A Home is more
than a House

"May you have good health!"

One hears those words dozens of times when you walk around Prilep, Macedonia, with Nesime Salioska, the executive director, and Dzengis Berisha, the financial administrative assistant, of the Association ROMA S.O.S, an NGO. Both in their twenties, they have built a reputation for themselves. In fact, they are celebrities in Trizla, a part of Prilep, where the majority, if not all of the population, are Roma.

They make quite a team. Nesime is an educator, lobbyist and organiser. Her office is a busy place with people coming in and out, asking for advice and help. Dzengis works among the people. He walks the streets of Trizla. It seems everyone knows both of them.

Why the sudden leap to fame? They are helping Trizla's families make their homes more than just places to live.

So far, more than 250 applicants have received a non-interest loan, filled in the forms, and make regular repayments. People like Sejdo Buzevski, his wife Mirsada and three children are among them. They applied and received a Habitat for Humanity no interest loan.

Sejdo's current home is actually a shack. A three by two meters space with a stove, a corner sofa and a TV set. The sleeping arrangements and a normal life in this household are hard to imagine. And, bad weather and rain almost destroyed their outside toilet. Sejdo is so poor, his children don't go to school, and he doesn’t have money to buy them shoes, books, school bags, or food. But, he knows that can all change.

Dzengis told him about the possibility of the loan and Sejdo leapt at the chance. He’s going through the process with Dzengis’ help. Once Sedjo gets approval and his home is legalized, he can register his family and gain access to social services. He already plans on applying for another loan to help fix up his home and get his family started on a new life. He can do that, he says, because he will get help from Dzengis and free building advice from Habitat for Humanity.

"May you have good health Dzengis," Sejdo says," without you, nothing.”

Bilent Kazimovski echoed the same sentiments. "May Nesime and Dzengis have good health," he says, "They told me about the Habitat for Humanity's loan. Now, I have what my grandfather and father never had—a legal document that shows that this house belongs to me, not to the State. So nobody can force us out. I also have an identity card – the first one in my family. So does my wife, and my children. And I have a legal address," he says proudly waving his ID and smiling.

Bilent needed a larger loan than Sejdo because he works and is not receiving social benefit, but the loan conditions were the same—18 monthly instalments with no interest. Bilent was able to gather his documents faster, so he paid off his loan early, and his home became 'legal’ faster. Still, it took him a while. “The local authorities were slow,” he says, “but it was all worth it.”

“That is why legalisation is so important,” says Nesime and “that’s why it was great that Habitat for Humanity stepped in. None of our clients could have afforded to pay the costs. But with Habitat’s no-interest loan, we can cover all expenses and move the process along much more quickly.” To date, the fund has distributed more than 1,300 loans in 13 municipalities. But the demand is much bigger. More than 100,000 Roma families still need to legalise their homes and improve living conditions.

By becoming legal owners of the land and the homes, members of Roma communities are one step closer to having a better future for their families. "When you have a legal home,' said Nesime, “you have a legal address. When you have a legal address, you can have a health insurance, social insurance, the authorities can find your children for immunization, you can have an ID, a passport, you can travel, you can have a driving licence, you can have..."

“You can have a life?”

“Yes, you can have a life.”

Photos: Terry Wilson for Habitat for Humanity EMEA
Video: Production Dissident, Camera work: Terry Wilson