Healing Through Food

A bit behind, but time to start playing catch-up! A quick content warning here, as the story references survivors of sexual violence.

In Kosovo, tens of thousands of people are finding their way to recovery after the Serbia-Kosovo war in the 1990s. Because of cultural stigmas surrounding abuse, survivors have had difficulty finding work or supporting themselves economically. In the city of Gjakova, an NGO is finding a new way to move forward.

Medica Gjakova is a store that sells organic produce and products made locally by survivors of war violence. These folks are able to sell products that they're making from home, giving them the opportunity to earn an income without having to find work outside of the home. They are supporting themselves and their families, while building a business.

Working with one's hands and making something useful is a kind of therapy in itself. By finding a different way to turn that work into a way of earning a living, people are moving toward in their healing. It's amazing to think of how something as simple as a homemade cheese can lead to recovery and economic freedom.