Clltheroe Advertiser & Times, August 5th, 1999 Ciitheroe 422324 (Editorlai), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


It’s all down to interpretation — but no one doubts vital role of Kosovar sisters


by Ben Carlish


THE daily running of the Calderstones Kosova Village depends on the dedicated efforts of three


Kosovar interpreters. But, aside from the obvious


practicalities of communica­ tion between Kosovars and the centre's staff, interpreters like Vlora Dedaj play an intrinsic role in emotionally supporting their compatriots who have been torn by the ravages of war and genocide. Vlora, a strikingly beautiful


a young exiled Kosovar moth­ er through the Caesarean birth of her child at Manches­ ter’s St Mary's Hospital, and the subsequent nine-hour operation to save the little girl's life (the full story fea­ tured in last week's Ciitheroe


Advertiser and Times). "They were really scared,


because they had been through a lot. They had come to a new country with a new language and culture. To then find out their first child could die if not operated on, was a terrible shock," reflects Vlora. For nine excruciatingly


28-year-oId woman from Pristina, came to London five years ago to work with chil­ dren with disabilities. At the start of the war she


over and everything had gone OK, yes, it was quite an emo­ tional moment."


Manager Mrs Sheila Blakey interjects. "Vlora was incredi­ ble. She deserves a lot of cred­ it for the help she gave to those parents. She only came here on a temporary basis to begin with, but we were so impressed with her, I asked her if she could stay longer." It is a relationship of mutu­


Kosova Village Project . have been through so much,"


she says. Her younger sister,Trime


the chance to visit them. Of course, there were a lot of


(20), also volunteered as an interpreter and has now joined her. They live together in rented accommodation in


al admiration. "I have fallen in love with the Ribble Valley,


tense hours, Vlora was the couple's only means of finding out the fate of their tiny


offered her linguistic capabili­ ties to the Red Cross and was posted to Calderstones. The level of support she has pro­ vided has stretched to helping


daughter.At the bedside of the moth­ er throughout, she divided her time between canvassing hos­ pital staff for progress reports and offering words of comfort to the fearful couple.


"When it was finally all Vlora.


and I love the people I work with; both the staff and the village residents, beams


The endless stream of warm greetings she receives


,


from residents, who pass us by as we talk, appears to confum her popularity among the


Kosovars. "It is impossible not to


make friends when you work so closely with people who


eldest sister Arta (30), are now happy in the knowledge that their own mother and father are safe. But they had to endure dark days of uncer­ tainty at the beginning of the war, when, like so many Koso­ vars and Serbs living abroad, they found themselves pray­ ing for relatives back home. She explains: "The bombing


Ciitheroe. Both women, and their


tears."For the immediate future, Vlora is staying in the Ribble Valley as long as she is need­ ed. Thankfully, she has a sup­ portive boss back in London who has given her leave of absence. As for the long term, she


does not know when she will be able to return to her home country again and is even more unsure of what she will


find when she dora. She explains stoically:


started where they lived. They are not that young and suffer poor health. For two weeks we lost contact with them and then we found out they had made it to Macedo­ nia and were staying with friends. I went over there to work in the camps and I had


"Every time I talk about it, I have this vision of the way I left Kosova and it's like a dream. I simply can't imagine what it is like now. When I watch it on television, it’s like watching another country. I know, when I go back, it's going to be completely differ­


ent." Looming?


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SISTERS Vlora and Trime Dedaj take time out from their responsibilities as interpreters.


(020899/9/23). Photo: Colin Horne


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Sunny smiles tell the story of children who have learned to forget war horror


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IT is a beautiful sunny summer's morning at the Kosovar Village and the picture is one of complete tranquillity, writes Ben Carlish. Beaming children sit in a


unteers worked like beavers to get the place ready for


the children. Furnishing the class­


semi-circle, cross-legged, enthusiastically chanting nursery rhymes.


‘f f i i t t rm i t c s appear Wright carefully vetted and cer (300799/12/A5a); --------Wi th teachers iixe ivirs leuis


dren should do, and the incomprehensible horrors


rooms was the next stage. Providing toys for the chil­ dren happily proved to be improblematic, with a mas­ sive response to appeals for such items for the little ones. With teachers like Mrs


they left behind in their homeland seem very far


away.It was a,much different scene when they first arrived, as their acting teacher Mrs Lisa Wright, of Ciitheroe, explains. "When they first came here they were really quiet. They seemed startled by what had happened to them, but now you can see thy have really opened up and relaxed," says Mrs Wright, a mother of an 18-month-old baby and a former teacher at Peniscowles Primary School in Blackburn. "It's been a challenge, but


unexpected teething prob- j, i^g (300799/12/- lems prompted by cultural differences, whereby parents wanted classes to be run in the morning, so as not to interfere witli the children's afternoon siestas. Kosovan mothers are keen to accom­ pany their children in class­ es which, while unconven­ tional by English classroom standards, has not seemed to cause too may problems. "It's been a pleasure to sec


re


the developments that have taken place here," says Chatburn's Mrs Marjorie Birch, early years develop­ ment officer. It is not just the children


very rewarding," she add^ We can see the difference in them, just from how much


they have learned." Mrs Wright is just one of


OUR pictures show (from the top clockwise) Koso­ van children enjoying their nursery rhyme time with their Ciitheroe teacher, Mrs Lisa Wright, (left) and Mrs Marjorie Birch, of Chatburn, the county council Early Years' Development Offi-


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carcfTTC and happy, as chil- interviewed, the ^hool was Mrs Wright helping keep •


children their daily ^ Lancashire


, .L_ ready to swing into action . (he doctor away by giving There were a few not


Education Committee chairman County Coun. John Fillis being present


ed with a red rose by Edon Sadja, a pupil at tlie


Kosova Village Laneside School (300799/12/-


A13a). Photos; Dave Harwood.


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many in the Kosovar Vil­ lage who have pulled together, to make it a geri- uine haven. The school, opened to the scrutiny of the local press and county council education chiefs^this week, was another facility at the village which had to be hastily prepared for the imminent arrival of the refugees in May. I t was located in what


who have benefited from classes. Thanks to close col­ laboration with Accrington and Rossendale College, there is not one Kosovar in the village who has not improved their spoken and written English while here, through enthusiastically attending on-site lessons up to three times a week. With youth and commu­


nity workers running day outings, every resident at the village has benefited educationally and socially while at Caldcrstones. "Once again, it's been


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