Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

A Day with a Displaced Family from Tanushevci
When Desires and Dreams
Lose Their Meaning
110
"I remember it
like it was
today. The war
in Tanushevci
began with the
holiday of
Bajram. My
mother had
prepared
baklava and
we could hardly
wait for the
moment to sit
on the table
together and
try the sweet.
And do you
know what
happened: we
never tried
that baklava,"
says Shaip
from the village
of
Tanushevci
who together
with his family
was forced to
leave the village
and his
home
Valdete Ismaili
"We were not so poor
when we lived at our home
in Malina, but with the start
of the war we were forced to
hit the road not knowing
where we might end up. It
has been two years that we
have been changing
dwellings in Skopje trying to
find a refuge from cold, from
destitution, from hunger…"
This is how Ferat Nebiu
explains his experience as a
resident of the village of
Malina, who together with
his family are living in a
rented place in Gazi Baba.
This seven-member family,
because of the conflict
that started in February
2001, moved like many other
families from the village of
Malina and temporarily
moved to a house in Vizbeg.
"We had never experienced
a colder winter than
the one during our time at
that house. It was only then
that I realized how serious
cold can be. My big toe
blackened from frostbite,
because we did not have anything
to heat ourselves with.
We spent a whole winter
without any heating fuel.
Only God knows how we
made it," says Ferat Nebiu.
This winter the Nebiu
family is spending their winter
with two cubic meters of
wood, provided by compassionate
people. He thanks
them saying that "this winter
will be warmer compared to
the previous ones."
Out of four rooms in the
two-story decrepit house, the
family was able to put to use
only one room. Everyone
who has had the opportunity
to see where this family
lives, has concluded that it is
impossible for a human to
live here. However, it is here
that the Nebiu family from
Malina are forced to seek
refuge.
The Nebiu family pays
25 euros a month in rent for
the half-ruined house. The
yard of this house contains a
large open area of garbage,
which look as if you are
present in a fully ruined
house. The outer appearance
is terrifying, just as the interior
one is, where seven souls
reside. In the second floor
railing there are boxes where
the family keeps their scarce
clothing.
Ferat Nebiu's spouse,
Mukades, says that she does
not have anywhere to properly
fold the family's clothes.
She also says that she has no
place to put the kitchen utensils,
which are few. They
cannot sleep comfortably in
their only room. We can only
imagine seven members of a
family lying down in one
room.
"We have breakfast like
every other family. We
spread the table, we put in
the middle a plate with urda,
bread and tea. Maybe in the
future we will have better
days," says Mukades, while
hoping to give hope to her
three children, who have
been following our discussion
the whole time with particular
attention.
"Since days are short
now and the nights are long,
we only eat twice a day.
Well, truly that is how often
we eat during summer as
well. We have supper with
whatever we find. The neighbors,
humanitarian associations,
from time after time
they open their hand to offer
us food. We spent the month
of Ramadan not so badly. We
thank the newspaper Fakti
who made our painful situation
public. We were helped
by known and unknown people,
so that we welcomed the
festival of Bajram in true
happiness," says Mukades,
while adding that "in Malina
Life on the margins, February 2003