SERBIAN HEROINE: Sold everything in order for babies to survive the war, but now she lives in poverty (PHOTO)

After learning that she was suffering from cancer, Divna Kundajica decided not to remain passive after seeing the images of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, broadcast by the media. She began a series of very important humanitarian activities instead. Altruistic motives have made her a prominent Serbian benefactor that many people have forgotten about.

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During the war, Divna traveled three times a week from Belgrade to the center of war, and the main objective was helping people, children and soldiers in need. As a member of the "Circle of Serbian Sisters" she participated in numerous charitable causes from the beginning of the war until the Dayton Agreement.

As twenty-two years ago the Internet was not available to everyone, and social networks did not exist, no one could record all the horrors of the war in Bosnia and Divna’s heroic acts. Another reason why Mrs. Kundajica is little known is her personality that does not let her boasting because, as she says, she did everything out of philanthropy.

- I was motivated by all the terrible scenes on TV that I saw. There were moments that I cried so much while watching the news that my nose would start bleeding. Instead of sitting and watching, I decided to do something for these people. I was struggling with cancer then, and the doctors said that I only had 6 months to live. I was thinking that it would be better to die among my people, if that was my destiny, than to die at home. However, it turned out that the doctors were wrong – Divna explains.

Photo: Telegraf.rs

In order to be able to help troubled people in the war, Divna, with the consent of her family, invested a big apartment and a lot of her own money. Twenty years later, a great humanitarian became a victim of her generous nature.

In May 1992, there was news that in the maternity hospital in Banja Luka newborns were dying due to lack of oxygen apparatus. Divna launched a serious humanitarian action.

- In May 1992, the news about the tragedy in Banja Luka maternity ward arrived, just at that time when I got a grandson who was using the oxygen apparatus in the Belgrade hospital. I only knew that I had to do something for these children. I inquired everywhere. First, I found a German company, but they did not deliver apparatuses to Serbia.

In the end I went to the company "Sutjeska", and since the prices were too high, I put the apartment where I lived with my family up for mortgage. I was in debts and promised to return the money in 10 days, but I did not have a dime. I was lucky, and all the money was collected by our diaspora. The transportation of apparatuses was a much bigger challenge – she remembers.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

Transport of the oxygen apparatuses and other necessary medical supplies was very difficult, because due to combat operations the road to Banja Luka was impassable and it was necessary send the aid from Belgrade by air.

However, as all the flights were banned due to sanctions, the agony of transportation lasted a long time. Even Divna’s urging at the UNPROFOR headquarters in Belgrade did not help.

Only after breaking through the Corridor, Mrs. Kundajica together with several engineers was among the first passengers who passed this corridor, and after a whole day trip arrived in Banja Luka.

- After the Corridor breakthrough, an old man approached our Jeep, and when he saw Belgrade plates, he knelt down and kissed them. This says how much humanitarian aid from Serbia meant a lot to these people. Many people from Belgrade were not aware of these things - recalls tearfully our heroine, and adds that she will never understand human malice and hypocrisy.

Foto: Telegraf.rs

Speaking of hypocrisy and selfishness, it is difficult to accept the fact that today there is no one to help a big benefactor. Divna’s humanitarian work has remained only a dim memory, and while there were those who benefited from the war, Mrs. Kundajica is left with a disease and in a difficult financial situation.

- After selling the apartment, our little cottage on Fruška Gora remained ours. This is where I live today with my family. I have a 13,000 dinars pension, my husband has a little more, while our son is unemployed. I would never ask for help if I hadn’t reached the point of not being able to live like this - she says, adding that sometimes she feels betrayed because the doors of many institutions are often shut in her face.

She does not want pity, but just a kind of support to be able to overcome certain problems in life. Although empathy is not a popular characteristic in contemporary Serbian society, it should be kept in mind that Divna is a true heroine of our time who invested a lot in helping others. The only fair thing would be to pay her back as a society.

(Telegraf.rs)