Meet Liceulice vendor Radmila Slavujevic

I was born in Sid, a small town close to the present Croatian border. After I finished grammar school, I completed tourism and economy courses, but I never got into that line of business. I lived for five years in Vukovar, Croatia, where I got a job in a bank. When the war started in 1991 in former Yugoslavia, my husband stayed in Croatia, but my son and I returned to Serbia.

I came to Novi Sad when my son went to university. We lived as as lodgers during his university years. As a single working mother, I took any available job I could. One must adapt. One cannot live from one’s memories. I had to get going with my life.

Those were rough times; my son was very young. But I soon adopted to this new life because I had him by my side. We supported each other, and it gave us a sense of security. I took a lot of different jobs: I worked in a restaurant kitchen, at a corner shop, at a grill bar. Working in such low-paid jobs, I gained a very law pension.

I heard about Liceulice from my acquaintance, Ruzica, who took me to my initial meeting. The staff called me before, but I took a little bit more time to think about it, and I decided to have a go and see if I thought I was going to like it. It was all very new experience for me, so I am not surprised when people ask me what it is that I am selling and what it is all about. If someone is interested in the magazine, I give them an issue to flip through; no one is obligated to buy it.

We all have some previous experiences and abilities that help us to sell the magazine, but there are also circumstances that we cannot control. The most important thing is that we are pleased with our selling.

My main motivational factor to start selling was my financial situation. I wanted to have some extra money set aside for medication. Now, I am happy to be able to cover all the necessary costs for a decent life. I can earn fair money working as a vendor, especially when the weather is nice and lots of people are on the streets. This time of the year, there are lots of tourists. I studied Russian and French, so I can have a decent conversation with many people.

I enjoy daily social contact, which helped me in my previous jobs. Being a vendor turned out well, as I meet new people every day. I already have my own regular customers even though I haven’t been in this job for long. I am glad to see them from month to month, and they are also glad to see me.

I acknowledge everyone kindly and with a smile when I recommend the magazine. I am open and direct with people, and I reckon that’s what makes me so successful in this job. I work hard, although I cannot always rely on my health as I have problems with my hip. I work as much as I can stand, and when I get tired, I walk back home, and then I come back later. I like the psychical activity, as I find myself feeling trapped sitting at home. I’ve always liked to be active.

I enjoy drinking coffee with my two neighbours, which is as much of a treat as we can all afford. I visit my son and his family, who live in Belgrade; that is what I live for. I always feel so fulfilled when I see them all, and it is a huge source of joy for me. When we are young, we tend to try to attain and complete everything in a hurry, but once you get older, you realise that it takes so little to be happy. Now, people toil to get more money, get into business, think of prestige, but that just breeds alienation. How can people find happiness without love and understanding?

I couldn’t afford a decent life living on my pension alone. This extra money helps me to see my son and his family more often. Maybe, with time, I will also be able to afford a few other luxuries, like theatre visits. I studied tourism and economy, but I couldn’t fulfil my wish to travel, because the only thing that mattered in my life was making my child’s life the best I could. I would still love to travel, but for something like that, I would need a lot of money. If my health serves me well, I would like to stay in this job. I have a strong desire to do well, and I’m a fighter.