Roma Family Rebuilds Life and Looks to the Future
The Jahiris are a Roma family of ten who escaped the Kosovo conflict in 1999. They once lived on half a hectare of land, growing greenhouse vegetables, in Podujevo. There, Djemailj also worked as a carpenter. Those years now seem long ago.
Looking for refuge in Krusevac, they settled in a ruined house on a small plot of land owned by Djemailj Jahiri's brother. The nearest source of water is a stream two kilometers from the house. To bring water for the family, the greenhouse and livestock, Djemailj had to ferry it on the back of a horse making three trips a day.
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| Djemailj Jahiri next to his new moto-cultivator |
Djemailj's primary need was more frequent transportation of water to grow vegetables in the greenhouse, as the distance from the well made it technically impossible to use a pump. Djemailj applied for assistance through USAID’s Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program to purchase a 12-horsepower moto-cultivator.
Today, he is able to use the vehicle to pull a cart bearing a tank containing four times the amount of water his horse could carry. The thrice-daily trips to the stream have been reduced to one; transporting vegetables to the local market has also become faster and more efficient. Djemailji now has a new plan to develop his own little farm. He is exploring the possibility of digging a well on his land. It would help him expand vegetable production, and start raising cattle.
According to the 2002 Serbia census, there are 1,746 Roma living in the municipality of Krusevac. Most Roma are not as fortunate as Djemailj. They live in illegal settlements on the edges of towns, in barracks, makeshift shacks and hovels made of nylon and cardboard, with no basic sanitary conditions. If they're lucky, they find jobs as casual laborers, mostly just picking up scrap cardboard and metal to feed their families.
Through the Community Revitalization through the Democratic Action (CRDA) program, USAID has supported 28 community development projects that involved the Roma community in the municipality of Krusevac. One of them included assistance to Djemailj Jahiri.
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