Kosovo Youngsters

Three quarters of Kosovans are under 35, a great advantage for an otherwise disadvantaged country. Hana Qerimi has founded a school that teaches children to be programmers, preparing them for the world of today and tomorrow.

In Kosovo, Albanians and Serbs do not often mix. However, in the small town of Kamenica, co-existence is peaceful with both ethnic groups going to the same cafés and markets. This is the work of the town’s young mayor, Qendron Kastrati.

Language is a major obstacle in overcoming cultural barriers in Kosovo. Most Albanians don’t speak Serbian and Serbs don’t speak Albanian. Bojan Stamenkovic speaks both languages fluently and he is breaking down barriers with his language classes.

Kosovo is the only state in Europe without visa liberalisation meaning very few can leave the country. Perparim Kryeziu was one of the lucky few able to study outside of Kosovo with the Erasmus programme. He is determined to use his intellect and education to open up opportunities for young Kosovans

Spring 1999 was the beginning of freedom for Albanian communities in Kosovo and a sad period for Serbian communities. In Pristina we meet Egzon Mustafa, a rock musician playing in a band which brings together the communities.

Mitrovica is still a divided city with Serbians on the North side and Albanians on the south side with EU peacekeepers still present. Jelena Zafirovic is a musician whose band crosses the ethnic divide.

28-year-old Marko Rakic runs an NGO in the Serbian area of Mitrovica. It helps young people to access training and supports social and cultural projects. He sees Serbians in Kosovo as second-class citizens, neglected by both Pristina and Belgrade.

The War in Kosovo has left behind around 4,500 landmines and 90,000 explosive remains. Deminers such as 29-year-old Donjeta Krasniqi are working hard to make the land safe, a dangerous job that she finds highly rewarding.

Fitore Gashi is a primary school teacher in Prizren in southern Kosovo. The school brings together two ethnic groups, Albanians and Romas. In a society with a lot of discrimination, it takes trust to convince parent to allow their children to be taught by a teacher of another ethnicity.

Uta Ibrahmi was the first Kosovan to climb Mount Everest where she took the Albanian and Kosovan flag. She sees herself as an ambassador for her country and wants to inspire others to believe that anything is possible.

Nearly 100,000 Kosovans have left the country since 2014. Filmmaker Ilir Hasanaj went in the opposite direction. Having let Kosovo with his family in the 1990s for Switzerland, he has now come back to Pristina to help rebuild cultural life in the city.

Adelina Tershani is 21 and one of the leaders of the feminist movement in Kosovo. She challenges patriarchal views with slam poetry.