A 55-year-old man was burned inside the car at the end of December in Prizren. The whole case was considered a suicide. And this was not the only one, as 39 more suicides took place during the past year.
This number is decreasing, since in 2022, there were 41 such cases. In all these dire situations, there is an organization that is helping in prevention of suicides.
They have opened a free and anonymous hotline where calls are handled without prejudice by volunteers.
It is called “Lifeline”, where during this year alone they had about 7 thousand calls, and during the conversations they showed that they are not alone.
Despite the success achieved since 2019, when this phone line was created, the schedule remains a challenge, as they only work from 14:00 to 02:00, not 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All this because of lack of money.
The director of the “Lifeline” organization, Bind Skeja, told KosovaPress that since 2019, when the “Lifeline” was established, there have not been any calls that have ended in suicide.
Skeja emphasized that the “Lifeline” does not offer advice, but tries to listen to what the problem is and, in the end, finish the conversation with the person to come to a common conclusion.
According to him, the reason they work from 14:00 to 02:00 instead of 24 hours, is that they don’t have the finances to pay the workers and the electricity. He added that they are aiming to work 24/7.
He added that those with suicidal thoughts should be free to call and know they are not alone.
Otherwise, according to the statistics that the Kosova Police has sent to KosovaPress, from January to November of the last year, 39 people committed suicide. Whereas, in 2022, 43 people committed suicide.
Anyone who feels alone and needs support can call 0800-12345, free and anonymous.
