EVENT: Genuine World of Feelings -- Voices From The Heart of Youth
DATE: June 24 - July 14, 2003
LOCATION: Kosova

DETAILS: The Albanian American Women’s Organization “Motrat Qiriazi” organized a trip to visit the orphans of Kosova, who continue to suffer from the effects of war. The project was called “Genuine World of Feelings -- Voices from the Heart of Youth,” and its participants were fifteen young people ages 14 to 20 from different ethnic backgrounds and places like San Francisco, New York, Brazil and even Turkey. The youth spent one year preparing in order to participate in a two-week trip to Kosova. In building relationships with each other and in truly striving to make a difference in the lives of the orphans in Kosova the youth experienced many positive changes in their own lives. “It was this humanitarian trip to the war-torn region of Kosova that infused so much love, fervor and excitement about working together with the orphans,” said Raihan Faroqui with tears in his eyes. “Our persistent work showed us how playing with orphans who live on the other side of the world can change our entire aspect on life. This experience instilled in us a new belief that anyone can change the world and bring a small ray of light to the needy.” “We thought we came to change their lives, but they changed ours,” Sarah Gordon added.