In April 1992, following the outbreak of war, Branko and his wife Jagoda left Mostar for Montenegro. For 18 years, the family lived as tenants in various cities along the Montenegrin coast, changing lodgings a total of 33 times.

During this period, in 2004, Branko and his wife sold their one-bedroom apartment in Mostar, and bought a plot of land in Igalo, Herceg Novi municipality, Montenegro, in the hope of building a home for themselves and their family. The couple have two sons, who were born in Montenegro, and three grandchildren.

After learning about the Regional Housing Programme through the media, Branko applied for funds to build a house, and was delighted when his application was accepted. Today, he enthusiastically talks about the house, the construction of which should be completed at the beginning of 2021.

“I have never been a pessimist in my life,” he reflects. “I always persevered and looked ahead to the future. There is a saying  ‘The fact that you fell doesn’t matter, what matters is that you pick yourself up and keep going’.”