WEDDINGS ARE A BUSINESS HERE, BUT THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

25. June 2020.

Presevo – In the summer, Presevo, a municipality in South Serbia, is full of people returning from the diaspora to spend their summer holidays there. This year the situation is different. The corona virus has disrupted many plans and has caused fear and uncertainty.

People from Presevo earn the most from weddings, but such moments are rare now. The “Besa” restaurant is just one of many restaurants where weddings are organized, and Fitim Kamberi runs the business himself.

“Weddings are usually booked a year in advance, sometimes two. We usually work with the diaspora - when there are no members of the diaspora, there is no work for us, "he says.

Business is stagnating this year. People are cautious, and a large diaspora is returning home. Those who would be his guests are mostly in Germany or Switzerland.

Aljtim Borici runs the Youth Office at the Presevo Cultural Center, where he tries to find them jobs. For most of them there is no dilemma, the only possibility is to leave.

“Presevo is a small place and art is not appreciated. For most people, there is no future here, "says Vlera Fejzulahu, one of the self-taught artists in the city.

Young people start thinking about leaving early, no matter how much they would like to stay. Their plan is to move somewhere where they could earn money, and visit their country only as tourists. According to Mr. Borici, 70 to 80% of young people never return.

Sciprim Arifi was born and raised in Germany, but is now the President of the municipality of Presevo. For him, but also for the citizens, the biggest problem is the economy, because there is almost no work in the private or public sector.

Bogoslav and Gorica Stanojkovic live peacefully, but they agree that there is no place for young people here.

“It is not bad for me here, I have what I have. While I was working, I was making money. Now it is a little difficult ", says Bogoslav, adding that he would also go to Germany to work, if only he could.

"We have nowhere to get a job, some factories should be opened. Young people can go somewhere, for instance, to Belgrade...... We, elderly people, have nowhere to go, we can only wait for retirement ", Gorica says.

Their family friend Mehmet Hiseni has four children - two in Belgium and two in Switzerland.

“I asked them to get educated and stay here. But they did not see any perspectives here. We are doing well economically, but another country is another country. We are getting older and are thinking about who will take care of us in the future. It’s hard,” Mehmet says.

Source: B92 and Coordination Body