Can you help us with these special needs?
• support for a key worker in Croatia
• funds for house purchases in Croatia
• a new Eurosave lorry
Key Worker
In the early years of Eurosave, we learned about a refugee group, housed in a former workers’ rest home in the mountain village of Fuzine, where the Hope Centre has been developed. They came from Central Bosnia and were of mixed nationalities but mainly Croats. They included a newborn baby and women as old as 76. The total number in the unit was 56 people and most were in families occupying one room. Their homes in Bosnia had been destroyed and there were no plans for rebuilding – Bosnia was in chaos. There was little Government support for these families and “My Neighbour” helped them by securing financial help from overseas. This support dwindled rapidly after the mid nineties and by the end of the decade the refugees were in a desperate condition.
Srecko Ilisinovic was appointed by My Neighbour to work with them to help improve the building which was in a poor state, to assist them in health needs, food and clothing, schooling for the children, heating oil during winter and many other needs including spiritual needs. The task was given the name: “The Nehemiah project”. All of the aims have been achieved in considerable measure: the building has been improved; money has been sent to ensure an adequate supply of heating oil; a few families and individuals have been helped to return to Bosnia or to move to relatives in Croatia. Most, however, remain in Fuzine. Sadly some have died in the hopelessness of that building and far from their own home communities. But every Friday, Srecko, at the request of some of the refugees, holds a Bible study when he can share the word of God and the message of hope with them.
Srecko continues his excellent work with these people and with another group in the neighbouring village of Delnice. He also helps an orphanage, a home for handicapped children and a home for women and children abused during the wars. Eurosave trips help him to supply them with food, clothing, toys and personal needs. The Nehemiah project has enabled Srecko also to provide washing-machines, refrigerators, food processors and electric stoves to a unit for young people now old enough to leave the orphanage; and he has supplied a TV set for another orphanage and furniture for a small clinic in the home for handicapped children.
Srecko’s personal support of around £700 per month needs to come from international sources. Dunfermline Eurosave has accepted responsibility for the six months, November 2002 to April 2003.
Would you help us to raise this money?
House purchase
One family we got to know from the beginning was the Kalas family. The father, Stipo, could not even attempt to find work as he suffered severe epilepsy and often wore a bicycle helmet to protect his head when he fell. His wife, Ankica, worked hard to organise their one room in the unit at Fuzine to make it as much a home as possible for her husband and the two children, Ivana who was six when they arrived, and brother Dragan, who was three. Ankica made lace items, slippers, doyleys, etc., when she could get the materials and sold them to tourists to raise a little money.
In 2001, some Welsh people were visiting Fuzine at a point when Srecko was working on the idea of buying run-down property cheaply, refurbishing it and transferring some of the families back into ‘normal’ life. A property was available and to buy it and put it in order would cost about £7000. The Welsh people undertook to raise that sum, did so, and the property was acquired and put to rights by Christmas 2001. Early in 2002, the Kalas family moved out of the single room they had occupied since 1993. Srecko wrote: “It was the best Christmas gift for them, which will enable them to start up their life again. They were so desperate being so long as refugees and their home burned down. ‘But God makes miracles!’”
Other properties are available and another family has recently been housed. A third property is awaiting funds to complete refurbishment.
Would you contribute towards the costs of purchasing and refurbishing housing for refugee families?
A new lorry
We are, currently researching the purchase of a new lorry to facilitate our aid collection, transportation and distribution service. What we have in mind is a Mercedes 814 van that will be cheaper to run and will be able to carry one tonne more aid than we do at present. While the main use of the lorry will be in promoting the work of Eurosave, we intend to make the vehicle available at modest cost to partner charities and church groups engaged in social action.
The cost is £28,000.
Will you help us to raise this money?
