Snapshot of a Life: Milos Dobreva
Skilled woodcutter Milos Dobreva uses his new saw to earn the family income.
Photo: CWS
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Milos Dobreva is a Roma. He and his family fled the violence in Kosovo the late 1990s. Since 1999, he, his wife, and their six children have lived in Krusevac, Serbia, as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In Kosovo, the family had their own home, and Dobreva worked in a sawmill. In Krusevac, the family lives in a humble rented house. Initially, Church World Service helped the family with some basics--blankets and bedding, CWS School Kits and Hygiene Kits, potato and onion seeds.
Dobreva also qualified for the CWS Balkans project "Support to Displaced Children," which has equipped parents to regain their livelihoods. Being a skilled woodcutter, he received a circular saw through the program, and is now using his skills to meet the family's basic needs. From his income, Dobreva has also saved enough money to buy a washing machine, and has taught his eldest son to operate it. Together they offer services to their neighbors and other inhabitants of Krusevac.
Dobreva's dream is for the family to have a home they can call their own and to educate all his children so that they can be self-supporting. CWS support was the first step to realizing this dream.