are both unemployed. They live in a small apartment consisting of a bathroom and one room that is used as kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom. Cooking and heating is done by electricity. The floor is made of concrete and is covered with carpet and rugs. They live in dire poverty.
Jasmin is a bricklayer by occupation. From time to time he manages to get work for a daily fee on construction sites, but he really needs to find steady work to provide a reliable source of income for his family. Arijana is a housewfie who cares for their son Zlatan (3). Despite their poverty, they talk about their difficulties and try to find possible solutions.
They are a couple very much in love and are well known as quiet, shy and mind their own business. They are of the Muslin faith but they have willing taken and are reading the Christian literature given by the Mission. They spend most of their spare time with Zlatan, playing and singing with him. They often go to the city park where Zlatan plays with other children or they visit their grandparents.
The mission supports this family with monthly food parcels, clothes, footwear and baby items. A Special Project has just been processed to provide them with a washing machine. Their self-sufficiency depends on Jasmin finding employment, which will provide regular income.
Arijana and Zlatan are both healthy. Last year, Jasmin suffered from a bacterial infection. Although it is gone he still has pain in his right kidney and has urinary tract infections. The doctor has explained that the right kidney is not functining properly.
Community: Mostar BOSNIA- Mostar is a town situated on the banks of the Neretva River in a valley among high mountains. The city is well known for its eleven bridges that connect the two banks. The most famous bridge of the eleven was five hundred years old, but all bridges were destroyed in the war. Whilst the bridges might have been repaired or rebuilt, the town today is ‘divided’ into two parts, the Croatian side and the Moslem side, with most of the Serbian population having left during the war. Today the people of Mostar, just like their town, continue to try and rebuild their lives devastated by the ravages of war.
Most of the people of this locality work in the military, aluminium factory, textile, and metal industries. Others work in vineyards and tourism. According to some statistics just 2% of people able to work have a job. Th e other 98% of people do not work full time, although some manage to find part time work. Most of the industries were destroyed during the war. Some of the factories have been recently rebuilt and have starting producing again, e.g. the aluminium factory. The most developed and profitable businesses today are in the private trade and reconstruction areas.Mostar is the biggest city centre in the area of Herzegovina. Before the war the city area had many factories, agriculture farms and vineyards. Three nations were living and working there together. Since the beginning of the war most of the Serbian population has left the town, as well as many others who have immigrated to European countries, or Canada and the USA. Now the Croats and Muslims live separately in two divided parts and they have developed separate economies.
The most difficult thing for the people living in this area is the high unemployment.
There are health clinics, doctor’s surgeries, hospitals, pharmacies and dentists in Mostar. The greatest problem is that most of the medicines and medical services have to be paid for by the beneficiary. This is very expensive and people cannot afford these costs.
There are many shops: Many of the products sold are imports from Croatia, Italy and Germany. There are primary and secondary schools.
The town has a central supply of water but the water pipes do not have the necessary filters, therefore the water is not good for drinking.
This community is equipped with both Primary and Secondary Schools, which cater to a population of 200 000. While Mostar does have a central water supply, the pipes do not have necessary filters. Thus, the water quality is not adequate for drinking.The largest problem facing this community is unemployment.
MWB has chosen this location as a community for the Family-to-Family project because of the great need to help repair and rebuild the lives of the people who now live here. This town has many refugees and it was on the front lines during the war. There are many unemployed people living here and for the big families this is the most difficult aspect of life. Each family in our F2F program is visited at least 12 times a year by our coordinators. Besides those visits, the familes are encouraged by visits from our Christian Input delegates, who include pastors and a Christian counsellor, have the option of enrolment in our popular Bible Correspondence Course and some children have also enjoyed the thrill and encouragement of our Summer Camps.
