(By Hysni Recica)
Hello and welcome to
UNMIK on air!
Unlike Plemetina camp
where Hashkalis and some other minority members live in isolation, Hashkalis in
Podujeva, a town around 30 km north of Pristina, move freely and are completely
integrated in the social life and seem to share the same concerns with the
majority Albanian.
With a population of
around 1.100, only 65 Hashkalies are presently employed, and as in most Kosovan
towns the creation of job opportunities remains the main challenge for both
communities living in Podujevo.
Mike Verling,
international Administrator in Podujevo, says the Hashkali community in Kosovo
as a whole is underprivileged, therefore, OSCE, The European Agency for
Reconstruction, Team Kosova, the US Office and other local and international
organizations have been providing them with assistance. As most gypsy
communities around the world, Hashkalies find it difficult to get rid of the
image most people have of gypsies, of a happy singing and dancing group of
nomads and Mike Verling, agrees that education and their social status remains
the biggest problem for Hashkalis
Mike Verling: Historically I think they were seen as being involved
in singing, in dancing, in entertaining and they themselves want to lose this
image. Their real problem is education, there is a feeling within the Hashkali
community that girls do not get education; this is a big problem. And if you
deliberately keep a large section of your population uneducated, it is a very
difficult task to raise your social status and to improve your employment
situation.
The trend seems to be slowly changing,
though. There are only 45 girls out of 132 Hashkali kids, in Podujevo, that are
attending classes in joint schools with Albanian and some Roma Kids.
Fikmete Cufkolli, is
one of a few Hashkali girls from her generation that has completed the high
school. She works as an assistant in “Shpresa Demokratike”, the only Hashkali
association in the town.
Fikmete Cufkolli: We have activities for women, we have had some
training as seamstresses and for hairdresser and also different trainings for
health and hygiene. Now we are working on emancipation of women and getting rid
of illiteracy.
Mufail Rama, tries to help his community
through volunteer work for Shpresa Demokratike, he says all the kids now go to
school
Mufail Rama: All the kids go
to school without any problem whatsoever. Our community is even privileged
compared to majority community.
Vox Pop
Hysni: What is your
name?
Gezim:
Hysni: How old are you
Gezim
G: Seven
Hysni: Are you going
to school?
G: Yes
-have you learned
anything?
G; Yes, poems
Tr. 26 Gezim reciting:
In the last municipal
elections, Hashkalis in Podujeva voted for two political parties of their own,
PDAK and PDASHK, thus scattering the votes and remaining without representation
in the Municipal Assembly. Michael Verling.
Michael Verling: If they had only one (party), there would have
been an elected representative in the Assembly now. But they failed to come
together on this matter. I met with a large group of Hashkalis and the two
political parties before the election and advised them to work together towards
a common goal, to have one elected representative but it did not work.
Now they can at least
take part in committees within the Assembly, says Agim Hyseni, head of the NGO
“Shpresa Demokratike” and blames on both political parties for remaining
without representation in the Municipal Assembly.
Agim Hyseni: This is a negative phenomenon resulting from the
two political parties in our municipality. I said that their personal interests
are more important to them than the general interest. This was the essence of
the problem, and this will have a negative impact on the integration of our
community at the municipal level.
Not typical of
Hashkali. Though It seems to be a Kosovo syndrome, says Agim Kika deputy
President of the Municipal Assembly, and adds that citizens in Podujeva, no
matter who is who, share the same problems.
Agim Kika: Within their possibilities, the institutions have
supported the Hashkali community, which is a small community who shares the
same fortunes and misfortunes with the majority community in Podujeva. We have included
a proportional representation in civil services, and projects initiated by
different organizations have been supported by the Assembly. To mention some,
the slaughter house, which we believe will alleviate a bit the unemployment.
VOX POP
Hysni: Muhamed do you
have a job?
No
Are you married?
-Yes, I have seven
kids
Hysni: How do you
live?
-it is tough, we get E 62 as social
assistance. We are ten members that is not enough.
Atmos: (tr. 29 0040 a
rooster)
Agim Kika: Our association “Shpresa Demokratike” will try to
create job opportunities in the future, to improve the social and economic
situation, through the slaughterhouse, a project that was supported by many
donors and the Municipal Assembly that allocating the spot.
Like other ethnic
minorities in Kosovo Haskalies in Podujevo have managed to set up their own
small media network through a new magazine called “Jehona” financed by the US
Office, and a regular weekly slot in a local radio station “Radio Llapi”
Vox Pop:
A kid: Will I be in the radio?
He sings a hip-hop
song:
I am not sure whether
you will tell me
Do you know Zana e
Ariana
They are good girls.
As so many other small minority
communities in Kosovo, Haskali’s seem to be slowly getting their act together,
working towards a better future. And that was all for this edition of UNMIK on
Air, stay tuned for more.