By Marc Morgan | Voulenteer
The Ideas Partnership has a major presence in Mane’s home village of Janjevë. Acting from within municipal buildings, TIP provides education for children from Kindergarten to secondary school ages; healthcare and other forms of training to adults; and direct support to a number of families.
Janjevë is a beautiful village perched in a secluded valley surrounded by hills. However, Mane’s story tells us about the difficulties of life in Janjevë, and of her struggles to overcome them.
Although only 15 kilometres from Prishtina as the crow flies, the village feels very isolated. The road leading to Janjevë stops after reaching the village. Janjevë used to be self-governing, but has now been brought into the administrative district of Llabjane, which is not well connected to Janjevë. While electricity supply and internet connectivity to the village are good if not perfect, a major problem is that there is no running water. Water needs to be delivered by truck and purchased in bottles. Janjevë suffers badly from its isolation, job opportunities are few and younger people generally aspire to move.
Janjevë is a large village of approximately 1,800 inhabitants, with a diverse population. The majority Roma population live in good harmony with their neighbours, many of whom are of either Bosnian or Croatian origin. The village has an active Croatian church and community centre. However, inhabitants from all the communities suffer from discrimination from the wider population, in different ways. The local school falls under the administration of a Serbian education authority, with the result that Albanian and English, important languages in modern Kosovo, are not taught in the village school.
Mane greeted us, with one of her daughters, in the courtyard of her small house in the middle of the village, just a few yards away from the buildings where TIP has its offices . She is a widow and the mother of 5 children. An inhabitant of Janjevë district for 24 years now, she is of Croatian descent, and her eldest son, aged 24, is already working in Croatia. Her aim ultimately is to move with her remaining children to Croatia, as life in Janjevë is hard and the prospects for herself and her children are poor. Her hope is to get work as a seamstress in Croatia. She does not wish to be a burden on her children in any way, nor to depend on others.
Mane’s two girls have been discriminated against and excluded from school – the effect of a double discrimination based on community and gender. It is very difficult to make a living in Janjevë – and everyone is equally poor, so the possibilities for village-wide solidarity are limited. Child benefits (until recently of 10€ per month per child, recently raised to €20) remain very low in relation to the cost of living.
Various organizations used to support Mane and her family, but many have pulled out. Now only the Ideas Partnership continues to offer help – either direct financial support, or donations of clothes and other necessities. TIP have always been generous in their support, and fair in attempting to give it to all families needing support in the community.
By Almedina Ajvazi | Coordinator of Private Donations
By Almedina Ajvazi | Coordinator of Private Donations
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