Beyond sight

An example and model woman to stay strong in the face of challenges and an unparalleled advocate for the rights of blind women in Kosovo, are the qualities with which the collaborators describe the director of the Committee of Blind Women in Kosovo, Bajramshahe Jetullahu. She continues to leave her mark on the empowerment and independence of blind girls and women in Kosovo even today

Life was not so fair and generous to Bajramshahe Jetullah, not even in early childhood, when she had taken her first steps. On the contrary. 

At the age of two she was left without one parent. The lack of mother's warmth and love caused her to suffer and not find peace. He had not stopped crying for a long time, and as a result, the optic nerve in both eyes was damaged, causing him to become blind. He needed several surgical interventions to enable the return of sight in one eye, and to make it easier for him to face the challenges that were not few.  

Bajramshahja recounts how, until the war, she managed to see enough to use the 36-letter alphabet, although she attended primary and secondary education in educational institutions for the blind - first in Mitrovica and Prizren, then in Croatia.

After finishing school, she found a job as a telephone operator at Radiotelevision of Prishtina, where she contributed for several years, until the period when all the Albanian workers of this company were expelled by the Serbian regime.

For economic reasons, she was forced to leave Kosovo for Italy, together with her children and husband. On the day when the Agreement to end the war was signed, she had planned to fly to Kosovo. But his trip was postponed after he faced another misfortune. He had injured his eye from an accidental fall, which caused him to lose his sight again.  

Even returning to his homeland, which was postponed for several months, was not easy. His house was burnt and destroyed. Also, he no longer had a secure job. 

But Bajramshahja, now 64 years old, the woman who lives between pain, sacrifice, solidarity, but also the will to stay strong, had not given up even before this challenge.

"I was an activist of the Association even before the war. When Serbia was there, we held meetings in Tokbashqe, in Germi, because we did not accept their laws, even after the war I became active. I realized that someone helped me when I needed someone. They remained with the consequences of the war, they remained very blind, and I said I want to do something. One from Sweden came to us, a blind woman, president of the European Union, and she is saying to me: 'Bajramshahe, why aren't you opening the women's association, you will have support from the embassies, you will have support from everyone,'" she said. Jetullah.

Bajramshahja implemented the initiative for the association in 2006, when the previously established activism was named the "Committee of Blind Women of Kosovo". This organization, which has nearly 800 members, aimed at empowering and empowering blind girls and women in Kosovo. 

"We have done various projects, as the first point was then, we said the eradication of illiteracy, but now we are saying the mitigation that eradication can never be, even though, for example, they have the black alphabet. Yes, well, if he is blind, regardless of where he came from, either from illness or from various tortures, then he remains illiterate because he cannot read with his eyes, cannot touch black writing with his hand.. .. Then we had that initiative in all seven associations, we took 6 of them in each association and taught them the Braille Alphabet, and then, in the following years, there were also different activities, e.g. sh. orientation in environment and space, even now, from time to time, kitchen training", she said.

Although as an organization it functions only through projects and donations, Bajramshahja says that whenever possible, it tries to help all people in need.

"We worked voluntarily, we don't care if we have projects or not, but has someone shown a need, has someone come to tell me: 'Director, I need to learn the Braille alphabet'." I have been able all day and night, even at 12 at night, if someone calls me to tell me e.g. "Director, I need to come to the Association for x problem", I was able to come even at night to help someone", Jetullahu said.

Initiatives for girls' education have not stopped even now. The Committee of Blind Women in Kosovo has donated several devices, called magnifying cameras, to various schools in the capital, where the request was submitted, helping students with vision problems.

"Wherever there is a woman who needs us, we are there. We do not hesitate whether mine is a member or not. Regardless if she's not my member she needs a typewriter, if I have one I'll take it to her. It's no problem because she's not my member. The main thing for us is that the blind benefit, but in this case especially the children and the students", said the director of the Blind Women's Committee.

A magnifying camera has taken up residence in one of the classrooms of the "Iliria" school in the capital. Two students of this school benefit every day from the device that facilitates the learning process. 

The teacher of the Albanian language, Shkëndije Olluri, tells about the advantages and facilities that have been offered to them for the realization of the lesson, since they have the equipment at their disposal.

"An extremely great job has been done, thanking the Association of Blind Women of Kosovo, by bringing this device. Previously, the students had difficulty reading a text to the end, now they read the whole text without any problem, just like the other students. So there is a very big difference compared to when this device was missing and now that we have the device available. This is a great help for other students, who may continue to have such problems", said Olluri.

The donation of this device in the first half of the year has influenced the students to learn the step and not fall behind in lessons, says the director of the "Iliria" school, Drita Nishefci, for which she feels grateful and grateful.

"In the lower cycle, the students had difficulties without this apparatus where the teacher, we have discussed time and time again, every time she was forced to photocopy every test, every lesson in larger letters to make it easier, but you also saw the work of the apparatus itself, ie. it is very easy, but it is very significant and it is very easy to engage the girls, work even during the class, that is. a great job has indeed been done. I thank the president of the Association, Bajramshaha Jetullahu, who did not hesitate for a minute to bring the apparatus when she received the information that the 'Iliria' school needs it, and believe me, an extraordinary work has been done", said Nishefci.

Among the six schools that have benefited from the magnifying camera from the Committee of Blind Women is the "Ismail Qemali" school in the capital. Director Mimoza Krasniqi has assessed this donation as necessary. 

"There is a large number of children with different abilities, the reason for the large number has been asked and we have exchanged emails about the number of students, the problems the children have. And they saw fit that this girl needs this device. If there had been no need, the school and the normal student who had not submitted, would have been sent to a school that has a more urgent need, this is the intention of the director of the Association to send her to our school, and I thank her very much" , said Krasniqi. 

In addition to the primary cycle, the Committee of Blind Women is committed to facilitating students' studies at the academic level. And this became possible through the audio recording of psychological books. After the Faculty of Psychology, the audio recording of the materials of the Faculty of Law also began last year.

The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Avni Puka, says that creating suitable conditions for all categories of students offers study opportunities without distinction.

"Of course, the Women's Committee is a special contribution, for which I congratulate and encourage them, that they really do a humanitarian work for a special category, even recording the books to have them in audio form in this stage for first-year students, for those who need it, is necessary for this category and we certainly appreciate it a lot and it is a help for future students who will potentially be part of the Faculty of Law", said Puka. 

Jetullah's contribution over the years has also been highly valued by the head of the Office for Good Governance within the Prime Minister's Office, Habit Hajredini.

"I have cooperated with Mrs. Jetullahu for many years, over 15 years, I know her. When we say institutional cooperation and beyond. She is one of the very pious activists who has pushed many processes thanks to our cooperation for the rights of blind women, of course, she leads such a coalition. She was one of those women who never stopped for us, not only with knocking, but also to look for and address other issues, but also at the same time, becoming a collaborator in solving problems", Hajredini said. .

He says that the Committee of Blind Women has raised its voice for the challenges of blind women, fighting non-stop for the respect of their rights.

"Our joint work and its journey has been very valuable, of course we have managed not only to raise the awareness of blind women, but also of the general public to respect the rights of blind people. It has been one of the key lobbyists and drivers to approve, initiate and develop the Law on Blind Persons. I have led this process and we have always cooperated closely with Mrs. Jetullahu in numerous meetings with women of different levels, from different areas that she has brought from Kosovo to the central level to raise concerns, to solve common problems. I can say that she is one of those very important figures in our country, not only she has that cause for the rights of people with disabilities, but as a blind woman herself she has played a role model, an example to work in it good for blind people", said Hajredini.

But the director of the Blind Women's Committee criticizes the institutions for negligence and unfulfilled promises over the years. It says that only two or three articles of the current Law on the Blind apply.

"We also need it, but they don't want to listen to those previous governments, nor this one today. We go and knock on their doors. Until we are inside, they tell us night and day the door is open for you. Well, even if we get out of there and you forgot something inside, that door closes. You can't even set the deadline. This is worse", said Bajramshahe Jetullahu.

Thanks to the various trainings he completed for handwork, Jetullahu is now able to weave clothes, and he also works on various details with special care.

She says that she donated some of the clothes she made together with other women a few years ago to people in need, during the earthquake in Albania.

But despite the training and independence of blind people, especially girls and women, she says that the institutions have not taken care to find suitable jobs for them and to organize them in institutions. It even says that the right to employment is not respected even as the law provides.

"I go to tell a parent, e.g. of Kaçanik. I go and I know it's a woman or a man, I go and tell him: 'You shouldn't let this be a burden on society in the future. You must give this child the opportunity to get an education, to become independent, to be the one who provides a living for himself and his family.' Then they are immediately reluctant, they don't send them... We have many students who are really punctual, have completed an education and are capable of their profession, but unfortunately where is the work? We are not guaranteed a job... And so, when we are making efforts to take the students to school, the parents, for example, are telling us: 'What if we take him to school, and then?'. Then, we cannot guarantee you a job, because anyone, the state should be the one who takes a step forward for employment", said Jetullahu.

Despite this, Bajramshahja asks women and young girls not to give up until their rights are realized.

"I begged the girls and blind women not to hesitate, to always fight for their rights and until they achieve them, not to be silent. The state has an obligation to implement everything that is foreseen by law, and we should not remain silent", said the director of the Blind Women's Committee.

As long as the institutions remain silent in the face of injustice, Bajramshahja will continue to support every blind woman and girl in Kosovo.

(This article was written within the "Human Rightivism" project, which is implemented by "Integra" and supported by the Community Development Fund - CDF and the Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo).