Heavy rains in Kosovo caused many rivers to break their banks, leading to extensive flooding. FAO provided agricultural vouchers to farmers so that they could restart their livelihoods.
Just last year, Živana Petronijević, a 54-year-old widow, had purchased a 2 100 square meter plot in the nearby village Ibarska Slatina, where she built a 150 square meter greenhouse to grow strawberries. However, the January 2023 floods, a result of the swollen Iber River from heavy rain, devastated her greenhouse, leaving her hard work in ruins.
Živana's spirit remained intact, however, and, during the late summer and early autumn, she and her 24-year-old son Slavko foraged wild mushrooms and juniper. Their efforts were fruitful, and with the money they earned, they not only reconstructed the greenhouse but also expanded it, thanks in part to FAO vouchers, which they used for fertilizers and irrigation materials. Investing in two more greenhouses, they resumed their strawberry cultivation, determined to recover their losses.
Source: FAO
Despite the absence of sophisticated machinery, Živana and Slavko work tirelessly, nurturing their land and flock of more than 60 chickens. "I'm active every day, but during January and February, when my work slows, I feel aches all over," Živana remarks with a smile, her eyes shining with life and motivation. "It's when I'm working the land that I don't notice any pain."
With her warm personality and welcoming nature, combined with her unwavering dedication to her farm, she has been a symbol of strength for her community.
For Živana, the floods were a reminder of nature's dual force: one that can both nourish and devastate. Živana is now focusing her efforts on expanding her farm while investing for the future. With the assistance of FAO vouchers for restarting their livelihoods, both farmers are more hopeful about a prosperous tomorrow.
In total, over 900 farming households in nine municipalities had their land and assets damaged by the floods. FAO was able to provide agricultural assistance through vouchers thanks to funding from the Swiss Development Corporation. In Kosovo, 98 percent of farming households do so for subsistence, meaning the floods also had a direct impact on their food security.