Through talents, the young men and women of the communities are raising their voices for their rights. Despite the challenges, difficulties, and prejudices, they are continuing the journey towards realizing their dreams and being an example for their peers. Girls and boys from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities tell KosovaPress about their wishes and the need to be helped by institutions.

Ilir Qorri grew up with the sounds of the violin, which he already fondly remembers from his grandfather.

The young man who belongs to the Egyptian community says that he has decided to follow his talent, inherited from his grandfather.

"After a few years, I enrolled in the primary music school, where I spent three years. But there was no opportunity to continue my grandfather's instrument, let me inherit it too. I continued on another instrument, which is called the contrabass instrument... It is a rare instrument, which has already started to spread in Kosovo. Out of the community, I am currently the only one studying this instrument. I started elementary school for the contrabass instrument, I completed three years of elementary school and then three years of high school and now I am currently studying at the Faculty of Arts "Haxhi Zeka" in Pejë for the same instrument. he shows.

In addition to double bass, he also knows how to play the guitar.

He always enjoyed the support of his family, the circle and the professors. Inevitably, he also remembers the challenges, which he finds difficult to forget. As he tells about the discrimination he has faced, he asks the institutions for support for the communities.

"The challenges have been different. In elementary school and high school, the challenges were a little bigger than now. It is understood to love to achieve a greater goal, an achievement the more successful the challenges are greater. The challenges that have been the biggest for me is securing the instrument. Because it is a very expensive instrument, an instrument which is unfortunately not found in Kosovo and must be provided by other countries... In high school when I was a professor I was discriminated against, if other students wanted to 10 with getting a higher grade, I had to pass 20 points to get the same grade with the other students. This is what I observed.

Gynesh Veshall also grew up in a family of artists, who has been active in the amateur theater named "Nexhip Menekshe" in Prizren for eight years now.

The 23-year-old who belongs to the Roma community has participated in more than 10 dramas.

"Given that each life process has its own challenges, normally being a Roma theater artist in "Nexhip Menekshe" had its own challenges, one of which was that we are a small number of girls. And my colleague and I have to represent a large number of other girls, there are other challenges. Next to them, he has the best emotions in the world.

Despite the challenges, she invites all the girls of the Roma community to become part of the theater that bears the name of her uncle, whom she also considers a cultural ace.

"In general, normally, it is one of the things that a girl from the community or a person from the community in Kosovo definitely encounters. But not in the theater... (Dream) To be the voice of the girls and women of the Roma community, to always help and support the "Nexhip Menekshe" theater, as an asset of the Roma community and of Roma culture. she points out.

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Ergjan Mehmeti is an actor from the Ashkali community, he says that since childhood he has liked various games and professions. Whereas, later he realized that he should become an actor.

"Always, every actor has his own challenges, even I, as a young artist, always have challenges, especially in financial matters, the issue of promotion, but I'm sorry to the people who wanted to help me and have helped me even today, I'm part of some projects that are already active in Kosovo... young people should follow their dreams, let them listen to their heart and do whatever they want, don't listen to other people but let them do what they really want do and never give up the things they like from the things they like" he said, adding that the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities face challenges and discrimination.

"Even since I was a child, I was discriminated against by thousands of classmates, by people at school, but with the help of my parents, I always overcame it and my focus has been that as a young man I study, follow my dream and became an actor", he said.

The project "Media education against disinformation for non-majority communities in Kosovo" is supported by the US Embassy in Prishtina.