One man's village

Mr Pero with his family

Photo: Tatiana Dwyer/CWS

Village of Donje Peulje

Photo: Tatiana Dwyer/CWS

Mr. Pero at home with family and friends

Photo: Tatiana Dwyer/CWS

In a remote area of Bosnia, in the municipality of Bosansko Grahovo, the village of Donje Peulje is set in a picturesque landscape composed of rustic mountains, green fields of grass, and clusters of indigenous trees. However, the beauty of the quaint country landscape is juxtaposed against the devastation of this war torn village. When first setting eyes on the destroyed houses, they evoke sad faces begging for help.

However, as in all places after a war, the real devastation lies not in the destroyed structures, but in the lives that have been torn apart. The villagers of Donje Peulje are no exception. Before the horrors of the war, Donje Peulje was home to forty nine families, composed of cattle-breeders, bricklayers, and skilled ceramic and marble workers. Once the war began, the entire population fled, leaving the village deserted. Some became Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within Bosnia. Others left the country and are refugees in Serbia and other countries. This once bustling village lay desolate, that is, until one man chose to come back and reclaim his land. His name is Balac Pero.

Mr. Pero is an extremely warm and polite man in his mid-fifties and despite the many hardships he has encountered, he is not without a smile. His story, like so many others, is heart wrenching. His family is now dispersed throughout Bosnia. Disintegration of his family is one of the greatest tolls of the war. He is now divorced. His two sons are living in the town of Bosansko Grahovo, away from their home village of Donje Peulje. His daughter is living with her mother in Prnjavor, an area near the boarder of Serbia. During the war, Mr. Pero and his father were IDPs living in Republic Srpska (one of the two political entities that together compose the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other entity being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

After the war ended, Mr. Pero’s father expressed a wish to return to his former village and when the time comes he wants to be buried there, in the only place he can call home. So Mr. Pero decided to fulfill his father’s wish and in April of 1998, they returned to Donje Peulje. Upon arrival in their village, they were dismayed by the destruction they encountered. Some houses were completely leveled, while the houses which still stood were missing roofs, windows, doors and walls. Anything the inhabitants left worth of value inside their house was looted. The village is still without electricity and water.

Their former home was not in any sort of living condition, soMr. Pero decided to stay in a nearby house which had once been the home of a relative. Although damaged, this house was semi-habitable after Mr. Pero made some basic repairs. This is where he has been living for the past several years, while his father has been living in a nearby village that suffered considerably less destruction.

To sustain himself and his father, Mr. Pero is now involved in livestock breeding (sheep and cows) and agriculture. Because of the lack of electricity, all work must be done during daylight hours. Though this proves challenging, the problem of water is a more pressing issue. During the winter, they use the snow as their source of water, but during the summer the nearest water source is the natural springs, far away. Every day, Mr. Pero walks this long distance and then carries water back.

Finally, after years of hardship there is hope for Mr. Pero and the village of Donje Peulje. Mr. Pero received construction materials from UNDP to repair his family’s house. In the spirit of giving, he offered to help a mother and her son, who wish to settle in Donje Peulje. These neighbors will also receive construction materials and Mr. Pero agreed to do everything he can to help them. Additionally, there are about fifteen former families of the village who are ready to come back and start anew. By returning to the village, Mr. Pero, his father, the new neighbors, and the fifteen families are not only trying to build their village, but they are building the spirit of Donje Peulje.

The perseverance and dedication of one man’s struggle to rebuild his native community is emblematic of many others in this area.

To add your support to this life-changing ministry of hope, please make a gift today.

Read more about the Build a Village project.