British Ambassador Ian Cliff visits DRC beneficiaries in Prizren and Dragash

Danish Refugee Council staff in Prizren were happy to introduce Ambassador Ian Cliff to beneficiaries of two projects funded by the British Embassy. 

Women entrepreneurs receive start-up support

Women entrepreneurs receive start-up support

Elvira Salihi welcomed Ambassador Cliff in her newly opened laboratory. As a beneficiary of the Community Stabilization Project (CSP) Elvira received a grant for medical laboratory equipment and training in order to succeed with her start-up business. The CSP project funded by the British Embassy in Kosovo and the Ministry for Communities and Return is supporting 38 women and minority entrepreneurs from 5 municipalities with grants, field-focused technical advice and business management training to support their new or existing businesses.

Ambassador Cliff also visited returnees in the Nenkalaja / Podkaljaja neighbourhood in Prizren. To date, DRC helped close to 30 families return from displacement  and rebuild their lives with funding provided by the British Embassy in Kosovo and the Ministry of Communities and Returns. The Sustainable return and reintegration project reconstructs and furnishes homes and provides income generation support for all returning beneficiaries.

For more pictures of the visit, follow UK in Kosovo, the British Embassy's twitter feed here

Minority businesses supported with grants

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The Community Stabilization Project (CSP) funded by the British Embassy in Kosovo and the Ministry for Communities and Return is supporting 38 beneficiaries from 5 municipalities with grants, field-focused technical advice and business management training to support their new or existing businesses.

Following the selection of beneficiaries, Danish Refugee Council contacted all beneficiaries to gather information on the technical requirements of inputs requested under the grants, ensuring beneficiaries receive the adequate equipment to improve or start their businesses.

To date, 10 grants have already been delivered.

Among the businesses supported is a start-up business establishing a medical laboratory in Prizren. Elvira, the owner, started the business to put her many years of experience working in medical laboratories to good use. To improve her chances to succeed with this venture, she chose a location in close proximity to local hospitals. With the delivery of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment through the project, she believes she will be able to offer her services at competitive prices.

In the case of Arif, no high-tech equipment was requested. Arif runs an orchard in Globocice/a village, Dragash/s municipality. Through the project grant, he was able to erect a proper fence around his property, which shows how even seemingly simple improvements can add value to businesses.

In the coming months, DRC will continue to support beneficiaries who received their grants already and deliver additional grants to another 30 beneficiaries.

CSP is funded by the British Embassy Kosovo and the Ministry for Communities and Returns and covers  5 municipalities: Pejë/Pec, Istog/Istok, Prizren, Strpce/Shtërpcë, Dragash/Dragas.

Beneficiaries of the Community Stabilization Project selected

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DRC is happy to announce that the selection process for support under the Community Stabilization Project has now concluded. 38 beneficiaries from 5 municipalities have been approved and will receive grants, field-focused technical advice and business management training to support their new or existing businesses. The list of beneficiaries is available here. DRC is now in the process of contacting the beneficiaries and gathering information on the technical requirements of inputs requested under the grants. Once this stage is finalized, the tender process will begin.

In addition, the project supports small-scale community projects that promote inter-ethnic cooperation and support reducing the social isolation of minority returnee and remainee families. 3 projects have been selected, including:

  • The rehabilitation of the park and playground of the local Primary School in Dobrushë/a, Istog/Istok

  • The building of a rockslide protection wall in Landovicë/Landovica, Prizren

  • The rehabilitation of a cobblestone road in Sevce, Shtërpc/Štrpce

The Municipalities of Istog/Istok, Prizren and Shtërpc/Štrpce will co-fund the projects to benefit the local community in their respective municipalities.

The Community and Stabilization Project is funded by the British Embassy in Kosovo and the Ministry for Communities and Returns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DRC starts Community Stabilization Project

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From 1 June 2013, DRC will provide sustainable socio-economic support for at least 20 minority businesses and implement at least 2 projects to improve relations between inter-ethnic communities.

Co-financed by the British Embassy and the Ministry for Community and Return, the 9-month Community Stabilization project will support the Kosovo government’s IDP returns programme and promote integration and reconciliation between ethnic communities in northern Kosovo.

Evidence shows that some of the main barriers to the stabilization of minority communities in Kosovo are a lack of viable livelihood options, especially in rural areas, and economic isolation.

In addition, returnees and minorities face social isolation due to limited contact and connections with the majority populations, which can further increase inter-ethnic tensions.

Therefore the project is designed to combat both economic and social isolation in close cooperation with central and local authorities.

The project will:

  • Support at least 20 minority small business start-ups, producers, processors and traders with economic grants and start-up assistance to improve their livelihoods.

  • Implement at least 2 small scale community projects to improve inter-ethnic contact and relationships.

The project design is based on DRC’s many years of experience in supporting minority community stability in Kosovo. Moreover, DRC has proven experience in creating synergies between such economic interventions and social components in its community stabilization projects.

Using the lessons learned from previous stabilization interventions, DRC will go beyond simply providing fixed amounts of material assistance packages to beneficiaries. Interventions will be strategic and designed together with beneficiaries, local communities and/or relevant authorities. Special focus will be placed on providing technical assistance and business advisory support, including support on business registration as needed.

Furthermore, priority will be given to businesses that can provide benefits to the wider community, not just the individual business (i.e. supporting short-term/long-term employment opportunities to members to the community).

The proposed economic and social capacity building and inter-ethnic stabilization components will prepare returnee and minority communities and businesses to better withstand potential tensions or adverse economic conditions in the future.