Rita Time for The Telegraph: I am a proud Kosovar and an honorary ambassador to my country

In an interview for the “The Telegraph”, Rita has shown the flow of suffering experienced familyly during the Kosovo war. She suggested she was only 1 years old when she left her hometown. And yet, it describes the fact of being Kosovar everything she represents as female. And the possibility of doing something for her country, Rita considers it a catalyst for happiness.

Full story of Rita Ora for “The Telegraph”:

I lift up my voice, not that I may cry, but that those who don't have a voice may be heard. These words from the brave Malala Yousafzai mean a lot to me. I believe all of us have the responsibility to use our options and strengths. We must lift the others up so that no one is left behind.

I am a proud Kosovar and an honorary ambassador to my country. I was born there in 1990, but when I was only 1 years old, my parents took the difficult decision to abandon our homeland as a result of the war that began when the former Yugoslavia was conquered. Later, during that decade, a brutal war began where 13,500 people were killed and 1.2 million people were forced to flee. I am so grateful that I am in the position I am now and that I have been able to grow up in a safe environment surrounded by my family. It's a luxury that many people in the world don't have and my parents have always taught me never to forget my roots, they have done what I am today. Kosovo will always be a part of me!

After that terrible period in history, it was time for life and communities to be rebuilt. Women were also part of what happened, enduring everything, but who was there for them? I have recently heard of the amazing contribution made by the charity organisation “the names for International Women” that was formed in Kosovo in 1999, just as soon as the war ended. They have supported more than 33,000 women across the country to participate in their year-long training programme, teaching them different trades in order to support their families.

Something that has attracted my attention to these women from the beginning is that despite the terrible situations they have faced, their power is to be admired. My mother is the most incredible example of what a Kosovo woman can achieve in the face of disasters. It is and will always remain my greatest inspiration. He came to this place with my father; they found themselves in an unknown territory and had nothing. My mother worked so hard for her family; she learned a new language and studied by raising my older sister and younger brother. She taught us to fight for what we want, to work hard, and to continue despite our circumstances. Returning to Kosovo is like going home. Being Kosovo is what I'm like as a woman is what I represent; it's all I've learned from my parents, to my morals.

To be able to do something for my country, and most importantly for Kosovo women, it makes me extremely happy. I'm inspired, I'm motivated and I'm raising my voice!” E SCADA and Rita Ora have decided to donate 15m from the sale of each bag for the charity organisation “The names for International Women”.