{"id":109436,"date":"2024-11-07T14:11:46","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T13:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/tri-premtimet-e-jetonit\/"},"modified":"2024-11-11T16:37:46","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T15:37:46","slug":"jetons-three-promises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/jetons-three-promises\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeton\u2019s three promises"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"109436\" class=\"elementor elementor-109436 elementor-109389\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-dd5f9d3 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dd5f9d3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a0cd6f9\" data-id=\"a0cd6f9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a379c1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a379c1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1080\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-101429\" alt=\"Llogo e Kosovo 2.0. Butoni p\u00ebr tu kthyer n\u00eb faqen kryesore.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO.png 1080w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-300x106.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-1024x363.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-768x272.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-326x116.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2bf8559 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2bf8559\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-11b412f\" data-id=\"11b412f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47c3def elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"47c3def\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Jeton\u2019s three promises\n<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cfe9153 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cfe9153\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The daily struggles of people with disabilities. \n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a965604 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a965604\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109464\" alt=\"The image is an illustration. There is a big hand on the right and a smaller one on the left. The hands are holding their pinky fingers together. In the background there is a large abstract whirl of blue and green brush lines.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3-1024x480.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3-768x360.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3-1536x720.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Feature-Image-Jetons-Three-Promises-3-326x153.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Ilustration by Altin Ibrahimi.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-03b3eb4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"03b3eb4\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9cd4912\" data-id=\"9cd4912\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88e8bc2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"88e8bc2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afddbf4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"afddbf4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c112dc5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c112dc5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d88773d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d88773d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><p><em><b>Below is a read-aloud version of the entire article.<\/b><\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a8e3b97 elementor-widget elementor-widget-wp-widget-media_audio\" data-id=\"a8e3b97\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wp-widget-media_audio.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-109436-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\" target=\"_blank\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj-Narrated-in-English-Final.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj-Narrated-in-English-Final.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj-Narrated-in-English-Final.mp3\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj-Narrated-in-English-Final.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cc23230 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cc23230\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ab46e70\" data-id=\"ab46e70\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38dae0b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"38dae0b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeton Kelmendi is a 50-year-old man who lives with his wife and 9-year-old daughter in Vitomirica, a village roughly six kilometers from the city of Peja.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though he studied law, he has never worked in his field. He has cerebral palsy, which affects movement and muscle coordination in his right hand and leg. Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder typically caused by brain damage early in development. Like Kelmendi, about 20 million people worldwide live with cerebral palsy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO also reports that people with disabilities make up about 10% of Kosovo&#8217;s population, with over 150,000 people with disabilities living in the country.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not asking for mercy. I just want the opportunity to show that I can also contribute to the community, especially for people with disabilities,&#8221; said Kelmendi. He explains that while he grew up with the condition, which has made working with his right hand difficult, it has never stopped him from pursuing his dreams.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;It&#8217;s challenging, but not impossible,&#8221; he said, clenching his left fist. &#8220;I learned to write and study with my left hand.&#8221; In 2020, Kelmendi completed his undergraduate studies in law at Haxhi Zeka University in Peja, where he is also enrolled in a master&#8217;s program. However, he has temporarily paused his studies due to pain in his legs but hopes to return as soon as possible. He spends most of his time watching basketball and other sports, a passion he&#8217;s had since working as a sports reporter in the early 2000s.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelmendi left his job in the media because the pay was too low. His wife, now unemployed, also worked in the same field. His wife and daughter are his biggest sources of support, motivating him to keep pursuing his dream of working again.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;When I see my daughter&#8217;s smile, I realize that all the efforts are worth it,&#8221; Kelmendi said. &#8220;I want her to grow up seeing a father who doesn&#8217;t give up.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-227f1b9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"227f1b9\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7b96731\" data-id=\"7b96731\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a2dd0ff elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a2dd0ff\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1763\" height=\"1070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109470\" alt=\"The image is a colorful illustration. There is a family consisting of a father, a mother and a daughter. The father is on the left. He has black hair and he is wearing a blue blouse, dark blue pants, black shoes, and a brown belt. He is supported by a brown walking cane. He is smiling. On the right side is the mother. She has brown hair and she is wearing a long green dress, a peach-colored sweater and black shoes. She is smiling as well. In between them, there is the little girl. She has blonde hair and is wearing a blue dress with yellow dots and pink shoes. She is also smiling slightly.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1.jpg 1763w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1-1024x621.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1-1536x932.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-400-1-326x198.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1763px) 100vw, 1763px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Ilustration by Altin Ibrahimi.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-054c39e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"054c39e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8d5695b\" data-id=\"8d5695b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04562f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"04562f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Three promises<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelmendi made three promises to his daughter. &#8220;The first promise was that I would finish my studies. The second, which I made to her in 2012, was that we would have a house of our own. Many people helped me, and I&#8217;m grateful to them. The only promise I haven&#8217;t fulfilled yet is getting a job,&#8221; Kelmendi said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He hopes to one day be employed by a public institution, for instance the Municipality of Peja, as he thinks it the best way to be close to his family and sees it as a more stable and safe workplace.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Job seekers in Kosovo generally prefer the public sector <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.evropaelire.org\/a\/sektori-publik-privat-punesimi-kosova\/30152754.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to its more stable wages, dignified treatment of workers and respect for the law<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gzk.rks-gov.net\/ActDocumentDetail.aspx?ActID=2620\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Law on Vocational Ability, Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, every employer in the public or private sector in Kosovo is required to hire one person with disabilities for every 50 workers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a report published at the end of 2023, the ombudsman highlighted the employment of persons with disabilities in central and local institutions in Kosovo. The Municipality of Peja met its quota by employing five individuals with disabilities out of a total of 249 employees. The ombudsman noted that employing one person with a disability for every 50 workers demonstrates compliance with the constitution and legal requirements. However, in a response to K2.0, the Municipality of Peja stated that currently only three people with disabilities are employed in the municipality.<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/askdata.rks-gov.net\/pxweb\/sq\/ASKdata\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shows that around 85,000 citizens work in the public sector, while about 250,000 are employed in the private sector. To meet the legal requirements from the Law on Vocational Ability, Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, at least 6,700 individuals with disabilities should be employed in Kosovo.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo told K2.0 that 180 people with disabilities are employed across all central public institutions. These institutions include the prime minister&#8217;s office, ministries and executive, independent and regulatory agencies.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelmendi and other individuals with disabilities in Kosovo not only struggle to find work and establish a stable income but also face challenges with the social assistance scheme. This scheme, which aims to help them, offers insufficient financial support and its access criteria are discriminatory.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-96a09b0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"96a09b0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e9d9d8d\" data-id=\"e9d9d8d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ad0b187 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ad0b187\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1763\" height=\"1070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109473\" alt=\"The image is an illustration. There is an open notebook. There is something written on it, but the text is not distinguishable. On the right side there is a brown gavel.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1.jpg 1763w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1-1024x621.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1-1536x932.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Ilustrimet-399-1-326x198.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1763px) 100vw, 1763px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Ilustration by Altin Ibrahimi.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c7dee5c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c7dee5c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5250f23\" data-id=\"5250f23\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1960171 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1960171\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>\u2018We don&#8217;t get better\u2019<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelmendi and his family rely on just 200 euros a month \u2014 100 euros from his disability pension and another 100 euros in social assistance for being a low-income family. However, to continue receiving the pension, Kelmendi must prove his disability every three years.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEvery three years, we go for a reassessment, and we are stressed about whether they will continue our 100-euro pension,\u201d he said. For Kelmendi, this periodic assessment makes no sense in cases like his. \u201cWe don\u2019t get better; we just get sicker,\u201d he said. Kelmendi has received various evaluations for his permanent disability, a condition he has had since childhood.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, during the three years from 2018 to 2021, Kelmendi qualified as a beneficiary of the social scheme for paraplegic and quadriplegic individuals in Kosovo.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gzk.rks-gov.net\/ActDetail.aspx?ActID=12554\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Law on the Status<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Rights of People with Paraplegia and Tetraplegia in Kosovo, individuals in this category are those who have difficulty moving their limbs. The law defines &#8220;paraplegics&#8221; as individuals who, due to illness or damage to the nervous system, have permanently lost the ability to move their lower extremities (limbs). In contrast, &#8220;tetraplegics&#8221; are individuals who have permanently lost the ability to move both their lower and upper limbs.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This law divides monetary compensation for these individuals into two groups, based on evaluations by a medical commission appointed by the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers of Kosovo.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those in the first group can receive up to 375 euros per month \u2014 150 euros for themselves, 150 euros for a caregiver, and 75 euros for a sanitary package and additional equipment. In contrast, the second group receives 150 euros, as these individuals are considered as not needing caregivers or sanitary packages.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government grants these pensions for three or five years, with rules requiring a reassessment of the pensioner\u2019s health status after this period. While Kelemendi qualified in 2018, when he was re-evaluated in 2021, three years later, authorities determined that he no longer met the conditions. Since the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n, he has returned to only receiving 100 euros per month as a person with disabilities, the same amount he said he has been receiving since he was 8 years old.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ombudsperson, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oik-rks.org\/en\/2023\/12\/22\/recommendation-report-of-the-ombudsperson-of-republic-of-kosovo-ex-officio-no-5212022-versus-ministry-of-finance-labour-and-transfers-regarding-the-legal-basis-for-t\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in an Ex officio report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published at the end of 2023, described the reassessment of paraplegic and tetraplegic individuals in the first group as a violation of rights, specifically a violation of human dignity.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report emphasizes that the Law on the Status and Rights of People with Paraplegia and Tetraplegia in Kosovo addresses the &#8220;permanent&#8221; loss of mobility in the upper and\/or lower extremities. &#8220;So, in both cases, it is a question of a permanent condition,&#8221; the report states. According to the report, the dignity of paraplegic and tetraplegic individuals is primarily violated by the practical difficulties faced in coming before the Evaluation Committee, particularly because the regulation does not expressly require the committee to visit these individuals in their residences.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, social assistance for unemployment has faced its own discriminatory challenges. According to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gzk.rks-gov.net\/ActDocumentDetail.aspx?ActID=2460\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Law on the Social Assistance Scheme<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Kosovo, only families without an employed member are eligible for social assistance. If one family member becomes employed, the assistance is automatically stopped, even if the salary is insufficient to lift the family out of a difficult economic situation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the employment is temporary, the family must then prove again that no member is employed, and the funds are retroactively returned to their account.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, after finishing his bachelor\u2019s degree, Kelmendi has worked several short-term jobs. He said that these temporary jobs resulted in the suspension of both his social assistance and his disability pension. &#8220;When I worked briefly for a nongovernmental organization here in Peja, and they paid me the trust pension contributions, they stopped my pension,&#8221; Kelmendi said. &#8220;Last year, I did a six-month internship at Haxhi Zeka University, but I refused the payment because they would have stopped my disability pension.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelmendi believes the government should categorize people with disabilities based on their ability to work, rather than assuming that all individuals with any limitation are unable to work.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;We are not categorized as persons with disabilities in terms of health. They need to know how capable we are of working \u2014 that I am capable of work. Instead, we\u2019ve all been grouped into one category based on medical diagnoses,&#8221; said Kelmendi.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-52be9f7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"52be9f7\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e3fc204\" data-id=\"e3fc204\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e4c49aa elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"e4c49aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b24e93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9b24e93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>About the author:<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd3c2d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cd3c2d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taulant Qenaj is a journalist. He studied Journalism and Mass Communication and has been working as a journalist in Kosovo since 2010. He was part of the national television channel KTV \u2013 Kohavision. Then, for five years, he worked as a social media producer and journalist at Radio Free Europe. More recently, he has worked at Gazeta Nacionale and Club FM.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce2d033 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ce2d033\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"174\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109565\" alt=\"Taulant Qenaj\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj.png 174w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Taulant-Qenaj-115x115.png 115w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 174px) 100vw, 174px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a7ddb94 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a7ddb94\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Click here to return to the home-page.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jeton\u2019s three promises The daily struggles of people with disabilities. Ilustration by Altin Ibrahimi. Below is a read-aloud version of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":950,"featured_media":109464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_canvas","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[1728],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109436"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/950"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109436"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109573,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109436\/revisions\/109573"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}