Albina Avdiu: Becoming a role model
This is the story of Albina Avdiu, a young member of the Kosovo Ashkali community from the Podujevë/Podujevo municipality. The story is part of a series of OSCE Mission in Kosovo articles on the struggles and achievements of successful individuals belonging to the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in Kosovo. The OSCE Mission works with all communities in Kosovo to protect, promote and advance their rights.
Albina welcomed us to the Podujevë/Podujevo municipal building where she had just finished chairing a meeting of the Communities Committee (CC).
At 27, she is the first woman to be elected Chairperson of the CC in Podujevë/Podujevo. The committee is a mandatory body established within municipal assemblies and is mandated to promote communities’ rights and interests through ensuring the compliance of municipal legislation, policies, and practices with laws guaranteeing community rights.
“My engagement with community rights dates back to my teen years,” says Albina. “As a young Kosovo Ashkali woman, I decided to fight against the stereotypes that women of my community are uneducated and solely interested in early marriages. I just had to change that perception.”
The importance of education
School dropouts and early marriages still affect some youth from the Kosovo Ashkali, Kosovo Roma, and Kosovo Egyptian communities.
“This can be attributed to both a difficult economic situation and a vicious cycle in which parents, who had fewer educational opportunities, persuade their children to drop out of school to find employment,” says Dominik Drasnar, OSCE Mission in Kosovo Senior Communities Adviser.
“Early marriages is another matter that needs to be addressed,” he says.
A cluster survey conducted in 2013-2014 pointed out that one in five young women, aged 15 to 19, married prematurely and this proportion was strictly related to their level of education.
Albina has always been determined to reverse this trend. “The best thing is to lead by example,” she says.
My goal is to motivate youth, especially girls, to continue their education. I want to inspire them through my hard work and achievements.
Growing up surrounded by older siblings and friends who were attending high school and planning to pursue studies at university level, it did not take long for Albina to recognize the importance of education.
“I wanted to study hard”, she says. For Albina, ‘studying hard’ meant not only developing and improving herself, but also contributing to the Kosovo Ashkali, Kosovo Roma, and Kosovo Egyptians communities.
“From the very beginning I wanted to set an example for other girls and boys, just as my siblings and friends had done for me,” says Albina “
Becoming a role model
As she grew older, Albina did not shy away from putting in the effort. Between karate, in which she holds a black belt, volunteering in her municipality, and taking English language classes, she decided to undertake a deeper commitment to communities Kosovo-wide by studying law.
“My studies at the University of Prishtinё/Priština allowed me to become thoroughly informed about the legislative framework aimed at guaranteeing and promoting the rights of communities,” she says.
“In order to further expand my horizons, I also enrolled in the ABB College to study journalism. An extra challenge,” says Albina.
Currently, she is working as a TV moderator for the weekly programme Zeri i Ashkanlijve (‘The voice of Ashkali’) broadcast on RTK 1.
“This channel trusted me with a job and also gave me the role of a mediator, in a way. I am addressing the needs of communities of my audience. I try to give them all the necessary information on specific matters. Point them in the right direction,” says Albina.
During the research phase, before drafting the content for the show, Albina had an option to pass the information to the main news desk and have them take it further.
That did not feel right. I had to do it myself no matter how difficult and challenging. My job is to inspire others. I will do the best I can. I can promise that.
A black belt in karate has transformed into a black belt in leadership. Let us see what comes next.