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15 images Created 5 Jan 2021

Kosovo Widows of War (GRAIN)

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.
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  • Skenderaj in Kosovo is the most destroyed area from the war. The war started in this region and it ended here. It has had the majority of numbers of civilian killings and some villages like Meje have no men left: there are only widows with their children.<br />
Nowadays, the situation of the widows looks even more perilous after international organisations are slowly moved from the Balkans. Some of the widows live in homes that were slowly being rebuilt with the aid of international aid organizations but now left half built. Many of the widows are still homeless. The luckier ones take shelter with relatives but many live in very devastating conditions: in tiny rooms with a little stove, mattress on the floor to sleep and to sit on.
    cinzia_widowsofwar01.jpg
  • Widows of war in Kosovo. After the war, some of villages like Meje have no men left. Many widows have no means of sustainment. Ngos assisted the widows in rebuilding their homes. However, the Ngos support has diminished to null after they have been moved to Iraq and Afghanistan. This decision has left the widows in unfinished homes and no one to turn to for any support.
    cinzia_widowsofwar02.jpg
  • Widows of war in Kosovo. After the war, some of villages like Meje have no men left. Many widows have no means of sustainment. Ngos assisted the widows in rebuilding their homes. However, the Ngos support has diminished to null after they have been moved to Iraq and Afghanistan. This decision has left the widows in unfinished homes and no one to turn to for any support.
    cinzia_widowsofwar03.jpg
  • Ageja Sokoli. Widow of war. Her four sons are still missing and husband were taken away by the serbian police in a night raid. She has never seen them since. Their bodies have never been found. She is holding a picture of her husband.
    cinzia_widowsofwar04.jpg
  • Kosoli family, missing brothers ( from left, Kastriot, Kriste, Simon,Gjerg,Filip). One night the Serbian military invaded many homes in the Meje village. All the men were taken away and since then are missing. Their bodies have never been found.
    cinzia_widowsofwar05.jpg
  • Meje is a village in the district of Gjakova, which has no men left as a consequence of the war. Maria Sokoli, 80 years old has 5 members of her family missing: Simon, Krista, Filip, Kastriot and Pashka. Her niece Diana sitting next to her is looking after her
    cinzia_widowsofwar06.jpg
  • In the village of Meje there is no men left. They were taken away by the Serbian police in a night raid. Since then most families don't know where they were taken to. The official line is that they are missing.
    cinzia_widowsofwar07.jpg
  • There are some villages in Kosovo where there are no men left, being taken from the serbian army and still today many are missing.
    cinzia_widowsofwar08.jpg
  • In Kosovo, some of the villages like Meje has no men left. The widows with their children have a difficult life. Their homes are mostly unfinished after Ngos were sent away from the country and their meagre support of 60Euros is meant to support the whole family for a month. A widow of Meje with 5 children.
    cinzia_widowsofwar09.jpg
  • The impact of war on children is devastating. Fending off their trauma, they miss out on forming friendships, schooling and their lives scarred by utter poverty.
    cinzia_widowsofwar010.jpg
  • Widows of war in Kosovo. After the war, some of villages like Meje have no men left. Many widows have no means of sustainment. Ngos assisted the widows in rebuilding their homes. However, the Ngos support has diminished to null after they have been moved to Iraq and Afghanistan. This decision has left the widows in unfinished homes and no one to turn to for any support.
    cinzia_widowsofwar11.jpg
  • M. with her children. She is left a widow and receives 60 Euros<br />
a month for maintenance.  With this meagre income she can hardly make ends meet. Her eldest son has had to take charge in the upkeep of the family to help.
    cinzia_widowsofwar012.jpg
  • Some of the international aid organisations like Medicos del Mundo opened workshops rooms for widows to use to sew and knit and make clothing that they could sell. A woman says that there is more comfort in being together with other women living similar circumstances in making an income as generally most women in Kosovo know how to sew or knit.
    cinzia_widowsofwar013.jpg
  • Widows of war receive 60 Euros for maintenance. With this meagre income they can hardly make ends meet. Often if they have a son, he is going to work at an early age to help out the family.
    cinzia_widowsofwar014.jpg
  • During my time in Kosovo, one of the widows invited me to live with her and her children. This is M. who lives with her children in Mitrovice. Her husband was killed during the war.
    cinzia_widowsofwar015.jpg