Christmas 2004 : Bóthar - helping in Kosovo
Bóthar has been helping in Kosovo since 2000, and with thanks to your generosity, we have been able to help many families piece their lives back together after the devestation of war.
The people of Kosovo suffered greatly during the recent conflict. More than 900,000 men, women and children were forced to flee their homeland, seeking refuge in Albania and other neighbouring countries. Those who didn't flee lost their lives – between 20,000 and 25,000 people were killed, mostly men and young boys.
Thousands of homes were burned or bombed, and many farms were destroyed. Over 70% of the animals in Kosovo were killed, stolen or slaughtered by the Serbs and their collaborators. Most of the small villages in Kosovo relied on farming for their livelihood and after the war they were left with no livelihood and no means to feed themselves. Servete Ramadani lived in a small Kosovan village called Krusha E Madhe that suffered greatly during the 1999 Kosovo conflict. Her husband and brother were among the 206 villagers that were killed and she is still searching for their bodies. She has been left to rear her young family, four boys and two girls, with only her elderly mother-in-law's help.
"When we returned to our village after the war', said Servete, ‘we learned the meaning of the word poor. We had nothing; no home, no income, there was no one to help and there were victims everywhere'.
Few animals were left alive after the war and those that did survive were deteriorating rapidly.
In March 2003 Bóthar began working with the villagers of Krusha E Madhe, by sending 42 families the gift of a food and income producing animal.
Today Bóthar is assisting over 100 families in the village using dairy cows, dairy goats and pigs. 30 more now have cows, goats or pigs from participants ‘passing on the gift'.
Servete remembers when the animals arrived ‘ in March 2003, 42 cows were given to the neediest families, our family was one of them. We had completed our training for some time and were waiting for the animals to arrive; every day we waited seemed like a week. When we first saw them it was truly one of the happiest days of our lives. The children were screaming from happiness. Now we have milk from the cows, the health of our children is tremendous. These animals have changed our lives forever'.
Servete says
"our village was known in all of Kosovo as the most affected by the conflict, but now it is known as a Bóthar success story. I wish to thank the people in Ireland who have helped us and to wish them a safe Christmas."
The Bó Vine Christmas 2004
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