They say the most beautiful stories are born out of love and when we truly believe we will succeed, and Dijana’s story is just that.
“My husband Mladen and I struggled for a long time. Even now, we live as tenants in Pirot, and it’s not easy. Luckily, we have our daughter Gloria, who is 9 years old, and when you have a family, all hardships are easier to bear. As a young woman, I spent a year and a half in Berlin, Germany, with my uncle – trying to achieve some financial independence. It’s not easy being a foreigner in a strange city – without family and friends around you, doing jobs that are very hard and poorly paid. I returned home, and I can say with all my heart – there is no place like home!
Mladen and I are hardworking people; he has been a hairdresser since he was fourteen, and I’ve learned a lot from him! I completed courses in nail care and powder brows, and through the Reintegrate II project, I received equipment for a salon. Two months ago, we opened the salon “Gloria” (named after our daughter), and each day it gets better and better! We work hard and strive to be honest and diligent people, and it shows – when you have a nice and pleasant relationship with people, they come back to you. My life has changed drastically – now I am on my own, and I hope we will succeed in having our own place to live and no longer be tenants.”
Dijana is one of 25 beneficiaries who received support for self-employment in Pirot, and by the end of the project, a total of 35 beneficiaries will have the opportunity to start their own business. Thirty will undergo retraining and additional qualification courses, and 30 unemployed beneficiaries have been employed by 13 employers in Pirot.