Too young to remember the trauma of the war years, Goran Šain is nevertheless acutely aware of the experiences of his family during this desperate time. Born in Knin, Croatia, Goran was barely a year old when he fled with his family to Serbia in 1994, but over the subsequent years, his parents and grandparents often spoke of their harrowing journey alongside other refugees and people who franticly left their homes in the convoy that passed through Bosnia and Herzegovina to finally reach Serbia. Goran’s mother was eight months pregnant with Goran’s sister at the time.

The Šain family eventually found refuge and safety in Vršac, Serbia, a town which they had never visited before, but where Goran’s grandfather had an acquaintance who helped them to find a house.

Although Goran eventually finished school and found a job to support himself and his family, the Šain family of four continued to struggle during the post-war decades, and remained as tenants.

Fortunately, their luck was finally about to change. After hearing about the Regional Housing Programme (RHP), the Šain family quickly applied for an RHP apartment on the outskirts of the City of Vršac, and in November 2022, Goran was finally given the key to their new home. Although overwhelmed with emotion, he remained optimistic. “Today is not a day to be sad – today is a day for joy and new beginnings,” he smiled. “The hard times are behind us –now it’s time for a new chapter in our lives.”

RHP building in Vršac, Serbia