But Izmira and her family have experienced a traumatic decade. In July 1995 her father was killed in the Srebrenica massacre, along with her uncle, grandfather and 8,000 other Bosnian Muslim men. They were imprisoned and executed during a week of bloodshed and their bodies were hidden in mass graves. Most of their remains are still undiscovered.

Tragic Reunion

Over the last decade or so the surviving widows, including Izmira's mother and grandmother, gradually lost hope of seeing their husbands again. Like thousands of other families, they submitted blood samples for DNA analysis to help identify bodies discovered in mass graves.

After a decade of waiting, Izmira’s father was identified amongst some exhumed bodies in early 2005. He was only 22 years old when he died and Izmira was just two months old. Their tragic reunion took place in Srebrenica on the 10th anniversary of the massacre. Izmira’s family were among thousands of distraught relatives who gathered to bury their loved ones.

Refugees

During the war, Izmira’s family left their home in Srebrenica and sought refuge in Sarajevo. They took shelter in an abandoned apartment. However, after the war the Serb owner returned to sell his property, and Izmira's family were evicted once again.

Their home in Srebrenica had been burnt to the ground, and the horror of the massacre left them too afraid to return. Izmira’s family had nowhere to go but were determined to solve their housing crisis. They decided to borrow money from their friends and buy an apartment in Vogosca, Sarajevo – a district where many other Srebrenica refugees live.

Struggle to Survive

Izmira and her sister Sehida now live with their mother, grandmother and aunt in a small two-roomed flat which is barely furnished. It has one wardrobe and two sofas. The girls keep their schoolbooks in an old broken refrigerator, as there is nowhere else to store them.

The family of five survive on the small state widow's pension they receive each month. Their loan repayments mean that they can barely make ends meet, but they are grateful to finally have a permanent roof over their heads.

Staying Positive

Although Izmira and her sister, Shehida, were too young to remember their father, they are still moved to tears whenever he is mentioned. The pain of his absence in their lives is very real.

But despite the tragedy in her life, Izmira remains a cheerful child. Whenever her mother and sister recall the war and begin to cry, Izmira’s eyes also fill with tears but she keeps smiling, hoping to cheer everyone up.

Izmira’s dream is to become a teacher, while Shehida wants to be a paediatrician. Izmira works hard at school and gets good grades. At home, she helps her mother with housework. She is a popular child who has many friends, and says she would like to have friends from every country in the world.

A Brighter Future

Izmira has already made one international friend. A donor from the UK sponsors her through Islamic Relief's Orphan Sponsorship Programme. The sponsorship money helps to pay for Izmira's basic needs such as food, healthcare and schoolbooks.

Islamic Relief currently supports over 740 orphans in Bosnia. The tragic consequences of the Srebrenica Massacre will continue to haunt the orphans and widows of Srebrenica for many years. Through its sponsorship programme, Islamic Relief is committed to helping orphans like Izmira lead a better life.