Translation provided by KoSSev
The lack of cultural, sports and other activities that affect the quality of life of children and youth are typical of the village of Gorazdevac. The number of students of Gorazdevac secondary school is decreasing with each passing year. Many young people do not picture themselves living here anymore, while there are no jobs for those who do complete their education. In a reportage produced by Radio Gorazdevac with the support of KoSSev, IOM and the British Embassy, the Gorazdevac residents spoke about what drives young people to leave this village.
Andjelko Zdravkovic studies in North Mitrovica but spends every day off in Gorazdevac. According to him, for the young people who live here, every day is the same.
“We mostly gather at a nearby cafe, we play sports a little, do some recreation and a lot of people mostly study in North Mitrovica and in other cities in Serbia. Unfortunately, there are not many young people in this village anymore. Those of us left – we try to make our lives a little more interesting, because we live in an enclave. I would say that our most important issue is finding a job, because that is the reason why a large number of young people have left Gorazdevac,“ Zdravkovic told Radio Gorazdevac.
Zdravkovic recalled the time when young people from Gorazdevac gathered around the Cultural and Art Society, which closed down in the meantime due to a lack of support and poor conditions.
„It really worked, I can freely say, forcibly, because we worked in inhumane conditions. We had rehearsals at the House of Culture, where we often stayed late, so that our skits and dances were the best. However, due to the cold and these inhumane conditions, the Cultural Arts Society could not continue. Unfortunately, we fell apart,“ he stressed.
The Directorate for Culture, Youth and Sports in the Municipality of Pec said that the youth from Gorazdevac did not send requests to this institution. Aver Husaj of the youth department told Radio Gorazdevac that the youth of this village „needs to be more active“ in solving their problems.
„Firstly, they should know who they are, what they want, and to who they need to turn to. Problems are of infrastructural nature, a place where they need to gather and where they can discuss problems and create activities. To develop their cultural heritage but also to become acquainted with the cultural heritage of the communities that live in the area of Gorazdevac and Pec,“ Husaj said.
Those who monitor these issues daily confirm that a significant number of young people have left Gorazdevac. On the one hand, young people are passive, and on the other, institutions are not interested in encouraging them to stay, Milic Petrovic, a journalist from Gorazdevac, said.
„I often have the opportunity to talk to the young people who live here, I can say that they are the most disappointed and the most dissatisfied part of society. The authorities do not have a clear strategy on how to keep the younger population here and that is why they do not see themselves here,“ Petrovic said.
Although the number of young people is decreasing, the recently opened Martial Arts Club „Vukovi“, which brought together more young people than the initiators of the idea themselves expected, certainly gives hope for the future.
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