Help for Apostolović Family

Family Apostolovic lives in the village Slavujevac, near Preševo. Natasha and Slavisa have four children, and they live in a house that they share with Slavisa’s brother and his seven-member family.

Natasha first contacted SOS Children’s Villages Serbia via e-mail, in which she asked for a job for her husband, since none of them worked.

After that, our team in Presevo went to Slavujevac to visit the Apostolovic family.

At the first meeting, our team considered that this is wonderful family full of love. Despite the difficult reality, the atmosphere in the Apostolović’s house was very positive. Savisha and Natasha welcomed our team, and they had opportunity to meet their sons Nemanja and Mladen, while the two elderly sisters were at school.

Fourteen-year-old Nemanja suffers from cerebral palsy and is unable to move. The mother is at 24 hours with him, and therefore she doesn’t go almost anywhere – she is dedicated to her son unconditionally and completely. Nemanja loves the sounds from the TV, which is why, in the living room, some pleasant music or a movie is always on TV channels.

These two young people live in difficult existential conditions: there are no external doors on the house, and for 17 years no water has been implemented – they use water by placing buckets and balloons on the fountain in the neighboring yard.
Nemanja uses a pump for normal breathing, but in conversation with Natasha, we learned that they do not have money to buy a filter with which the pump works, which is why Nemanja has had breathing problems for a while.
In the shortest time, our colleagues organized the purchase of filter for Nemanja, which was delivered to the family, together with hygienic packages, pampers, toys and clothes for the winter.

The next step was to provide a water pump. Part of donation was provided by local store from Preševo, and part was provided by Foundation SOS Children’s Village Serbia.

„Thanks to you ,on Saturday, water flowed through faucets in our house, for the first time after 17 years. I can not describe the joy of my children. They took a bath at night. Greetings from Apostolovic. And, please, come to have coffee and cakes together.“ That was the message that we received from Natasha on the day Apostolović family got water in the house.

Our team from Preševo regularly visits the Apostolović family and our colleagues made surprise for children on the occasion of New Year.