Rabie Selmani, Kosovo

The first sponsored sister through WOMEN FOR WOMEN ORGANIZATION

 Rabie Selmani

43 years old

Mother of 4

From Kosovo

Sister since July 2009

Graduated June 2010

RABIE'S LETTER TO ME

8 March 2010

I hope that my letter finds you and your family well and in good spirit. I am writing this brief letter to you because I want to wish you a happy 8th of March.

The 8th of March in Kosovo is considered to be the Mother's Day, so we celebrate this day in order to honor the mothers and all that they do for us.

I sincerely wish you a long, healthy and happy life together with your most loved ones.

IN KOSOVO

Kosovo was the site of ethnic cleansing, mass rapes and looting during the Balkan Wars in the 1990s.In 2008, the disputed area of Kosovo split from Serbia to become its own country. Although most of the country savors its hard-won independence, tensions between ethnic groups still run high, and the country is struggling to find its way as a new nation.Bearing the heaviest burdens of post-war reconstruction are Kosovo's women. Many are widows, who must provide for their families alone. Persistent gender inequality coupled with a 44.2 percent unemployment rate makes this nearly impossible. 

Unemployment disproportionately affects young women and those with a limited education. The per capita income in Kosovo is just $2,500 a year–among the very lowest in Europe.Kosovo has beautiful, fertile land that goes unused. It has rich natural resources that remain untapped. And its women are desperate to prove that they can contribute to their fledgling nation.Women for Women International is working with women in Kosovo to help them rebuild their lives.