Koki
September 13, 2009
By: Rand Engel and Chris Lewis
Orhan "Koki" Butic is 26 years old. He comes from a Roma community in a village called Livade in Kosovo; a rural hamlet with an ethnic Serbian and Roma population ("Roma" is the non-pejorative name for the people often referred to as Gypsies). As with most Roma men, he lives with his family where he grew up, his wife having come to join him and his family when they were married. He supports himself, wife, one son, and his mother, as his father died this year.
Koki has been working as a learning facilitator with the Balkan Sunflowers learning centers for over 3 years. This is comparable perhaps to the Child Development Center in Baje Amli. Koki's sister, Aziza, has worked with Balkan Sunflowers for almost 5 years. When we had an opening on our learning center staff, he applied and was accepted. He works at our learning center in Gračanica, about 10 kilometers from his home in Livade.
For background we have centers in 4 communities with approximately 500 children participating daily. They are supported in their work by full-time learning facilitators, as well as tutors who are secondary school age youth (mostly from their communities who work with the younger children 2-3 hours per day). Our learning centers are attended by children from the Roma community.
Koki became interested in university as he thought it was the best way for him to help his family and his community. He applied for a scholarship being offered by KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo. The scholarship covers his tuition and test fees, but not books or travel costs.
The course he is pursuing is "Customs and Trade," which will prepare him most for a position in
government or private business. One of his professors has recently been encouraging him to seek a Masters Degree when he has completed his undergraduate. He is thinking seriously about it, and how he can make it happen.
Koki is doing well in his courses; he shows me his marks. He is the first of his family to attend
university and one of the few from the Roma community in Kosovo to attend at all. His university is not directly relevant to his work in the learning centers, though it is a strong role model for the youth and the younger children to see his effort in attending university. When he graduates, he may have the opportunity to work in government or the private business sector. That would drastically improve the situation of his family and, unfortunately, mean that we would lose him. But of course, that is fine too.
The daily drive, which is only plausible, unfortunately, with a private car, is about 10 kilometers from Livade to the center. When he goes to university after work, the drive is about 15 kilometers, and then about 23-24 kilometers back home to Livade.
Koki has completed 1.5 years of school, and has another 1.5 years ahead of him. For the 2008-2009 year, he still needs about €80 for school books and €400 for petrol. For the 2009-2010 year, and graduation, he needs approximately €160 for school books and €900 for petrol.
Koki has made the commitment. He is finding a way to do what he needs. It is very important to him to go to university and to have more success in life.
Balkan Sunflowers is an organization founded in 1999 to aid the Kosavar refugees. See this wikipedia article for an overview of the tension leading up to the conflict. In June of 2009, my good friend Soledad Pagliuca of the Saint Augustine - Baracoa Friendship Association introduced me to Rand Engel. Rand is an International Coordinator at Balkan Sunflowers, with a deep passion for the reconstructive work the organization was founded to do. He shared with ROSA LOVES the story of Orhan Butic, a young man from one of the communities served by the organization. After hearing his story, ROSA LOVES decided to partner with Balkan Sunflowers and cover some of his university expenses. Following is the story of Orhan, as told by Rand.
Orhan "Koki" Butic is 26 years old. He comes from a Roma community in a village called Livade in Kosovo; a rural hamlet with an ethnic Serbian and Roma population ("Roma" is the non-pejorative name for the people often referred to as Gypsies). As with most Roma men, he lives with his family where he grew up, his wife having come to join him and his family when they were married. He supports himself, wife, one son, and his mother, as his father died this year.
Koki has been working as a learning facilitator with the Balkan Sunflowers learning centers for over 3 years. This is comparable perhaps to the Child Development Center in Baje Amli. Koki's sister, Aziza, has worked with Balkan Sunflowers for almost 5 years. When we had an opening on our learning center staff, he applied and was accepted. He works at our learning center in Gračanica, about 10 kilometers from his home in Livade.
For background we have centers in 4 communities with approximately 500 children participating daily. They are supported in their work by full-time learning facilitators, as well as tutors who are secondary school age youth (mostly from their communities who work with the younger children 2-3 hours per day). Our learning centers are attended by children from the Roma community.
Koki became interested in university as he thought it was the best way for him to help his family and his community. He applied for a scholarship being offered by KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo. The scholarship covers his tuition and test fees, but not books or travel costs.
The course he is pursuing is "Customs and Trade," which will prepare him most for a position in
government or private business. One of his professors has recently been encouraging him to seek a Masters Degree when he has completed his undergraduate. He is thinking seriously about it, and how he can make it happen.
Koki is doing well in his courses; he shows me his marks. He is the first of his family to attend
university and one of the few from the Roma community in Kosovo to attend at all. His university is not directly relevant to his work in the learning centers, though it is a strong role model for the youth and the younger children to see his effort in attending university. When he graduates, he may have the opportunity to work in government or the private business sector. That would drastically improve the situation of his family and, unfortunately, mean that we would lose him. But of course, that is fine too.
The daily drive, which is only plausible, unfortunately, with a private car, is about 10 kilometers from Livade to the center. When he goes to university after work, the drive is about 15 kilometers, and then about 23-24 kilometers back home to Livade.
Koki has completed 1.5 years of school, and has another 1.5 years ahead of him. For the 2008-2009 year, he still needs about €80 for school books and €400 for petrol. For the 2009-2010 year, and graduation, he needs approximately €160 for school books and €900 for petrol.
Koki has made the commitment. He is finding a way to do what he needs. It is very important to him to go to university and to have more success in life.
