ALBANIAN REFUGEES
| ISRAEL LOVES CHILDREN Nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced. I arrived in Bus number 3 from the airport in Macedonia, where it looked like what it was; a war-zone. Kosovo was barely 7 kilometers from where we were in Skopje, after all. Army trucks and military vehicles of all description lined the runway as we taxied in on El Al from Ben Gurion Airport, Israel. I was fortunate to be part of this group on one of their regular relief flights delivering more aid from Israel. For me it meant visiting the refugee camps and hopefully to bring back some Olim; I expected a "moving" experience. With us from Israel came all the major news journalists and crew from around the world, a few days after the cease-fire. Arriving back (in SA ) almost two weeks after this moving trip I expected to find this story "old"- and yet - no one had heard - no one knew what "OUR children" were accomplishing in the refugee camps of Macedonia. They could hear the bombing night after night, saw the misery of the refugees, living amongst the refugees on the site where the Macedonian Government had provided space ( open dusty ground) for the hospital Israel established at the beginning of the war. I was not prepared for what I saw - neither was anyone else -we found heat, dust, rows of tents, poverty, misery, and happy (Muslim) children singing in Hebrew -- shouting "We love Israel".!! The young people of Israel, deeply moved by the plight of the Albanian refugees, are making a unique contribution to the international relief efforts. The Israel Council of Youth Movements has set up an activities center for the Albanian refugee children in the Stenkovec 1 refugee camp, near Skopje. Among the many organizations operating in the area, this is the only one dedicated to the education and entertainment of the young refugees and its work deserves international recognition. The center is operated by Israeli youth counselors, who organize sports and creative activities for approximately 2,500 children and youths. Among the activities available to the young people are arts-and-crafts, performances of children's plays, a puppet theater, dancing and sports. During the morning and afternoon sessions workshops are held, while in the mid-afternoon an activity is planned for the group as a whole. Children's films and storytelling take place throughout the day in three tents. The center is operated by rotating teams of eight Israeli counselors, assisted by some of the young Albanian refugees living in the refugee camp. Each counselor spends approximately twelve days in the camp, departure and arrival dates are overlapped to maintain continuity. Just days before we got there, NATO had stopped bombing, but as someone said - the real problems were yet to come; The KLA may not be willing to hand over their weapons, and the infrastructure of Kosovo had been totally destroyed. The surrounding countries all suffering some measure of distress. Sniper shooting is heard quite often. The camp, only 7 kilometers from the border of Kosovo - was hot, dusty, cramped and noisy. Small tents housing large families. Adults milled around, standing in line to collect water and other necessities - dazed. dusty and hot But the children were happy!! In April - Israel's youth groups got together in Israel, went door to door to collect funds and towards the end of that month, (April) started the only facility for children in this dreadful war. A unique concept, one with the children uppermost in mind, the only camp of its kind; looking after the needs of the children. No one else had thought of it. Thousands of Albanian refugee children are being kept occupied by the Israeli youth leaders - many teenagers themselves. The days are divided up and occupied with activities using tents as 'classrooms'. When they started the camp activities in April - the children could only draw in black -today they are painting bright pictures -they have been given hope. Children came running to greet the Israeli contingent who had flown in the weekly supply of medical supplies and food - singing loudly in HEBREW. They sang and shouted "we love Israel" - toddlers and teenagers alike! Nothing could have prepared me for this special moment -hearing and seeing these Muslim children -not wanting their Israeli youth-leaders ( barely older than some of them ) to leave. All costs are paid for by the Israeli youth groups, and Israeli and Diaspora donations. Weekly flights by El Al to Skopje is undertaken by the Israeli Government and deliver the much needed medical and food supplies donated by the UIA/Keren Hayesod/Jewish Agency. We can be proud of our (Israeli) youth-leaders transcending boundaries, and grateful for what is being done; those beautiful innocent children do not deserve to be caught up in this mess. We can only pray that the problems in Kosovo and surrounding areas will soon be resolved. When we left Macedonia, we had more reason to be elated; we had the privilege of a young group of Olim, aged between 16 and 19 years on the El Al flight back to Israel. Young Macedonian Jews making aliyah - starting a new life - a new beginning in Israel. As we sang on board the flight heading "home" -the echoes of one father's last remark as he said goodbye to us, kept ringing in my ears; "My family are going to Israel to keep our family name (alive)". After losing all his family in the Nazi Holocaust, his family comprised of himself, his wife and the two children who were making aliyah. |
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E-mail: Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum
