Arton and Behxhet during their daily work

“Hold the ladder steady,” says the blue-uniformed electrician to his colleague. “I just have to connect these wires and we’ll be done with this office. So, what’s next on our to-do list?” he asks. “The PPIO reported a couple of burnt light bulbs… and after we’re done with those, we have to go to Mitrovica to fix their fuse box,” his colleague answers. “OK. I’m done here… let’s go to the next one…”

The story above closely depicts another busy day for the EULEX crew which single-handedly makes sure that every piece of electrical equipment in the EU Mission is kept in perfect working condition.

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They are part of Building Management Service (BMS), and the team consists of four electricians who, as soon as they come in the office in the morning, grab their checklist of things to do; places to go and electrical problems to fix; and then spend all day running around Kosovo fixing the EULEX electricity-related headaches.

“We work as a team to ensure things get done well and on time!” says Arton Sylaj, the team leader.

Arton Sylaj and Behxhet Xhemajli are seasoned professionals. Together, they have forty years of experience in this line of work.

Arton is 31 years old, and he dedicates most of his spare time to his wife and two sons. Whenever he gets a chance he takes his kids up in the mountains to enjoy the nature and the fresh air. He spends a lot of time caring for his garden and the many fruit trees he has planted over the years. He also enjoys fishing a lot! “I went to Batllava Lake two weeks ago, and although I didn’t catch any fish, I had a great time because I just love the relaxation  of fishing”, says Arton, smiling.

His buddy and colleague, Behxhet Xhemajli, aged 41, is also married and has two children – a boy and a girl. Behxhet spends most of his free time at home with his family as well, and whenever they have an opportunity they have a barbeque out in the countryside.

The two colleagues know each other so well that sometimes they don’t have to talk to communicate - they just know what the other is thinking. They are diligent and always get the job done – Behxhet even admits he is always at work an hour early because he hates to leave things for the last minute.

Their work is very delicate and they need to be extra careful because, as the old saying goes, “You can work with electricity for fifty years but all it takes is a single mistake and you could end up paying with your life!” Over the years, after getting electrocuted numerous times, Arton has developed such good reflexes that even if he scratches himself while working, he will jump thinking he got electrocuted.

Deep down inside, Arton hopes that his kids will not grow-up to work with electricity, because he realizes all the dangers that go with the job, and doesn’t want his kids exposed to those kinds of hazards. Behxhet also agrees that working with electricity brings many risks, and advises his children to be extra careful when being around electrical appliances.

Arton and Behxhet travel more than 80 kilometers every day to ensure that colleagues are not left in the dark! You may not have noticed the need for their expertise, and you probably take it for granted that the light shining above your desk works, but what if you find yourself in total darkness … what then? Who will you call?