"Life has taught me a lot of pain, but also hope," says Marika.
Marika Andonovska (1955) was born in the village of Stanci – Kriva Palanka, in a poor but hardworking family as the fourth of ten children, of whom only six survived. She spent her childhood working in the fields, caring for livestock, and doing household chores. Although she wished to continue with secondary education, her father did not allow it. When she was only 16 years old, due to her father's severe illness, she was forced into marriage without her consent. Thus, even before feeling her youth, Marika left her parental home and began a life filled with heavy responsibilities.
She and her husband Mitre moved to Skopje. For many years, they lived in only 16 m² of a house (32m²), divided between two families. They took water from neighbors, and the toilet was outside. In those difficult conditions, their son and daughter, Sanja, were born. Sanja had health problems from a young age and often ended up in the hospital. Over time, her husband began to drink and became violent, so the burden of caring for the family fell entirely on Marika. Life continued to bring new challenges. Her grandson was born with cerebral palsy. In 2018, her husband fell ill with cancer. In 2020, Sanja suffered a stroke – her right side was paralyzed, and she lost her speech. Even today, Sanja cannot speak and moves with difficulty, but she is not bedridden. That same year, Marika fell ill with Covid-19 but refused to go to the hospital because there was no one to care for her sick husband and daughter. At the end of the year, Mitre passed away. In 2021, Marika joined the "4 Seasons" program, where she receives food, emotional, and spiritual support. She is actively involved in all the association's events and workshops.
Today she says she is a "new person in old skin".
"I leave everything bad behind. I want to live the rest of the life God has given me usefully and with dignity."
