A War Widow I'll Never Forget

By Annie Bergman

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: March 7, 2012

Editor’s Note: A commitment to empower women is embedded in Heifer International’s core values for sustainable development. In honor of International Women’s Day on Thursday, March 8, this week we’re sharing the stories of Heifer participants who take the gifts of animals and training and run with them to extraordinary results for themselves and their communities. Through hard work and innovations, each woman secures her rightful place in the family, the marketplace and the world.

I’ll never forget Sadie Kameri. Never.

Sadie’s story affected me so deeply that I feared I’d never be able to adequately convey each emotion that I felt hearing her tell it. It’s so tragic, so haunting and yet so hopeful.

My hope is this video gives you an idea of how remarkable Sadie is—how remarkable all of the women of Kosovo are—and explains just why I'll carry the war widows I met with me for the rest of my life.


For a fuller picture of Sadie’s life after the Kosovo war, read "Those Who Remain" in the Holiday 2009 edition of World Ark.