Helping Roma women of Prilužje/Prelluzhë sew for style and sustainability
A 30-minute drive from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo headquarters takes us to the village of Prilužje/Prelluzhë in Vushtrri/Vučitrn municipality, where a small community of Kosovo Roma live. The sky is dim in the cold February weather and the narrow village streets are almost empty and quiet, but the feeling changes as soon as we approach the Learning Centre in the village.
There, the staff of Romano Anglunipe, the NGO that runs the centre, do not mind the cold as they cheerfully go about their tasks and prepare to receive a donation of sewing machines from the OSCE.
Among the people extending us a warm welcome are Elma and Almira Emini, and Florije Burgazi, beneficiaries of the donation. All three of them were among a larger group of women that attended a three-month tailoring course organized by the OSCE Mission with the NGOs Romano Anglunipe and Hareja in the fall of 2021, which aimed to equip them with skills that would help generate income.
Shaping the future
As the staff members of the OSCE Mission and Romano Anglunipe set up the machines in the next room, we sit down with Elma, Almira and Florije for a chat. They say the tailoring course was very helpful and gave them the skills that could lead to work and even starting their own business in the future, but since they had no machines, they could not make use of them.
“We did not have sewing machines or working conditions, but we had the knowledge that we gained, so we went to the OSCE-organized Women’s Economic Empowerment activity in August 2022 and asked for support. A while later, we were happy to learn that we would get a few sewing machines as a donation to begin our work,” says 20-year old Elma.
Although small, according to Elma, the donation goes a long way towards helping them shape their future.
“I think we took a big step in our community, since, as you know, Roma women and girls rarely work and are mostly unemployed — and none have their own business. We consider that we made a huge step and we hope to be successful,” she adds.
Small steps for big dreams
When we ask them what plans they have for the next five years, Elma nervously laughs and shrugs. “It’s better if we say dreams. We can’t really plan much, but our dream is to open our own businesses,” she says.
Seventeen-year-old Almira, the youngest of the group, adds: “My dream is to be a designer. I like to draw, especially dresses, and I will help with designing the clothes that we will make as a group.” “I will do the actual sewing,” says Elma, while Florije is quick to jump in with a loud laugh, “I will resort to ironing, then!”
They all seem enthusiastic, yet cautiously optimistic, for the opportunity to make use of their talents and training.
Starting a business as the ultimate goal
Congratulating the young women on their new machines, Bekim Karaxhija from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo says, “This is exactly what we were trying to achieve with this project: to help these young women generate income and ultimately establish their own business.”
As the machines are finally set up, Elma, Almira and Florije sign the handover documents and move to the next room to try them out.
“This will be our working place and we will be the first women in our community here to be tailors and hopefully own a business,” says Elma as she sits down to try one.
“They have the machines now, and a working space. Success will be entirely up to them,” remarks Selajtin Emini, the Romano Anglunipe director.
Elma and her friends have already been preparing for it. Elma says her aunt will be her first client, while Almira has already been working on her sketches.
“We will surely do our best to make our dream come true,” they conclude.