There are families who do not ask for help. Not because they do not need it, but because they fear the consequences. One of them lives in a small apartment where the greatest burden is not poverty itself, but constant uncertainty — whether tomorrow will be the same, worse, or unbearable.

A father, two children, and the fear that being unable to provide even the basics could mean losing what matters most. The mother left the family several years ago. The father is unemployed. Health issues and limited mobility prevent him from working, and every attempt to find a job ends in disappointment. In their day-to-day survival, his mother helps as much as she can. First, the rent is paid. For food — whatever remains.

The Mobile Team of the Home for Children Without Parental Care Sarajevo has been monitoring this family for some time. During one of the visits last week, the team was joined by Belma Mujezinović, Director of Foundation Second. In the apartment, they found the grandmother and grandfather, who had arrived the night before, worried and powerless.

"We found an empty refrigerator. We bought basic groceries so the children would have something to eat," the grandmother said.

The father never asks for help. In conversations, he persistently repeats that he has everything. The reason is clear — fear that admitting need could lead to his children being removed and placed in an institution. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. That is why Foundation Second, at the request of the mobile team, responded and provided urgent food assistance.

During the visit, while the adults were talking in the living room, attention was drawn to the older boy. Without many words, he brought a yellow plastic cup once used for modeling clay, in which he saves money. He is about ten years old. Calm, serious, slightly withdrawn. He showed his school notebooks — neatly written, with particular effort put into mathematics. He said his father helps him whenever he can.

When asked what he was saving the money for, he quietly replied:

"So I can buy a sandwich when my dad doesn’t have money."

A sandwich costs two marks. Sometimes he manages to buy a juice as well. Addition does not come easily to him, but he tries. As they counted the money together, it became clear that he had enough for fourteen days of modest meals. That realization brought visible relief — a rare sense of security in a daily life that is often unpredictable.

"I have enough for fourteen days," he repeated to his grandmother, as if wanting to be sure he had understood correctly.

The Second Foundation carries out such interventions thanks to regular donations. Among the donors is Haris, who, together with his friends, collects funds every month for emergency cases. This continuous support enables swift action at moments when families reach the very edge and help is needed immediately.

"Every day we receive calls. People lack even the basics," says Amina Pohara, Head of the Service for Family and Child Support, with whom Foundation Second frequently visits families at risk.

Before leaving, the boy was asked to keep trying at school and to avoid trouble. As a small encouragement and hope for something brighter, he was promised something he has long wished for — a small drone. Blue.

It may seem like a small thing. But for a child growing up between fear and hope, small things often make the difference between giving up and believing that effort still matters.

Foundation Second, in cooperation with the Mobile Team of the Home for Children Without Parental Care, continues to support families so that children can remain where they belong — in their own homes, with those closest to them.