Nora Sefa was born in Pristina in and has lived in Germany since Her family, originally from Podujeva, left Kosovo during the war. She has worked in the European Parliament and currently works as a journalist. Professor Qosja, thank you for having me and for finding the time for this meeting. Qosja: Welcome to the Albanological Institute.
It is an honour for me to be included in the European Archive of Voices. You were born in the village of Vuthaj in Montenegro, an Albanian enclave, which I believe still exists today. What was your childhood like, do you remember it well? Qosja: I was born in the village of Vuthaj. This valley has two small towns which played a historic role at the time of the League of Prizren, a unique historic role at that time.
During the time of the League of Prizren, which gathered in the town of Prizren, in Kosovo, the Valley of Plav and Guci had their own representative in the League. He was a significant figure called Ali Pasha Gucia. Shkodra was the largest, most important town for Albanians at that time and it was also the closest to Vuthaj. At the time when those cursed political borders were drawn, Albanians of the valley were unable to communicate with the town of Shkodra and with those Albanians who lived on the other side of the border, in Albania.
They were obliged to orient towards and communicate with Peja [in Kosovo]. All those goods that the villagers had to buy in town, such as sugar, salt, and gas to light their homes, which previously they had purchased in Shkodra, now had to be bought in Peja. Only in Peja. I went to primary school in Vuthaj, and completed seven years of school in Guci.
At that time, when I was young, school lasted seven, not eight years. Sefa: Is that when your life in Vuthaj ended? Qosja: No, no, I returned later to Vuthaj and I still go back during the summer holidays. After completing seven years of school, I registered at Peja High School, but since I could not afford food and lodging in Peja, I had to interrupt my education, and I lost a year.
