Resilience and legacy: stories of family perseverance in Serbia and Croatia

Two separate human interest stories highlight themes of family resilience and legacy in the Balkans.

In Serbia, brothers Dejan and Svetozar Dikić faced extreme hardship following the death of their father. At ages 11 and 12, they assumed responsibility for their ailing mother, their household, and livestock in the village of Tirince. Despite the challenges of poverty and a long, unsafe daily walk to school, the brothers persevered. Following public attention from an RTS program, the family was relocated to a house in Moravac, allowing the brothers to pursue vocational training as an auto mechanic and a baker.

In Croatia, enologist Dragana Gagić is establishing her own winery, Dragona, in Islam Grčki near Zadar. Drawing on her childhood experiences working on her grandfather's land, Gagić is now building a personal wine project on six hectares of vineyards. She works alongside her children, Ivana and Marko, continuing a cycle of connection to the land and family heritage.