Dragana and Drazenka return home from school in Han Pijesak. Usually they are able to travel on a woodcutter’s company bus, but sometimes they have to walk part of the journey on their own. They live seven kilometres from their school in this remote mountain location, where wolves roam, and even the occasional bear.

Poverty is commonplace in Han Pijesak, eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. This rural area has been neglected by government and charities alike because of its political affiliations, and the children living here bear the brunt. Ten and eleven-year-old sisters Dragana and Drazenka are part of World Vision’s child sponsorship programme which works to strengthen the entire community. Despite many hardships in their dilapidated mountain home, the girls are brimming with spirit and energy, giving hope to their struggling parents. Text & photos by Susan Cuthbert.