Shqipe Kumanova
The interviewer: Let’s start the interview with the story of Nanë Tereza. You worked for Nanë Tereza.
Shqipe Kumanova: For 3 years, I guess…
The interviewer: 3 years. How did it all function in Nanë Tereza? What was its mission?
Shqipe Kumanova: It all started after all Albanian health institutions got closed and after all the teachers and the best doctors were fired. The people of our country had to do something about it and start something in a small building at least for the children. Then, we were offered an opportunity. Shaban had a big building, I don’t know exactly who he was, that’s how they called him, Shaban, and he let us use his house. We used the basement to take care of the children ages between 0 to 8 years old in one room, then another room of that building was used for children aged up to 15 years old. Upstairs were the pulmonologist and the internist. Then, step by step the surgery and the gynecology department got opened. The doctors were working as volunteers, like the gynecologists. A great number of women gave birth in Nanë Tereza. They were all scared, so they had to come here to Nanë Tereza since they didn’t feel safe giving birth somewhere where Serbians worked. The same happened in other departments like the surgical one. People felt scared to go to the hospital where Serbians worked. So, we had to open Nanë Tereza. I worked there for 3 years, in the internist department. I worked with both children and adults. I started working there right after I had graduated. We were looking forward to working as interns since we had just graduated and we needed to practice our profession; the practice and the experience are necessary and that pays off all the days we didn’t get any money. We worked there for three years and we never got a penny from it; the employees were not paid in Nanë Tereza. But, we got the needed experience. The conditions there then began to improve; the number of medicine started to increase and everything else was needed. Foreign people would provide us with such necessities and bring them by loading trucks. Food was also distributed to people like flour and everything else – milk and oil. Families living abroad would deliver them and people in need would stock up.
The interviewer: Let’s move on to when the situation worsens, the story of Jasharaj family when the war actually began.
Shqipe Kumanova: It was such difficult timing when we heard the news about the Jasharaj family and how the 50 members of the family were sacrificed for this country. It was distressing and we were left hopeless. I don’t know what else to say.
The interviewer: How do you remember the beginning of the bombings?
Shqipe Kumanova: The beginning of the bombing was difficult. We were all eyes and ears as the news on the radio and TV were delivered. We were waiting to see what would happen; would they bombard the place or not? We remember the first night of the bombings. We heard the explosion and we were scared and hopeless. We didn’t know what would happen next; they would bombard the Serbians but then what would happen to us; we were scared the Serbians would come to our houses and maltreat us… This lasted… the bombings occurred on March 24th, or by the end of March. I went to Bllaca on April 6th.
The interviewer: From Bllaca…
Shqipe Kumanova: It was March 31st I believe, or April 1st because I had stayed with all of them and for another 4 days with my mother – it seems like it was March 31st.
The interviewer: How did you make the decision to leave?
Shqipe Kumanova: Well, we suddenly just saw the great number of cars leaving…the police didn’t come to our house, but we saw a great number of cars and people just like at a big wedding.
The interviewer: What did you take with you?
Shqipe Kumanova: The main things as I told you earlier.
The interviewer: Can you list the things you took with you?
Shqipe Kumanova: I was actually confused but my mother and my sister-in-law, Diana, packed the things. I don’t know about it. The blankets, the diapers, the wet wipes, baby clothes, and similar stuff. Also, some food that my sister-in-law was able to get. She also put some tracksuits in a big bag and so on…
The interviewer: You set off in two cars…
Shqipe Kumanova: Yes, two cars…
The interviewer: How were you divided into cars? Was it crowded?
Shqipe Kumanova: Yes, yes, it was crowded…
The interviewer: How many family members…
Shqipe Kumanova: Too many family members, it was crowded for sure. But as they say, the more you are the better it is. Our only worry was to escape.
The interviewer: Then you stayed at Hani i Elezit…
Shqipe Kumanova: We stayed in Han Elez for 6 days. 5 nights and 6 days, on April 6th I believe, or not…
The interviewer: You mentioned that there were many paramilitaries on the first night there…
Shqipe Kumanova: On the first day that we got there, the day not the night… I remember that during the day we were waiting in a long line of cars which was 2 to 3 kilometers away from the border; Han Elez, in Bllaca. So, the car line was 5 to 6 kilometers long, maybe 10, I am not sure, but my family and I were only 1 or 2 kilometers away from the border. There were some vehicle military parades. They were all armed and masked. They wouldn’t allow you to get out of the car. They would force you to get inside the car and would shut aggressively shot your door. There were cases they hurt people’s arms or legs while closing the door, telling them to stay in with the door closed. First, there were only the paramilitaries, then the airplanes…
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The interviewer: So they would violently shut your doors…
Shqipe Kumanova: Violently…
The interviewer: And then on the following days?
Shqipe Kumanova: This didn’t happen in the following days. Perhaps, I can’t remember. But, I wasn’t that scared anymore since the airplanes started circling around and we would listen to the news on our car radios that America and the allies were protecting and helping us in this humanitarian disaster. We felt a little relieved and more relaxed when they would tell us not to be afraid as they had our back.
The interviewer: At first only your father and brother crossed the border…
Shqipe Kumanova: My father, brother, sister-in-law, and their two children. My brother had a certificate that proved that he was an OSBE employee and that’s how he passed the border. My mom, the other two children, and I were left in the other car…
The interviewer: Why were you left in the car and didn’t cross the border altogether?
Shqipe Kumanova: Because, you know, some people would leave their cars behind and cross the border but I wasn’t sure about leaving the car behind – what would we do without the car? We stayed there for another 4 days.
The interviewer: Was it cold?
Shqipe Kumanova: Not that cold since it was April. My mother would start the car sometimes for twenty minutes or half an hour. We had some blankets with us, thanks to my sister-in-law who had taken them from home. I don’t remember feeling cold. Of course, the people who were waiting behind us, the ones who were taken to Bllaca by train, so they got there by train, they were cold and went through more difficulties. We had it easier in this case since we were in a car. In comparison to them we were in a better condition.
The interviewer: Afterwards you went to Gostivar for 2 weeks…
Shqipe Kumanova: Yes, for 2 weeks. We stayed in Gostivar for around 2 weeks.
The interviewer: How was the house you stayed in?
Shqipe Kumanova: The house… the house was like an abandoned house. The owner left that house since he was living abroad. But, he let us stay there for 2 weeks. We had the elementary living conditions, we had a kitchen, rooms where we could rest, a bathroom, and so on. We made use of it. My sister was in Tirana, she got herself an apartment. My brother drove us to the border. My sister was waiting for us at the border and then we hopped in a taxi and went to Tirana…
The interviewer: You stayed in Tirana for 2 months…
Shqipe Kumanova: We stayed there for 2 months. We stayed there during the whole of April – so it was 2 full months.
The interviewer: How was your daily routine in Tirana; you told me they held classes there.
Shqipe Kumanova: Yes, they made it possible for us to have classes. We went there during a specific time and had classes. Some professors came to the University of Tirana and then we had classes – they planned out a learning schedule for certain students and the classes were held at an amphitheater. There was not a great number of students attending the classes but it was enough to make the learning process possible.
The interviewer: Then, you returned to Kosovo…
Shqipe Kumanova: Yes.
The interviewer: What was Prishtina like when you got back?
Shqipe Kumanova: It was… that probably was the most difficult moment of them all. When we got back the apartment was opened… the paramilitaries had slept there, they had lived there. It was filthy. But, it wasn’t burnt down. We then started cleaning everything and putting everything in its place…
The interviewer: And the house?
Shqipe Kumanova: The house in Tasligje, as I mentioned at the beginning, had the third floor burnt. Fortunately, the fire had stopped by itself; nobody stopped the fire, it was stopped on its own. We started cleaning and repairing the house. Seeing your house in such a condition was so difficult. But, on the other hand, since nobody was hurt, every family member was fine, so even if the house would have gotten burnt it would’ve been fine – it was something you could fix.
The interviewer: Thank you very much!