Children of all ethnicities in Kosovo joined in Prizren on February 21 to celebrate International Mother Language. The children participated in a bookmaking workshop organized under the auspices of USAID's Basic Education Program. Six different native languages were represented.

The bookmaking activity aimed to promote creativity and an enhanced interest in literacy among primary school children by demonstrating a number of bookbinding techniques, including “pop-up” books. Students created books and filled them with their own illustrations and text in their native tongues.

“My mother language is Croatian; I am learning to make books today together with all these students, each of them speaking their languages”, said Paška Jožič, a student from Janjevo, Lipjan/Lipljan municipality.

The workshop is the first of its kind to be held in Kosovo, and it will kick off a series of regional bookmaking workshops where teachers will be trained to facilitate this process with their students. Back in their own schools, the teachers and students will be encouraged to disseminate their learning to other teachers and students. The program will hold a competition to identify the best “home-made” books. The books created by children will be exhibited at the regional level, and the best books will be selected for a central exhibition to be held in May 2013. The Basic Education Program will give prizes to students who produce the best books.

UNESCO promoted February 21 as International Mother Language Day in 2000 to encourage appreciation for the value of different languages and cultures, including the diverse heritage of people in the same country. It helps inspire understanding, tolerance and dialogue among people.

Albanian speaking students and their teacher during bookmaking activity

Ardian Thaqi

Turkish speaking student from Prizren and their teacher during bookmaking activity.

Ardian Thaqi