Healing for 70 Trafficking & Abuse Victims, Kosovo

This is the latest report from the Operacioni i Mekembjes team in Kosovo.

The last two months of summer sped by, bringing with it changes in our schedule. The participants of our course have had more time for fellowship and relaxation after the long and busy school year.

During this season we got to introduce the children of our program to a new concept: "caring for", rather than “to be cared by”. We were committed to create an atmosphere of responsibility in each of the children. We did this by using activities to reinforce this idea with the hope that it would reach not only their minds, but their hearts as well. They each planted a tree and took responsibility for the care of it, they learned to look after them as well as the surrounding environment. Since then they have had a task each day that has taught them how to maintain and protect the plant. The added bonus of this activity was that the children got to help us decorate the garden. During the summer they also learned about recycling and caring for nature and the environment. A lot of fun has been had making interesting items out of old plastic, clothes and paper.

For the mothers this was calm season without the stress of getting children off to school. It has also been a particularly exciting one for one of our participants, who has successfully opened a sewing shop. In her shop she offers sewing skills as well as elegant second hand dresses. It has been a joy to see new customers come to her shop daily, sales are going well. At the beginning of September this mother was empowered fully to take the first steps of independence and live with her children on her own. We are still providing her with some practical support such as caring for her children when she is required to be at the shop and they are not in school. She is now almost fully economically and socially independent. This is a great testimony for the other mothers to see how our program can help them reintegrate into society.

STORY 1

How can we express love and/or receive the love of others? This is a simple question that many of us could easily answer in ten words or less. It is not that simple for a child that has suffered deeply and been hurt; confused by the messages they have received from the people closest to them.

This was a shocking question for one of our young girls. She was in a drama workshop during the summer time, the participants were asked to show what love meant to them. This girl could not express with actions what love looked like to her. This question isolated her for a while as she didn't identify with the way love looked to her friends. After a while she did recognize how she gives love and how she felt love from others, and could in the simplest way express it with her body language. It showed a crisis inside, she is 12 years old and should be able to define love without problem. This was not the case with her and we need to work out how and why she had found it hard.

Even though the class of drama was not therapeutic by aim, it proved to be a valuable tool in identifying some important areas to be worked on with the children. We were able to pass these on to the phycologist and staff members. Three weeks later the same girl proposed the theme of "love between friends" for the theme of a short sketch that they needed to do. It was a great sign of something being changed in her heart and mind, she had some hope and light. It is amazing how little things fill our hearts with joy, healing is happening.

STORY 2

Three years ago a woman with three children did not know how to read and write. How could she gain the independence and give a normal life to her kids? In a country where more than 50% of population is unemployed and where women are high discriminated against if they don't have a man by their side. Was independence even possible?

This was the reality that we have needed to face as an organisation on more than once occasion. As the team discussed this, we certainly did not know the whole answer but knew she would need support, company and love to reach her aim. She did it, she has just opened a sewing shop where she also included the sale of elegant second hand dresses (in an aim to gain more customers and people inside the store). It was a tough beginning, but thankfully 60 dresses were donated from UK which was a great encouragement. Several people have started to bring their own material to her as well as clothes to be fixed. She also makes bags from second hand clothes as well as new material which she has been selling in her store and overseas. All this has been such an encouragement to her and it has been great to see her confidence grow. After only three months she has been able to start to pay her expenses for the shop and also to save some money.

On the second of September, supporting herself, she went out to live close to our centre with her 3 children.

A new year of activities is about to get underway for the Operacioni i Mekembjes team. We are excited to see what opportunities will come in this year.