Ajo është një vajzë shumë e re, por tashmë është bërë e njohur në Shqipëri. Media ka publikuar disa artikuj për të dhe punën e saj, madhe dhe revista UN Women i ka kushtuar një artikull në kopertinë. Emri i saj është Genta Ahmeti, dhe ajo është e vetmja grua sipërmarrëse në Shqipëri që krijon barka druri, një traditë që po zhduket. Por Genta po punon shumë që ta ringjallë këtë traditë. Genta drejton një fabrikë që quhet “Artisanal”. Ajo është gjithashtu drejtore dhe themeluese e projektit “Jeta në varkë” që ka qëllim të ndërtojë barka artizanale dhe t’i japë jetë një muzeumi detar në Shqipëri.Ne u impresionuam shumë me punën e saj, dhe e pyetëm si çdokush tjetër: Përse vendosi të ndërtojë barka, një profesion i pazakontë për një grua.
Ajo përgjigjet se e gjitha është pasion. Ky profesion është ngulur tek ajo që kur ishte vajzë e vogël. I ati ishte një inxhiner druri, dhe ajo u rrit në një familje ku druri ishte pjesë thelbësore e jetës së saj. Edhe dhuratat e saj të para ishin prej druri, ose mjete pune për të punuar drurin. Ajo thotë se këto gjëra e tërhiqnin më shumë se kukullat. Fëmijëria e saj përcaktoi dhe të ardhmen. Ajo studioi për inxhinieri pyjore në Universitetin e Tiranës dhe më pas shkoi në Itali për studime të mëtejshme. Kur u kthye e kishte të qartë në mendje se çfarë do të bënte: do prodhonte barka, por vetëm prej druri. Asaj nuk i pëlqen që ujërat e Shqipërisë, janë të mbushura me barka plastike që nuk janë ekologjike, dhe për më tëper janë të shëmtuara. Genta ka prodhuar disa modele deri tani, por projektet duket se janë të pandalshme tashmë. Ajo thotë se ka ende disa mjeshtra të vetmuar që prodhojnë barka druri si në Pogradec dhe Shkodër. Këto barka janë prodhuar nga peshkatarë për këto liqene të mëdhenj, pasi ata i dinë përfitimet e barkave të drurit krahasuar me ato plastike. Kur ne e pyetëm nëse ka ndonjë plan për të sjellë barkat e saj në Liqenin e Ohrit, ajo tha se vitin që vjen do të sjellë barka me vela në Pogradec të cilat mund të përdoren për qëllime turistike. Ajo sheh të ardhme të artë në biznesin e saj, pasi mendon se kushdo do ta kuptojë se barkat e drurit janë shumë më të mira se ato plastike dhe ndoshta me kalimin e kohës ato mund të zëvendësohen.
Genta është e lumtur që po ringjallet tradita për këto barka dhe që po ndjek hapat e babait. Projekti tjetër i saj është të hapë një muze detar në Shqipëri dhe të tregojë gjithë modelet e vjetra dhe historinë e barkave të drurit në vend si dhe të prezantojë modelet e reja. Ne kemi nevojë për më shumë gra si Genta që punojnë kaq fort për të ringjallur traditat e vjetra me vlerë.
Genta runs a wood factory called ‘Artisanal’. She is also the director and founder of the project ‘Life on a Boat’, which aims to build artisanal boats and to give life to a naval museum in Albania.
We were so impressed with her work, and asked her, as everybody else, the same question: Why had she decided to construct boats, an unusual profession for a woman. She says that this was all about her passion. This profession was rooted in her since she was a little girl. Her father was a wood engineer, and so she was raised in a family where wood was a major part of life. Even her first gifts were made from wood, or tools to carve the wood. She says that these things attracted her more than dolls. Her childhood led to her future. She studied wood engineering in Tirana University, and then went to Italy for further studies. When she returned she had formed everything clear in her mind: she would produce boats, but only from wood. She does not like it that all the waters of Albania are filled with plastic boats, which are not ecological and are ugly.
Genta has produced several models so far, but her projects are unstoppable. She says that there are still some solitary masters producing wooden boats, in Pogradec and Shkodra. These boats are produced for fishers in these big lakes, because they know the benefits of wooden boats over plastic ones. When we asked her if she has any plan to bring her boats to Lake Ohrid, she said that next year she would like to bring sailing boats to Pogradec, which could be used for tourism purposes. She sees a bright future in this business, as she thinks that everyone will understand that wooden boats are much better than plastic ones, and perhaps over time they can be replaced.
Genta is happy to revive this tradition and to follow in the footsteps of her father. Her next project is to open a naval museum in Albania, showing the history of wooden boats in the country, as well as displaying new models. We need more women like Genta, working so hard to revive old traditions.
Genta është e lumtur që po ringjallet tradita për këto barka dhe që po ndjek hapat e babait. Projekti tjetër i saj është të hapë një muze detar në Shqipëri dhe të tregojë gjithë modelet e vjetra dhe historinë e barkave të drurit në vend si dhe të prezantojë modelet e reja. Ne kemi nevojë për më shumë gra si Genta që punojnë kaq fort për të ringjallur traditat e vjetra me vlerë.
Portrait - The Woman Who Constructs Wooden Boats
She is very young but already well known. The media have published articles about her work,and the UN Women magazine has even dedicated a cover to this special lady from Albania. Her name is Genta Ahmeti, and she is the only woman in Albania producing wooden boats, a tradition that is disappearing. But Genta is working hard to revive it.
Genta runs a wood factory called ‘Artisanal’. She is also the director and founder of the project ‘Life on a Boat’, which aims to build artisanal boats and to give life to a naval museum in Albania.
We were so impressed with her work, and asked her, as everybody else, the same question: Why had she decided to construct boats, an unusual profession for a woman. She says that this was all about her passion. This profession was rooted in her since she was a little girl. Her father was a wood engineer, and so she was raised in a family where wood was a major part of life. Even her first gifts were made from wood, or tools to carve the wood. She says that these things attracted her more than dolls. Her childhood led to her future. She studied wood engineering in Tirana University, and then went to Italy for further studies. When she returned she had formed everything clear in her mind: she would produce boats, but only from wood. She does not like it that all the waters of Albania are filled with plastic boats, which are not ecological and are ugly.
Genta has produced several models so far, but her projects are unstoppable. She says that there are still some solitary masters producing wooden boats, in Pogradec and Shkodra. These boats are produced for fishers in these big lakes, because they know the benefits of wooden boats over plastic ones. When we asked her if she has any plan to bring her boats to Lake Ohrid, she said that next year she would like to bring sailing boats to Pogradec, which could be used for tourism purposes. She sees a bright future in this business, as she thinks that everyone will understand that wooden boats are much better than plastic ones, and perhaps over time they can be replaced.
Genta is happy to revive this tradition and to follow in the footsteps of her father. Her next project is to open a naval museum in Albania, showing the history of wooden boats in the country, as well as displaying new models. We need more women like Genta, working so hard to revive old traditions.
Ps. The article was published at Newsletter 6 "Protecting lake Ohrid"