In the village of Kozice, in the municipality of Stolac in Herzegovina, lies the homeland of the Šakota family. I was born here in 1959, and my ancestors are:
- Father Danilo, born in 1926,
- Grandfather Lazar, born in 1892,
- Great-grandfather Jovo, born in 1854,
- Great-great-grandfather Stojan, born in 1823,
- Great-great-great-grandfather Simo, born in 1781.
My sons, Marko and Jovan, were born in Cetinje, and my grandson, David, was born in Belgrade.
The flame of life on our hearth has been burning for two and a half centuries.
It is the duty of Marko, Jovan, and David to do everything in their power to keep that flame alive, here in Kozice, at the place of our origin, where we are truly home, and where the root of our family, moral, and spiritual identity lies!
Agriculture has been the activity we engaged in and from which we made a living. According to tradition, our great-grandparents were primarily engaged in livestock farming, and more recently, in agriculture, fruit growing, and vegetable farming.
Earlier times were marked by the trend of people leaving the village. The path led villagers to the cities. Over time, cities became overcrowded, and various life circumstances are bringing the village back into the center of attention for many who are thinking long-term about trends on both local and global levels.
These trends have led us to adapt to the growing demand for rural tourism, believing that, both in terms of location and amenities, we can offer a service that will satisfy our clients.
In the future, our primary activity in Kozice will be tourism, which will include the development of an eco-garden and a zoo.
Alongside this project, we are also considering some more complex service programs that we may enter, listening to general trends and people’s interest in returning to the village.
Milivoje Lola Šakota
