Roma families in Kosovo: A struggle to survive

In Kosovo, children–even little ones–must work hard just to survive. This is especially true in Kolonia, a poor neighbourhood in Gjakova, western Kosovo, which is home to several Roma families. Here, young children who should be in school push wheelbarrows full of odd ‘treasures’ that they have collected for recycling, which their families will convert into a few cents to put food on the table.The sight of children working hard for very low wages to help support their families has become so normal in this neighbourhood that no one even notices. In addition, children literally live and play around the garbage heaps, which is the only playground they know. This is the “normal” life for Roma children here.

Families in Gjakova sell used cardboard boxes to make ends meet. Each family has their own large stacks of folded cardboard boxes ready to sell. A pack is worth about 2 Euros. Many children work by finding and stacking cardboard to help their families. Without adequate education and skills, most Roma families in Kosovo have little choice but to earn a meagre living this way.

I help my father folding cardboard boxes every day, because my family needs my help

In one family, poverty has even contributed to the loss of a child’s life. Their residence is Gjakova’s garbage pit and garbage trucks drive through the neighbourhood regularly. People still remember when one child was killed by a garbage truck. Also, one of the children in one of the families was hit by a car on his way to school. 

  The family of Jonuz, 11 and Fontana, 8 is one of the many families where poverty has become a way of living and their everyday struggles reflect the struggles of many families in Kosovo. They rely heavily on a welfare allowance of 75 Euros per month, which is not even enough to buy food. Their home is old and in disrepair and their surrounds are characterised by mud and garbage that makes simply moving around a chore. 

  Hopeless tears well up in the eyes of the elder daughter Saranda (12) when she hears adults talk about an education that is more out of reach than ever. She is one of the many to have dropped out of school. Now her average day consists of helping her family with housework and her dream of “becoming someone” has become as empty as the walls of the house she lives in. “Our economical opportunities are so limited that our children help us with working in the house and folding cardboard boxes to sell,” says mother Rabie. But hope has not diminished altogether in the eyes of the younger children, Jonuz age 11 and Fontana age 8, who start talking about school with enthusiasm. 

 Childhood dreams are easily read in their clear eyes. Although they don’t quite understand it at their age, they want to make change in their communities starting with their families who also seem to have lost hope for a better life. “We don’t have the chance to have a stable job. My husband comes and goes to Montenegro [neighbouring country] to find seasonal work but that is never enough for our family of eight,” says Rabie. 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says Kosovo has the highest unemployment rate in the Western Balkans with around 45% of the working-age population without a job. According to reports from UNDP and other international organisations, about 37% of the population lives in poverty – below 1.42 Euros a day – and more than 17% lives in extreme poverty – below the line of 93 cents (Euro) a day. 

Despite their difficult life, young children like Jonuzi and Fontana still believe in their dreams and are determined to overcome the daily obstacles in what is their harsh daily reality. “I would like to become a doctor,” says Fontana smiling. “Because I like to help people,” she continues with a shy look in her eyes. Big dreams take shape in their young hearts although both children spend a considerable amount of working to help their family. “I help my father folding cardboard boxes every day, because my family needs my help,” says Jonuz. 

Often, the help that he gives to the family becomes an obstacle for his schoolwork. and little Jonuz knows the importance of education even at his age. “I like to go to school more than to work,” he says with childhood innocence. “If my family had better economical opportunities, I would study more and work less,” he continues. Playing for Fontana and Jonuz seems such an unusual activity that they barely know what they would like to play with if they had the opportunity and time to do so. “If the neighbourhood was clean, I would play hide and seek with my friends,” says Fontana after thinking for a while. 

 “It would be nice to have a centre in our neighbourhood where the children could play and have fun,” says Rabie. “I would take my children myself to go there so that they can enjoy their childhood.” “It almost feels like their childhood is getting lost in the walls of this house and being around this neighbourhood,” she says with sadness.

It almost feels like their childhood is getting lost in the walls of this house and being around this neighbourhood

Losing their childhood is the reality for many Roma children who have to grow up before they are ready and have to help support their families, sacrificing their dreams for jobs that have no future.

The RAE communities (Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian minorities in Kosovo) face a particularly dire education situation due to their low school attendance rate and high dropout rates, caused by socio-economic problems. Girls especially are not encouraged to continue education because of social and family traditions around early marriage and helping the family with housework.

Many children in Kosovo also engage in street work which puts them at high risk for increased health problems, low school attendance and increased threats to their physical safety. It also puts them at high risk of being exploited at work and makes them vulnerable to trafficking.

“To decrease child labour in our neighbourhood it is necessary to open vocational courses for parents,” says Kapllan Hasani, Community leader in the Kolonia neighbourhood.

“Women are interested in hairdressing, tailoring courses and men in electric and mechanical courses,” Mr. Hasani continues.

“I hope that my family’s situation will be better soon,” says Jonuz.

Hope is the last that dies and the only thing left for this family and others around their neighbourhood.

There is a hope for living out a childhood as it is meant to be lived. There is a hope for a better tomorrow that keeps a family alive.

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World Vision started its operations in Kosovo in 1998 by responding to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons. More than 1,700 families were assisted by the housing reconstruction programme. Interventions also involved construction, health and community development and revival of the agricultural sector. Since 2001, emergency relief operations have gradually transitioned into the fields of peace building and sustainable development.

Since 2002, the Kids for Peace project has successfully created space for multi-ethnic interaction among children and youth, focusing on building relationships, teaching peace education and increasing cooperation and dialogue among youth throughout Kosovo.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tacking the causes of poverty and injustice.

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