Country Life: Farmer Laimas Šileika and a shepherd (VIDEO)

The villages of Braziūkai and Kuro, nestled amongst the forests, are home to what people call a real gem – the farmer Laima Šileika. The village elder of Kuro is a tireless local figure who looks after not only a flock of around 300 sheep, but also the welfare of the village’s residents.

L. Šileika himself says that none of this work would be possible if people were merely materialistic, measuring their time in terms of money.

Father Andrius Vaitkūnas, who served as parish priest in the Braziaiukai parish for no fewer than seven years, admitted in an interview with "Agrobitė play" admitted that he did not want to leave after seeing how devoted the local residents are to their homeland and to God.

We tried to speak to other people as well, all of whom speak highly of L. Šileika.

The modest farmer also told us about the hardest moments in his life, when it seemed there was no way out. What helped him get back on his feet, and did he later meet the person whom, as Laimas himself believes, God sent him?

Mindaugas Maciulevičius, head of the Kaunas District Farmers’ Union, says that with farmers like Laimas Šileika, every village holds the key to success, as other people are drawn to responsible and conscientious farmers.

Watch all this in this episode of "Kaimo gyvybė" episode. Subscribe to the “Agrobitė play” channel to find out more about these rural role models. Perhaps they live right on your doorstep.

This documentary report was produced with partial funding from the Media Support Fund.