In 1993, during the darkest days of the war in Bosnia, Dutch soldier Olaf Meijer was serving in Sarajevo as part of the Dutch contingent V7.
Stationed for six months in the PTT building, he often had to pass through the area known as “Sniper Road” in an armored vehicle.
His wife recalls that Olaf’s main motivation was not only military duty, but the desire to help people busy in the siege.
During his stay in Sarajevo, Olaf met a pregnant woman named Vildana, who regularly came by the PTT building.
She had little or no basics for the baby she was expecting.
On his initiative, Dutch soldiers managed to bring packages from Holland, while Olaf asked family and friends to send baby supplies.
The packages arrived at Vildana, who expressed deep gratitude.
As a token of thanks, she sent a letter to Olaf’s mother, expressing her wish that her child would one day become like the Dutch soldier who helped him.
This simple letter has survived for more than three decades in the Meijer family.
Today, Olaf’s wife is trying to find Vildana and, if possible, her child.
They have asked for help from the local organization “Funky Tours” in Sarajevo, but so far the efforts have not yielded results.
Meanwhile, Olaf has decided to return to Sarajevo in a special way.
On August 1 he set off on his bicycle from Valkenburg aan de Geul in the Netherlands, on a journey of over 2,000 kilometers to Sarajevo.
His challenge is to complete it within 27 days, with a few days off, while also raising funds for charity.
In Sarajevo, he plans to visit the war museum and take Vildana’s letter with him, hoping that her return to the city will finally close the story that began in 1993.
But Olaf’s greatest hope is to find Vildana. And maybe, after 33 years, meet the child born during the siege of Sarajevo, for whom the mother once wished to grow up like the Dutch soldier who helped her.
The Meijer family appeals to the residents of Sarajevo and anyone who can remember Vildana from 1993.
According to the records, she was several months pregnant and was receiving baby supplies from Dutch soldiers at the PTT building.
He hopes that the letter can become the key to reuniting two people whose lives briefly crossed paths in Sarajevo in 1993.
