Rusan farmers say emigration is not a solution

The village was created by the exodus of the Cham population who were evicted from Northern Greece decades ago. They have tried to live so far with the natural resources of Rusan.

200 families in this area live off their agriculture revenues. Petrit Hoxha, one of the farmers, says that making a living out of agriculture is not easy. If you don’t produce high quantities, there will be not enough to sell. This year, his family is experimenting by mixing different types of grapes, hoping to cultivate more, even with olives.

Another family, that of Lutfi Cafaj, settled in this village in 1938, when they left Greece. He says they built a small house close to the mosque, which grew bigger year after year during the 90s, through hard work. Cafaj says that since most of the villagers live on farming, the government should help with subventions.

Lutfi says he works together with his sons and his wife for 12 hours a day. They own 700 olive trees, hundreds of tangerine trees and a vegetable parcel. He appeals the government to at least support them for modernizing the equipment.

Vezire, another Rusan resident, says you can make a living even in villages if you work hard. She says she paid off university studies for two children by cultivating vegetables and selling them in Delvina.

“Who works hard, can make a living. Of course, we need assistance from the government at least for fertilizers”, Cafai says.

Rusani and other Delvina villages are very far from the city of Vlore, but residents believe that emigration is not a solution anymore, and that agriculture would serves better to their future.

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