“WE SLEEP UNDER A BLANKET OF FEAR”: Five children near Vranje live in a house that a landslide is slowly swallowing, wolves invade their yard! (VIDEO)

Nikola and Milica Stanković, with five children, are one of the larger families in Poljanica, a hilly-mountainous area near Vranje. Living with them are also grandfather Dragan and grandmother Blagica. Their biggest problem is a landslide that is gradually destroying their already old and dilapidated house, the Humanitarian Organization Serbs for Serbs announced.

“A wolf once came into our yard and attacked a lamb. I was very scared and since then we haven’t dared to go far from the house. And there are many cracks in it because the landslide is moving it. Literally the whole house is moving and slowly giving way. Dad says we are in danger and that we shouldn’t live here. But, we have nowhere else to go…”, said eight-year-old Nikolina, soon to be the only pupil at the school in the village of Stance near Vranje.

In this hilly-mountainous area called Poljanica, there are 22 villages. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer active households, children, pupils, jobs, life… As there are fewer people, there are more foxes, wild boars, wolves, and other animals. It is therefore not surprising that Nikolina will soon be left alone in the four-grade school after her only two friends leave with their families. And it is no wonder that her parents do not let her go to school alone.

“I am afraid of these holes. At night I don’t dare to sleep, so I cover my head with a blanket. I would like to get a new house and not be afraid anymore,” added little and lovely Lara (6).

The Stanković family is, however, firmly determined to survive there. They do not want to leave their hearth. Parents Nikola and Milica, with their five children – besides Nikolina and Lara, also Iva (5), Vuk (4), and Vukan (1) – are one of the larger families in that region, and grandfather Dragan and grandmother Blagica live with them as well. Their biggest problem is the landslide that is gradually destroying their already old and dilapidated house.

“We love the village. We love to engage in agriculture, we keep livestock, and we want to raise our children here. It isn’t easy and, truth be told, things can get tight, but we fight as much as we can. It’s been a bit easier for the last six months because I got a job at a sawmill. It is almost minimum wage and I’m not permanent yet, but it means a lot to us. With the land we cultivate, the animals we have, and the coal (pellets) we make, we get by somehow. We patched the house where we could, but it’s a futile job. It has been cracking from the landslide for five years already. How much longer we dare to be here and whether it’s a matter of days, weeks, or years, I don’t know,” Dragan explained the situation.

This is followed by a series of other problems – “smashed” windows and the inability to heat the whole house, a lack of water and a large debt for electricity, and the fact that everyone sleeps in one room made of reeds with only two beds… They tape the windows, solve the cold at night with more blankets, draw water “the old-fashioned way” from a well, pray to God they don’t disconnect the electricity, and manage the cramped space by having at least one child go to sleep with the grandparents.

“I unfortunately also had facial paralysis from pregnancy. I haven’t fully recovered yet, but it’s better now. The bad road to the house also creates difficulties; in winter it is impassable. It takes us about 50 minutes to get to Vranje, so we don’t go often – only when we have to take the children to the doctor. I have never gone further than that. My children are everything in the world to me; for them, we must be smiling. I teach them to believe and to love,” joined in mother Milica, who is completely dedicated to her children.

These hardworking people fight as much as circumstances allow. Until recently they had a greenhouse, but it was destroyed by the wind. They haven’t gathered the money to fix it yet. The children spend their days playing, learning, and helping their parents.

“We make houses and cakes out of sand, and when I have a nice kitchen, I will make real ones with mom. I’m sorry that my sister will be left alone in school, but I will join her soon. The two of us dream of having a pink room and for it to be warm. Now, even when I cover up in winter, it is still cold. And it’s a bit tight – I’m big, I’ve grown, so the bed is too small for me. I would like to have my own and to sleep with Pikachu,” added little Lara, also wishing to get Mickey Mouse.

While their house cracks from the landslide, the Stankovićs dream of a safe home. Their wish is to move to one of the nearby villages where there is a school and a bit more people. The Humanitarian Organization Serbs for Serbs has acted in this region before, and now they are launching a new aid campaign. We therefore invite you to help with your donations so that Nikolina, Lara, Iva, Vuk, and Vukan get the opportunity for a more carefree upbringing!