A country's future is in the hands of the children

The extension will include four classrooms, a dedicated computer classroom, a new entrance area and the sanitary area of the school built in 1984. A sports field and a volleyball field will be built on the premises. The cost in the amount of 170,000 euros will be equally shared by the Municipality of Suva Reka and the Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ, German technical cooperation). The renovation and extension will help to meet future space requirements and significantly improve the learning, teaching and sanitary conditions for pupils and teachers alike.

The cornerstone ceremony was celebrated by the whole community. The soldiers of the German CIMIC / LMT company had already arrived before the official cornerstone ceremony to set up a party environment for the pupils. The multinational military police did not only provide security for the event but also operated a road safety education station. The medical task force assisted in the make-up station. CIMIC and "LACHEN helfen" had set up the wheel of fortune and the goal wall.

After the pupils had arrived a hustle and bustle began. The youngest ones were good and queued up patiently until it was their turn to get a funny make-up or to pass the road safety education course marked with traffic cones by bobby car. The others meanwhile colored traffic signs or demonstrated their knowledge in the lessons.

The older ones, girls and boys alike, operated the wheel of fortune or tried their skills at the goal wall, while each goal was accompanied by shouts and applause.

In the meantime, the local dignitaries and the invited audience of the ceremony had arrived. A group of four musicians played on drums and wind instruments and some girls spontaneously started dancing around the musicians.

After the personal reception by Xherat Kukaj, the mayor who is also the school director in Geljance, the guests were shown to their seats.

One schoolgirl moderated the program. After the school director had welcomed the audience, Brigadier General Wilhelm Grün, the Commander of the German KFOR contingent, said in his speech: "A country's future is in the hands of the children. It is them who will live in tomorrow's world. And we, who have today's responsibility, have to create the best possible conditions for this." Since the construction will take about half a year, he expressed his hope that after having participated in the cornerstone ceremony he would also be able to celebrate the opening of the school. Eckard Blaurock, the deputy of the German Ambassador in the Kosovo, said that projects like this help to stabilize the Kosovo and give the people a perspective. The mayor of Suva Reka, Dr. Salih Assllanaj, thanked him: "It is our turn now to return this trust", and referred to the various ethnics who live in Geljance and attend this school together as equals.

Subsequently Grün, accompanied by Ms Doerre, representative of the Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, the deputy ambassador and the mayor of Suva Reka, set to work.

According to German tradition, coins and newspapers, in this case three German newspapers, one Kosovar paper and an issue of the German field newspaper for the Balkans, were put into a copper container, closed up and let down into the provided excavation.

According to Kosovar custom, a sheep was slaughtered on site, the detached head with coins in the mouth was let down and the excavation subsequently filled by hand with concrete by the representatives of all organizations participating in the building process.

The cornerstone ceremony was concluded with a dance of young people attending the school.

(Story by Captain Gerhard H. Fahn)