In the house of laughter
A story about a woman who inspired me to pursue my dreams.
Nga Sara Mulliqi | July 6, 2024
When I was six years old, my mother decided that I should attend an English language course. This decision, which at first glance may seem quite ordinary, took on a special meaning in my life. There I met Nadine Hennesey, the director of the educational center. Nadine, being who she is, taught me a lot.
As a child, I was just beginning to form my own ideas about how the world works. Although a lot of time has passed, I still remember the day I started the course. Nadine was waiting for us at the door, welcoming us one by one with her warm smile.
Nadine emanated this warmth during our classes, which she made interesting and creative. She used games and other activities that helped us understand the basic concepts of interactive learning and develop our English language skills. The learning experience revolved around encouraging and congratulating the students. Nadine consistently encouraged us to achieve what we wanted.
However, this experience abruptly came to an end during the summer vacation of 2009 when we received the news that the educational center was going to close. I was too little to ask why it was closing, but I still knew that it wasn’t good news. I had settled in there and was doing well in class.
I still remember that big smile on her face. As I still remember the role this woman played in helping me overcome the difficulties I was facing.
The years flew by. It was 2016 and I was finishing fifth grade when I received the news that a new school was opening. I decided to express my interest and take the entrance exam.
When I entered the school’s courtyard, I saw a familiar face waiting at the door. It was Nadine. I still remember that big smile on her face and I remember the role she played in helping me overcome the difficulties I was facing. She had decided to continue her educational mission through the Kosovo Leadership Academy School, which was originally a lower secondary school, covering grades six to nine. In 2019 it was licensed as a high school.
That difficult beginning soon became the start of a new path for me — one with more confidence and courage.
A new school, a new approach
So, I started sixth grade at the new school, which I had a hard time adjusting to at first. Many things were different from the school where I had completed the first five grades. The facility was much larger, the teachers were mainly American and the teaching methods were different.
Although I was a lively child, in seventh grade I had trouble fitting in with my classmates. I had a different personality to them and often felt lonely. I lacked confidence, didn’t socialize much and usually spent my time alone in the school library. Nadine had noticed this and she just used to say to me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. So over the years, I slowly started to build my confidence.
The school encouraged respect, appreciation and healthy communication between students. Every morning at our school, students would gather in the physical education hall and talk about topics related to successful leadership and building our character, so that we could succeed in life. As a young girl who usually kept to herself and did not communicate much with others, these meetings had significant importance for me. They helped me with public speaking, teamwork and to overcome the difficulties I was facing in general.
A seemingly ordinary morning turned into a new source of strength for me.
One of these gatherings was the culmination of the inspiration that Nadine offered to all of us, particularly me. It was a critical time for me as a young girl, needing to build the foundation to reach my dreams fearlessly.
A seemingly ordinary morning turned into a new source of strength for me. Nadine started to share a different story to her usual ones. It was personal, and usually, she didn’t share personal stories. Nadine recounted how, after witnessing the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo from afar, she decided to come to Mitrovica with her daughter. There, she became actively involved in the rebuilding efforts and helping to restore everything we had lost — especially our laughter.
In 2001, just two years after the end of the war, Nadine opened the House of Laughter, an educational center and English language course primarily catering to children who had lost their parents during the war. She told us how her family members were worried, not necessarily agreeing with her decision to move to a country fresh out of war. But Nadine was not one to back down, and so she came to Kosovo. Her determination to follow her dreams, despite the obstacles, served as an inspiration to me and probably to many others.
When I heard her story, everything she always told us made sense. She became an inspirational figure for me. I chose to write about her so that the influence that women have on other women is known, recognized and appreciated. In spite of the challenging patriarchal context in Kosovo, Nadine helped me to stay close to my dreams. Perhaps her story will bring a glimmer of hope to young girls who are pushed to the corners of society and encouraged to abandon their dreams. The story about her is, above all, a story about the power we get from each other — power that only grows when shared with others.
Feature Image: K2.0.
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