Diary during a day of COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear daughter, 
I am writing to you again today, just like any other day, to tell you how my day went. You’re still young and you don’t understand what’s going on, but you still deserve an explanation. I know you got scared today when your father threw the plate, but don’t worry, he just didn’t like the food I cooked. You got scared as well, when he screamed at me when I asked him to help me move the heavy dining table, that’s okay; he just feels stressed out because of the situation with the pandemic and the news he keeps reading all day. I saw how disappointed you were, when you asked him to feed you and he told you that that was a job for your mom. Don’t you worry, mom is always here for you. Mom is willing to carry out the weight of the world, to fight against everything, to protect and give you everything I have, and I will never get tired of that. I will be ready to sacrifice myself for you to be happy, but please promise me…Promise me that you’ll be ready to fight with the world, that you’ll be a strong woman who won’t submit to anyone or anything.

No matter what, you won’t allow anyone walk over you or use you, because you are you and no one can decide for your life and make decisions for you.

Become a successful girl, a hardworking woman and a great mother, since motherhood is the highest epithet and the most valuable attribute to a woman, just don’t forget to put yourself and your values first.

I will always be there for you.

Love,
Mom

This article was written by Elmedina Berisha, a student in the Department of Social Work in UP under the monitoring of professor Vjollca Krasniqi within the cooperation with SIT. This article was written within the project “Men and Boys as Partners in Promoting Gender Equality and the Prevention of Youth Extremism and Violence in the Balkans”, implemented by CARE International Balkans in partnership with SIT and YMCA in Kosovo and supported by Austrian Development Agency, and Oak Foundation.