Brothers and best friends, they dig for water with their own hands and take care of the livestock every day. Even though there are no other children nearby, they love their village and know every stone by heart. The only thing they are missing are three bicycles.
Grizme, Kosovska Kamenica
The village of Grizme lies near Kosovska Kamenica, in the eastern part of Kosovo and Metohija, on the right bank of the South Morava River. It is situated along the Grizim stream and was divided more than a hundred years ago into Upper and Lower hamlets. It is believed that the village began as a resting place on the road between two monasteries Tamnica and Saint Mark.
The village of Grizme, Kosovska Kamenica
The Boys from Grizme
While looking for someone to tell us about life in Grizme, we met Danijel and Jovica Miljković—two cheerful and lively boys playing in their yard and caring for piglets. When we first saw them digging a small channel on the hillside, we thought it was just a game. But in fact, they do this at least several times a week to connect water for bathing and washing clothes. Danijel is 12, and Jovica is 14. Two years ago, they lost their father, and now there are thirteen family members living under one roof. The boys want to remain on their land and continue farming. They have already learned all the household chores and are helping their mother while caring for their family.
It is hard to imagine that what we call “everyday life” can look like this surrounded by meadows and pastures, enclosed by forests, and with very little connection to the rest of the world.
The villages around Kosovska Kamenica have hardly changed in the past 150 years. Even though some are only a few kilometers from the town center, they have no proper roads, no streetlights, and no regular transportation. More and more people are leaving the area, and young people are almost gone. Some families, after spending generations in the Kamenica hills, are forced to leave forever due to poor living conditions. Homes stand empty, households are neglected, and gates have long been shut and overgrown with weeds.
Once grouped by hamlets, most of the village was covered in forest. Until 1999, it was largely inhabited by Serbs, but the majority were forced to leave. Today, Grizma is nearly deserted. The only way to bring it back to life is through investments in agriculture and by helping the remaining residents maintain their households.
Report on the successful completion of the campaign: Bicycles arrive for the Miljković brothers (19.05.2021)
