Lee Sailor’s Journey in Gjakova and his Community Impact

Lee Sailor, English Teaching Assistant (ETA) 2023-2024 at the University of Gjakova “Fehmi Agani” spent around ten months immersing himself in the cultural and academic life of the city of Gjakova.

An important part of his experience in Kosovo was his community engagement through his USKEB small grant project, supported by the United States-Kosovo Educational Exchange Board (USKEB).

Inspired by conversations with two blind students he taught at the University, through this project, Lee purchased and distributed five digital voice recorders for the blind in collaboration with the Gjakova Center for the Blind.

He donated the voice recorders to the Center for the Blind- where they will be on loan to anyone who needs them.

“The Center for the Blind was a great partner in terms of assisting the blind and visually impaired of Gjakova. I also led a training on the use of these recorders in which five blind or visually impaired individuals were present in addition to three student volunteers from the university, two family members of impaired individuals, and one volunteer from the Center for the Blind […]”

He emphasizes that these recorders are particularly valuable due to the costs involved with acquiring braille materials.

Lee's initiative was welcomed by students. One student who used one of the recorders in class, shared:

“The buttons you can touch make them easier to use than cell phones."

Lee, who graduated from the University of Iowa where he majored in Political Science with a minor in History, enjoyed his experience in Kosovo tremendously-and he is continuing to serve as ETA for the academic year 2024-2025 at the University of Prizren “Ukshin Hoti”.

Check here a social media post from the Center for the Blind acknowledging Lee's contribution to this community. 

We thank U.S. Fulbrighters for their contribution to the educational and cultural exchange between Kosovo and the U.S. during the 2023-2024 academic year.