Stojanović brothers: we work for Albanians for daily wages because we don’t have machines to cultivate our own property

Daniel Stojanović (18) from Kmetovce near Gnjilane is the oldest of three brothers and lives with his family in a cold, unfinished house without electricity or a bathroom. He is in the fourth year of high school, and spends his holidays, weekends, and free time working privately with his father and younger brother.

“There are five of us and we can’t live on minimum wage and child allowance alone. We have to work. My brother and I help our father; we do daily work for Albanians because we don’t have machines to cultivate our land. If we had a tractor or some livestock, we could manage. My youngest brother goes to elementary school and is a good student, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have a computer. During the state of emergency, he couldn’t follow classes like other children.”  

https://youtu.be/fpoQlm91x78

In the fields without a tractor, without livestock, electricity, or a bathroom

After the war, in 2003, during a period known for thefts, kidnappings, and attacks, the Stojanovićs had their cow stolen. To this day, the barn remains empty, and the loss has not been compensated. According to Daniel, in 2017, they received help to equip a bathroom, but it wasn’t enough to complete the job. The problem still persists, despite appealing to the authorities. “In the 21st century, we live without a bathroom, we get electricity from the neighbor, the voltage is weak, so we cook on wood and wash by hand. The upper floor has no windows or doors, the house is always cold and damp. It’s big, but unfinished. I’ve thought about leaving to work somewhere so I could fix it and invest in the property,” Daniel says.

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Family as the only support

Neither he nor his brother Dušan (17) wants to leave their family in search of work. They find it hard to leave their father, mother, and brother behind. “We were born and raised here,” Daniel says. “Nowhere feels like home. That’s why we would love to stay, so we could work and earn a living here. But we can’t solve the problem alone. We make ends meet, as they say.”

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Their parents, Vlastimir and Slađana, raised their sons to be hardworking, honest, and devoted to family and their homeland. Though basic living conditions seem out of reach, the boys’ modesty and virtues shine through. By sharing work, care, and joy, Daniel, Dušan, and Ivan remain hopeful that unity and brotherly love will keep them together.

Support the Stojanović Family

Hoping to help make their dreams come true, our organization has launched an initiative to support the Stojanović family from Kmetovce near Gnjilane in Kosovo and Metohija. We invite everyone who can, through donations and sharing on social media, to support this effort and help these brave young men and their parents.

Report on the successful completion of the initiative:
 Completed bathroom for the Stojanović family in Kmetovce
(25.05.2021)