Cinzia D'Ambrosi

Skenderaj is a town in the district of Mitrovice in Kosovo and it is the most destroyed area from the war. The war started in this area and it ended here. It has had the majority of civilian killings and some villages have no men left: there are only widows with their children. Nowadays, the situation of the widows looks even more perilous after international organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans to engage with the Afghanistan emergency. I spent some time in the region and the most devastating consequences of the war is the destitution of the women, many left widows, with their children. Many of the widows are homeless, with no work. Some of them live in what once were their homes before being bombed. International aid were helping to slowly rebuild these homes, however, as the emergency response was terminating, the international bodies were moved out of the country leaving the women in devastating conditions, and at best in windowless rooms, with nothing more than a small stove and a mattress.

The province of Gjacova in Kosovo had the highest number of civilian fatalities during the Balkan war. Some villages, like Meje have no men left but their widows and children. The fate of these women increasingly uncertain as international charity organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans leaving the reconstruction process to an halt. Many home have been left half built. The widows and their children have had to seek shelter with relatives, whilst those that couldn't, live in very devastating conditions.

As Kosovo ravages in the conflict, casualties are grieved. Several women were left widowed- the majority without knowing where the bodies of the husband was, were left without closure. As Kosovo emerged from the war, district areas such as Skenderaj where the war began and ended, was left incredibly destroyed. The village of Meje in the district of Gjakova was left without any men alive and widows with their children were the sole inhabitants of the village. Women left widowed after the war were trying to piece together their lives whilst suffering from emotional and sometimes physical trauma. Their accounts did not differ much from one to another; their husbands and sons were taken away in the middle of the night never to be seen again. Some men were reported missing even after months- widows could not make peace with the death of their loved ones. With their lives still pending with many questions, women were left with their children without any means of sustainment and with their homes hardly habitable. The conditions were very dire, women and their children lived in rooms without windows, with a tiny stove for cooking and a mattress on the floor to sleep, eat and sit on. More fortunate widows and their children were able to take shelter with relatives living in better conditions. In Mitrovica, women widowed were receiving 60 Euros per month to live on and support themselves and their children. With this meagre sum, they could hardly make ends meet. One of the charities, Medicos del Mundo, created a number of workshops rooms where widows could meet one another and knit or sew together, whilst earning some money through the sales of their products. Over time the support from NGOs and international aid organisation were directed away from Kosovo leaving behind a considerable number of women widowed without any means, living in homes that were half built or in some cases were left homeless.

The Serbian population that has refused to leave their homes and lands are confined in enclaves. They self sufficient to a certain point as there is a school, a UN clinic but for everything else they would need to be escorted by a UN out of the enclave as deemed unsafe to leave.

The province of Gjacova in Kosovo is one of the most affected by the recent war in the Balkans. It is known for the war starting and ending in this region causing the majority of civilians killings in Kosovo. In some villages, like Meje there are no men left but their widows and children. The fate of these women is uncertain as international charity organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans. The re-construction process has halted leaving most homes half built and unsuitable to be inhabited. The widows and their children have had to seek shelter with relatives, whilst those that couldn't, live in very devastating conditions.

Prejudice and us documents the lives of young people in one of the most deprived and poor neighbourhoods in west London, North Kensington and White City. The project focuses on the effects of prejudice and racism in young people’s lives. Even at a young age, prejudice enters their lives in a number of ways; they are judged by what they wear, their skin colour, demeanour and socio-economic standing. Whilst the project provides an insight of young peoples daily lives, it also highlights how certain events such as profiling, and in particular racial profiling and police stop and search have become normal occurrences. The project aims to shine a light on the lives of young people, and the need to strengthen communication and understanding of their lives.