Birthday for 1st Child in New Nation | God's World News

Birthday for 1st Child in New Nation

02/19/2018
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    (AP Photo: Pavarsia Sopi poses in front of flag of Kosovo during an independence celebration ceremony.)

“Happy Birthday, Dear Pavareeeeeesssiiiaaaa!” All the students in a tiny village in Kosovo recently gathered to celebrate a very special day for Pavaresia Sopi. Her 10th birthday has deep significance for her whole nation.

Kosovo is located on the Balkan Peninsula—just behind Italy’s “heel.” Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia surround it. Before declaring independence, Kosovo was part of the former Yugoslavia.

Pavaresia, whose name means “independence” in Albanian, was the first baby born in an independent Kosovo—just 15 minutes after parliament declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.

Pavaresia’s fellow fourth-grade students celebrated with a concert and other festivities last week in Sllovi, 11 miles south of Kosovo’s capital of Pristina. A blue, yellow, and white birthday cake—the colors of Kosovo’s flag—displayed the wish for “Pavaresia 10 vjet [years]! Happy Birthday!”

“I feel so happy that I have come to life at that important moment for Kosovo,” says Pavaresia. “My advice would be to love each other because with love we may build a beautiful and great Kosovo.”

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia nine years after a 78-day NATO bombing in 1999. The assault halted a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. Today Kosovo is recognized by 115 countries—but not by Serbia.

Despite 10 years of independence, the country faces several challenges: establishing the rule of law, battling unemployment, and working for reconciliation with former foe, Serbia.

“We are hopeful that Kosovo will shine one day like Pavaresia,” says the girl’s teacher, Mimoza Kryeziu.

“You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.” –Isaiah 37:16

(AP Photo: Pavarsia Sopi poses in front of a flag of Kosovo during an independence celebration ceremony.)