Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community members in Mitrovicë/a South are supported in the framework of the “Improving Social Inclusion of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in the Mitrovica Region” project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and funded by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

In response to the impact of CoVID-19, the Danish Refugee Council delivered food packages to 375 vulnerable families in South Mitrovicë/a.  The families, who belong to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, have been particularly affected in their ability to generate income.

Distributions also entailed supporting 320 children to stay in school with items that will contribute to relieving their families from a financial burden they could not otherwise bear, as well as supporting nine extremely vulnerable individuals with personal care items.

During the distributions, health support items were also handed over to the Director of the Main Family Medicine Centre. Given the high number of persons suffering from diabetes among the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities of South Mitrovicë/a, glucometers and other relevant supplies were provided to the Ambulanta located in Roma Mahalla/Mahala.

Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community members in Mitrovicë/a South are supported in the framework of the Supporting “Social Entrepreneurship and Promoting Socio-economic Empowerment in Minority Communities in Kosovo” project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) represented by the Swedish Embassy in Pristina

In response to the impact of CoVID-19, the Danish Refugee Council delivered personal/household hygiene items to 375 vulnerable families in South Mitrovicë/a. The families, who belong to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, have been particularly affected in their ability to generate income.

Contextually, in cooperation with the Main Family Medicine Centre of South Mitrovicë/a, a nurse was present during the distribution of packages to measure the temperature of the recipients, thus improving access to health services for DRC’s persons of concern.

Fekrije is a single mother of three children from Roma Mahalla/Mahala. She collects waste plastic for a living and struggles to make ends meet especially with the ongoing restrictions on movement

Sofje and her disabled husband live in Dy Korriku / Sitničko Naselje with their child. They rely exclusively on social benefits to cover costs such as that of the rent for the house were they live.

Turkijan lives in Roma Mahalla/Mahala and is the father of five children. He relies on collecting plastic for the subsistence of his family. Given the ongoing restrictions on movement, he can no longer access sufficient income to meet their basic needs.

Bekim and his wife live in Ura e Gjakut / Krvavi Most. Due to health issues, they are unemployed and rely on social benefits to support themselves and their five daughters

In order to continue to promote ownership and sustainability, community members were fully engaged in the process.  Besides voicing their own concerns through participating in the needs assessment, a number of them have been engaged as community advocates to support awareness raising on CoVID-19.  This will build stronger capacities within the communities and promote long-term empowerment.

Improving skills through basic vocational trainings

Within its Sida-funded project Supporting Social Entrepreneurship and Promoting Socio-economic Empowerment in Minority Communities in Kosovo, DRC is currently providing support to vulnerable individuals from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities of South Mitrovicë/Mitrovica through basic-level vocational training courses.

On 9th September 2019, the latest cycle of training ended.  This is the eight cycle organised by DRC through Sida funds, and it saw the participation of 27 trainees, of whom five women, distributed in six profiles (constructions, auto-mechanics, welding, carpentry, barbering and hairdressing).

Thanks to these trainings, participants develop basic working skills that are crucial for them to access vocational training opportunities organised by the Kosovo institutions, and thus improve their chance to enter the job market.  Trainings started in 2013 and are organised in close cooperation with the Employment Office and Regional Vocational Training Centre of South Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.

Hatixhe is one of the trainers.  She is an engineer with 20 years of experience and has been teaching the constructions course since its start six years ago.  According to her, her five trainees – aged between 25 and 55 – are eager to learn. 

“I hope that, in the future, women from South Mitrovicë/Mitrovica Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities will start to take an interest in constructions, so that the prejudice that labels this field as exclusively for men is dissipated.”
- Hatixhe

Shaban, 54 years old, is one of Hatixhe’s trainees.  He realises that “without any diploma or any experience nowadays it is hard to find a job”, and signed up for DRC’s training so that he can gain the basic skills he needs to continue his professional learning path at the Regional Vocational Training Centre of South Mitrovicë/a.  “Thanks to this training I am even able to plan my day better”, says Shaban full of excitement; “What I learn motivates me to continue to learn”, he adds.  Shaban also mentioned that the bond among trainees – who knew each other beforehand – has become stronger thanks to the time they spent learning together and working together at solving problems.  He is confident this is something they will take away from their participation and continue in their daily lives.

A passion for weaving since childhood

Ljiljana Dražević is the Director of Inspiracija, one of the local NGOs DRC has been supporting in Kosovo through funds from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency represented by the Embassy of Sweden in Kosovo (Sida).

Ljiljana’s mission is for traditional weaving not to be forgotten. Her passion started when she was 13 years old, when she learned the first steps in this craft with the help of her grandmother. After acquiring basic skills this way, she moved onto attending formal trainings in Belgrade. She quickly understood the importance of keeping traditional techniques alive, and now utilises hand-made wooden looms for her activities.

In 2017, Ljiljana approached DRC as Inspiracija’s Director to offer her contribution to the women empowerment programme run in South Mitrovicë/a and targeting the members of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.  As a result, cooperation has been ongoing through the implementation of several projects in Roma Mahalla/Mahala.  The activities implemented by Inspiracija contribute to tackling the challenges faced by Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women, who are typically confined to a background role in their community; this leads to lower education levels, almost no participation in the labour market and close to no decision-making power.

Over 2 years, 26 women acquired weaving skills in an environment based on team-work, tolerance and mutual respect. In Ljiljana’s words “learning a trade and gaining self-confidence will help women to be competitive on the labour market and it paves the way for continuous empowerment”.  As a result, for instance, recently some trainees participated as models in a showcasing event where they presented their own products – which was unthinkable for a Roma or Ashkali woman until not long ago.

The focus of the activities run by Ljiljana is on producing items that have an added appeal based on the traditional techniques employed and, on the fact, that they are crafted by women belonging to marginalised groups.  This has resulted in a significant number of items sold both at events organised by the NGO, as well as from the small shop she runs in the heart of North Mitrovica/ë.

Now, Ljiljana wishes to continue to play a role in women empowerment through her traditional weaving courses, as well as to focus on working with recycled materials so as to promote environmental protection in her community.

Children from Roma Mahalla celebrate International Peace Day with dance and sports

In honor of International Peace Day, Caritas Kosovo organized an event with the motto “Peace for all”. The purpose of this event was to bring together children from all communities from Mitrovicë/a and the region.

DRC Implementing Partners, NGO PRAM and NGO ZRRAM participated with children from “Football School” sub project and youth from the  initiative Youth Dance folklore group.
Activities were held in two different locations;  10 children from “Football School”
showed their talents in sport’s field “Fatime Xhaka”, while NGO ZRRAM performed with 20 youth on the main bridge over the river Ibër/Ibar which is a symbol that connects the two parts of Mitrovicë/a.

At the end of the programme, participants built new friendships between each other’s where everyone agreed that peace and harmony are the way to a better future for all.

Football brings youth from different communities together in Mitrovicë/a

Under the “Football School” sub project, DRC Implementing Partner NGO PRAM in cooperation with Football Club Trepca ’89, organized education trainings for 27 children.

First training on topic “Leadership”, was organized on 20th of September in the Roma Mahalla Learning Center/NGO Resource Center, Mitrovicë/a. During the training, the children had the opportunity to learn many leadership skills in sports that will be of crucial importance to their further career.  After the training, the participants had the opportunity to talk about the training and their experiences.

To build on the success of the first training, NGO PRAM is planning to implement two more training sessions during November 2017 and January 2018, on topics: “Management of sport events” and “Football club’s development”.

Trainings organized by NGO PRAM are supported by Danish Refugee Council under the framework of the Sida-funded project “Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a”.

 

From Football School to the Super League Group of Kosovo

Armis Avdiu was born in 2001 in Mitrovicë/a. Until 1998 his family lived in the village of Stan Tërg/Stari Trg Mitrovicë/a, in very bad living conditions. Armis now lives together with his parents in 2 Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje neighborhood in Mitrovicë/a, where he finished the 9th grade at “Bedri Gjinaj” primary school.

Due to very difficult economic conditions, Armis decided to drop out of school, in order to ensure some income for his family. With support from Danish Refugee Council (DRC), in 2015, Armis participated in a three-month vocational training on carpentry, at the Diakonie training center.

In July 2015, NGO PRAM with support from DRC started to implement the subproject “Football school”, financed by Sida, represented by the Swedish Embassy in Prishtinë/a. This subproject foresees to train more than 50 RAE children from Roma Mahala and 2 Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje neighborhoods.  “Knowing the talent that Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian children possess on sport of football, and in order to keep children away from negative influences, NGO PRAM with support of DRC started to draft the proposal for offering football classes to RAE children, and this idea was ”, stated NGO PRAM director Mr. Milaim Ramadani.

As soon as he heard about this subproject, Armis decided to register with this football school. In order to fulfill his childhood dream, Armis parents without any hesitation signed all paper works, in order to allow him to be part of the school.

“As a child I dreamed of becoming a football player, therefore I would like to thank my parents, my trainer at Trepça 89, NGO PRAM and all other organizations involved on this subproject for offering our communities this opportunity”.

Mr. Shkëlzen Avdiu, Armis’s father says that he is very grateful to NGO PRAM and DRC for helping his son to follow his dreams, because he personally couldn’t follow his dreams because of poor economic conditions.

In the beginning, among 50 RAE children, Armis is registered in the U-17 group, which trains twice a week, coached by a UEFA licensed coach. Now Armis is training also with FC Trepça 89 which plays in the Kosovo Super League, in the U-17 team.  Now, Armis was registered in the Kosovo Football Federation, and plays official matches for FC Trepça 89.

“I would like to thank his family for trusting me when we decided to bring him to FC Trepça 89, where he was accepted as part of the team in a remarkable way” said Lavdim Behxheti the coach of Trepça 89 for U13 and U17.

Danish Refugee Council Kosovo, with funding from Sida, as of March 2014, started implementing a 4-year Project: “Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a”. The Project aims to contribute to the stabilization and integration process of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian women, men, girls and boys in Mitrovicë/a by providing the tools and support necessary for members of the Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities and vulnerable members of the majority community to improve their future opportunities in education, employment and civic participation in a multi-ethnic Kosovo.

New Businesses graduate from DRC’s Social Business Incubator (SBI) Mitrovicë/a

On February 1st in 2017, 22 trainees from Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities received certificates for successful completion of three-month training in Construction, Welding, Carpentry, Auto mechanic, Barber and Hairdresser at an event organized in Mitrovicë/a. Three businesses received graduation certificates from DRC’s Social Business Incubator. Deputy Mayor of Mitrovicë/a, Mr. Faruk Mujka held a speech where he stated that the municipality of Mitrovicë/a will continue to support DRC’s activities which are helping different communities to get higher education and trainings and prepare them for the job market. One of the graduated business owners stated that he is grateful to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for the training and for the help in trying to find better employment.

This graduation ceremony is a result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Ministry for Labour and Social Welfare and DRC’s Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla, which provides infrastructure to offer preparatory vocational training courses to youth from Roma Mahalla and the Mitrovicë/a region.

In close cooperation with the Employment Office Mitrovicë/a, DRC identified mentors to offer courses in: Construction, Welding, Carpentry, Auto mechanic, Barber and Hairdresser.

Under the 3rd round framework of the trainings, 22 trainees were registered in May 2016 through the Employment Office Mitrovicë/a. They attended trainings and got the opportunity to gain basic skills that will facilitate their further vocational education.

Trainings with qualified mentors took place three times a week for the duration of three months. Certificates issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for successful completion of the course will enable better employment opportunities.

With this programme, DRC's Social Business Incubator contributes not only to the existing employment and vocational training infrastructure in Mitrovicë/a region, but also establishes closer links between members of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian communities and the majority community.

The preparatory vocational training programme is funded by Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) under the umbrella of the project Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Mitrovicë/a.

SBI Vocational Training Centre has been established by DRC in July 2013 in cooperation with Regional Center for Professional Skills in Mitrovicë/a under the agreement with MLSW and Employment Office Mitrovicë/a.

SHUKARNO TALENTI CONTINUES NETWORKING IN THE REGION

Invited by NGO Caritas Kosova office in Gjakova/Djakovica, 20 members ofthe NGO Shukarno Talenti folklore group visited the neighbourhood Ali Ibra (Kolonia) in Gjakova/Djakovica on January 21st, 2016 to exchange experiences.

Both organizations have activities with children and youth related to music education and traditional dance, which helped them establish a common ground for potential cooperation.

On March 1st, 2016, a delegation of 12 members of Caritas Kosovo and the folklore group from the neighbourhood Ali Ibra (former Kolonia) visited Roma Mahalla where NGO Shukarno Talenti presented their educational and cultural activities in Roma Mahalla, South Mitrovicë/a.

NGO Shukarno Talenti will continue to seek partnerships throughout Kosovo to establish better cooperation in order to be informed about events and opportunities for collaboration on various projects.

Successful outcome of Intensive Education for RAE Communities in Mitrovicë/a

On January 18th and 19th 2016, in economic school ''Hasan Prishtina'' in Mitrovicë/a are held the final exams for 12th graders, who attended intensive education supported by DRC and Caritas through the subproject “Intensive Education for RAE Communities”. Many young adults from the RAE communities were unable to continue their education due to displacement and economic hardship.  Out of 8 initially registered in October 2014, 6 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian youth from Dy Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje have successfully passed the exams and completed their educational goal.
On February 18th 2016, in a certification event organized by the school and Caritas, the students received their certificates. Besides DRC and Caritas, representatives from civil society in Mitrovicë/a, Municipal educational authorities and UNMIK participated in the event.

The “Intensive Education for RAE Communities” is a subproject implemented by Caritas Kosova through Sida funds as an integral part of the DRC project 'Support of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a'.

Read more on the event in the local online portal MitrovicaTopPress.
http://mitrovicatoppress.com/?p=38426

Social Business Incubator provides preparatory vocational trainings to job-seekers in Mitrovicë/a

In August 2015, the DRC Social Business Incubator (SBI) offered three-month preparatory vocational training courses in carpentry, welding, high construction, low construction, auto mechanics and hairdressingto 25 (20 male and 5 female) job-seekers registered at the Regional Employment Office in Mitrovicë/a.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding between DRC and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) it was foreseen that the most successful trainees will be referred to the Regional Vocational Training Center (RVTC) in Mitrovicë/a for further advanced trainings.

DRC SBI mentors in coordination with RVTC Mitrovicë/a have organized the testing of trainees in September and 10 candidates were referred to the Regional Employment Office Mitrovicë/a with the recommendation to continue with three-month advanced trainings in RVTC Mitrovicë/a. The 10 selected trainees started advanced trainings in October 2015.

Following the success of this round of preparatory trainings, DRC SBI and the Regional Employment Office Mitrovicë/a have held info sessions and started the registration process of new job-seekers.

In November, trainings started with a new group of 22 applicants; 19 of them are from RAE communities, Roma Mahalla and 2 Korriku/Sitnicko naselje(5 candidates are female) and 3 Albanians from north Mitrovicë/a. 

The Social Business Incubator is funded by Sida as part of the 'Support of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a' project.

Women for Women International and DRC partner to support women's economic self-reliance in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a

In the beginning of September 2015, DRC invited experienced women NGOs from all over Kosovo to submit a proposal for a project aiming to enhance economic empowerment and design environmentally friendly activities for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a. 

Following the assessment of applicants and evaluation of proposals received, Women for Women International based in Prishtinë/a was selected to implement the project “Fostering Self-Reliance among Roma, Ashkali & Egyptian Women in Mitrovicë/a".

On 29/10/2015, DRC signed a two-year contract with Women for Women International to provide targeted support and capacity-building for a Roma Mahalla-based women's NGO Gjuvljano Mangipe and to train 40 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women from Roma Mahalla and 2 Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje neighbourhoods in Mitrovicë/a on how to identify opportunities for income generation and manage their income efficiently.

NGO Gjuvljano Mangipe (GjM) is supported by DRC under the Sida project: Support for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a. GjM is led by community members and is working towards establishing a social enterprise for handicrafts to support women's self-reliance. Work on expanding their online presence and establishing an online shop have already started and will continue with support from Women for Women International.

Mid-term evaluation tracks progress of Sida-funded project “Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a”

During October 2015 DRC organized an internal mid-term project evaluation of the Sida funded “Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a” Project.

In order to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the project components: education and economic development, and the handover process itself, DRC Kosovo has welcomed Mr. Mikkel Nedergaard - M&E expert from DRC HQ in Copenhagen.

From 19-22 October 2015, Mr. Nedergaard conducted intensive consultations with all relevant project stakeholders, by facilitating focus group discussions on education and economic development components and individual interviews with relevant parties, such as the Deputy Mayor of Mitrovicë/a municipality, NGO “RADC” Director and the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian leader.  

At the end of field activities Mr. Nedergaard facilitated a brainstorming session with DRC program staff and Country Director, where the status of the Action Plan for handover process and its benchmarks have been reviewed in detail while reflecting on progress, identified gaps, obstacles and concerns of the stakeholders.  

200 children and youths from Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/a take part in Let's clean Kosovo

On 22 May, DRC in cooperation with LNGOs Caritas Kosovo, RADC, Shukarno Talenti and the Municipality of Mitrovicë/a supported 200 children and youths from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community to clean their neighbourhood for "Let’s clean Kosovo". The cleanups are a part of the global civic movement Let’s Do It! World Cleanup 2015, which aims to solve the illegal dumping problem on a local and global level both short and long term – by engaging a large part of the society in a cleanup activity on an action day.

The Municipal Directorate of Culture, Youth and Sport sponsored gloves, masks and garbage bags to help the children clean their neighbourhood safely. The local Public Utility company Uniteti supported the event by picking up all the collected trash for disposal. Even local business owners hosted in the Social Business Incubator joined the cleanup.

For the younger children, the local Learning Centre also organized an exhibition of drawings, reading of poems and a fashion show showcasing creations made from recycled materials. The day was concluded by a performance of the local folklore dance group Shukarno Tallenti.

The children's environmental actions are supported through the Sida-funded project: Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Community in Mitrovicë/a.

Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology visit the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a

On Tuesday, 28/04/2015, the regular meeting of the Education Working Group was organized at the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a. Besides DRC local implementing partners, the meeting was also attended by Ms. Enesa Kadic – Head of Division for Communities at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and Ms. Aferdita Jaha - Officer for Intensive Teaching at MEST. Ms. Kadic appreciated the work of DRC and its local partners in the Learning Centre in Mitrovicë/a and confirmed that MEST is committed to support the education of minority communities living in Kosovo. Ms. Jaha explained certification procedures for beneficiaries of intensive teaching classes from Roma Mahalla and Dy Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje neighbourhoods and expressed the strong support of MEST for such projects.

This education initiative is supported by DRC through the Sida-funded project ‘Support for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a`.

NGO Shukarno Talenti perform in Mitrovicë/a and Kamenicë/a to mark International Roma Day

NGO Shukarno Talenti from Mitrovicë/a in cooperation with the Municipal Office for Communities and Returns (MOCR) in Kamenicë/a organized on April 8th 2015 a celebration of the International Roma Day. The folklore group "Shukarno Talenti" with its 54 members was invited by the Cultural Center in Kamenicë/a to participate in the entertainment part of the program. In front of the audience from Kamenicë/a and neighbourhood together with participants from Kamenicë/a, they gave a riveting performance that ended with a party for the participants. This was the first event in the cultural and artistic events in celebration of International Roma Day.

Continuing the celebrations in Mitrovicë/a, NGO Shukarno Talenti in collaboration with NGO RADC, organized a concert with songs, dances and recitals in the Mitrovicë/a Cultural Centre “Rexhep Mitrovica”  where children that are attending educational activities in the Learning Center in Roma Mahalla and youth from Roma Mahalla performed in front of a Mitrovicë/a audience. RAE folklore groups from Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje  and Prizren were also invited to perform on the day. 

NGO Shukarno Talenti is supported by DRC through the Sida-funded project ‘Support for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a`.

DRC's partner Caritas Kosovo is launching literacy classes in Roma Mahalla in collaboration with the Mitrovicë/a Municipality

In cooperation with the Directorate for Education, DRC's implementing partner Caritas Kosova is implementing a subproject “Intensive education for RAE community” under the framework of the Sida-funded project Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a.

Initially 10 beneficiaries from RAE communities from Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a will follow literacy classes where the teacher, which is selected by the Directorate for Education, will work with them to improve reading and numeracy skills. Activities will be held in the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla. After completing the literacy classes, beneficiaries will be provided with certificates issued by the Directorate for Education. These certificates will enable them to continue their education.

In addition to intensive classes for primary and secondary school levels, Caritas Kosova started with the implementation of this third component “literacy classes” as a continuation of similar activities offered in the past under the sub-project “Eradication of illiteracy”.

For more information about DRC local partner Caritas Kosova please here

Scholarships support women and girls to finish their education

With a private donation from Sweden, Danish Refugee Council provided scholarships for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women to enable them to complete secondary school as part of the Sida-funded project: ‘Supporting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a`. 

In March 2013, DRC reached an agreement with five young women from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community from Roma Mahalla and 2 Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje to support them in their wish to continue their education.  Four of them were registered in the secondary economic school “Hasan Prishtina”, Mitrovicë/a South and one in the secondary economic school “Ekonomska Trgovinska Skola”, Mitrovica North.

After one year of intensive classes all students successfully finished their professional schooling and are now equipped with certificates/diplomas for completion of secondary school education within the fields of Law, Banking, Economics and Finance. 

DRC-supported NGO Gjuvljano Mangipe signs their first MoU with the Municipal Department of Culture, Youth and Sports in Mitrovicë/a

Gjuvljano Mangipe (meaning Vullneti I Grave/Women’s will), is a registered organization created to promote economic empowerment of women and girls in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a Through their workshop at the Social Business Incubator (SBI) in Roma Mahalla, they produce original handicrafts and engage in activities designed to promote women’s empowerment.

After receiving support from DRC through the Sida-funded Support of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a” Project, DRC is proud to announce that Gjuvljano Mangipe signed their first independent MoU with Mr. Ardian Kavaja, Director of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sports, Municipality of Mitrovicë/a.

The MoU covers a 1-year period and promotes cultural integration of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community in Mitrovicë/a and the participation of NGO Gjuvljano Mangipe in cultural events organized by the Municipality of Mitrovicë/a.

The SBI supported Gjuvljano Mangipe with access to workspace, technical and business trainings and the creation of promotional materials including design of their website and social media presence. Support to community-led LNGOs like Gjuvljano Mangipe is part of DRC’s capacity building of local partners in Mitrovicë/a.

To read more about Gjuvljano Mangipe visit their website and facebook

DRC signs 3-year-MoU with Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

On Wednesday, 25/03/2015, Mr. Arban Abrashi, Minister of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with DRC to support the vocational and professional development of beneficiaries of the "Support of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a” Project, funded by the Swedish Agency for International Development (Sida).

Today’s signing of the MoU was preceded by a visit from representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to the DRC vocational training facilities and Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla.  During the visit, DRC presented the results achieved in the past and discussed future plans and ways of enhancing employment opportunities for minority communities and youth with the Ministry.

The outcome of this process is an MoU covering a period of 3 years, which enables DRC and the Ministry to collaborate closely on improving the chances of Roma Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a to increase their job skills and access the labour market.  DRC will provide preparatory vocational training courses in the fields of: welding, carpentry, high and low construction which pave the way for participants to pursue a career in these fields.