Business Centre Zvecan and DRC organize Crafts Fair in Mitrovica

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The 'HOLIDAY SEASON CRAFT FAIR' promotes traditional and innovative handicrafts produced by 15 NGOs and women's initiatives, among them Vullneti i Grave, and provides income generating opportunities to women in society.

However, the Fair will not only provide a sales opportunity for the participating women, but also enable the participants to network with similar initiatives in the North and to explore possibilities for further collaboration with the Business Centre Zvecan.

To this end the fair will be used as a platform to inform relevant stakeholders about women’s economic initiatives in the area, to present the work of the respective NGOs and women's initiatives and to engage in discussion with the Business Centre Zvecan and private sector representatives about ways to effectively promote traditional Kosovo crafts.

Read more about Vullneti i Grave on their website: www.vullnetiigrave.com or find them on facebook

Download the list of Fair participants

 

Bridging the learning gap - The Learning Centre, Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/a Booklet 2013

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For the past three years, the Learning Centre has provided kindergarten, pre-school and homework support classes to the growing number of children and youth in Roma Mahalla.

Read more about the Centre's work or download the Booklet in English, Albanian or Serbian below:

 

Since 2009, Danish Refugee Council has supported its former implementing partner Caritas and current partner Roma and Ashkalia Documentation Center (RADC) to run the Learning Centre located in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a. The Centre is currently funded solely by Sida as part of the Community Development component of the DRC Kosovo Stabilisation of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/a.

 

Click the caption to download the Booklet:

Buy your gifts at the 'Holiday Season Crafts Fair', 23 December 2013

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Danish Refugee Council and Business Center Zvecan are organizing a 'HOLIDAYS FAIR CRAFT WORK' to promote, develop and nurture traditional and innovative handicrafts, and provide income generating opportunities to women in society.

Place: Above CRYM CENTER - Mitrovica (ex VIVA)

Date: 23 December 2013

Time: 11:00 - 16:00

November 23th 2013 - A football tournament for tolerance

 
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On 23th November, the NGO Sport Sans Frontières will organise with the support of the Danish Refugee Council and SIDA a football tournament in Mitrovica. The tournament will gather around 80 children from 4 different communities: Albanian, Ashkali, Bosnian and Roma. It will be organised by young volunteers who have been trained on sport animation by Sport Sans Frontières.

 

Empowering and Educating through sport

Since 2008, Sport Sans Frontières Kosovo has trained hundreds of volunteers from different communities on sport animation.

Thanks to the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and to Sida, 15 volunteers have been trained end October. They learned how to organise a football tournament for the children. The objective of the tournament is not competition: it aims to provide children with sport values such as fair play and solidarity. Children will form multiethnic teams. For them, sport will be a unique tool to meet their peers from other communities.

Agenda

The event will take place in Australia Balloon in Mitrovica. The day will start at 10AM with an opening ceremony. The children will form 16 teams. The first phase of the tournament will take place from 10h45 to 11h45 and the second phase (finals) from 12h40 to 14h. At 2PM a closing ceremony will be organised.

Contacts:  

Dafina Rudi, SSF Kosovo, 04 427 83 66, admin.kosovo@sportsansfrontieres.org

Burim Nebihu, DRC Mitrovica, +381 28 533 541,

 

The Danish Refugee Council project ‘Stabilization of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian (RAE) Communities Project’ in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/Mitrovica started in 2009. It combines economic development with activities geared towards community development. Activities are implemented through a number of local partners and the project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).  Read more about  DRC Kosovo projects  www.drc-kosovo.org .

Primary school children from Mitrovicë/a celebrate Universal Children's Day together

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'I have rights!'

Under this motto, children from the Learning Center in Roma Mahalla, invited children from primary schools Andon Zako Cajup, Bedri Gjina and Eqrem Qabej to celebrate Universal Children's Day in the cultural hall in Mitrovicë/a. This event celebrated around the world marks the day on which the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child  were adopted.

At the Learning Center, the children learned about their rights, made drawings and decorations and worked hard to perfect their performances.  On the  day, they recited poems, performed songs and dances and moderated the event themselves. 

In line with the ideals set down in the Charter which not only promote children's rights but also the understanding between children of different backgrounds and cultures, folklore dance groups from Roma Mahalla, and the Bosniak and Turkish community performed their traditional dances and gave the audience an insight into their culture and traditions.

The event was supported by the Municipal Department for Culture, Sport and Youth in Mitrovica, the Danish Refugee Council and Mercy Corps.

The Learning Center in Roma Mahalla is run by the RADC and funded by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) under the DRC Kosovo Stabilisation of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/Mitrovica which is  funded by Sida.

 

Learning Center brings parents and children together

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On 23 October the Learning Center in Roma Mahalla invited parents and children to a day of games and competitions at the sports hall in Mitrovicë/a. Roughly 60 parents and 100 children came and participated actively in the various activities devised by teachers and teacher assistants. Learning Center staff were pleased to welcome such a large number of parents, including both mothers and fathers.

 With the help of their parents, the children made cabbage heads from different vegetables, drawings and paper sculptures. Prizes for the best examples in the different categories were handed out by members of the judging panel consisting of Learning Center staff and representatives from OSCE.

For the past 3 years, the Learning Center has supported children between the ages of 3 to 15, providing pre-school classes and homework support for children enrolled in primary school in order to increase RAE children's chances to successfully participate in the mainstream school system in Mitrovicë/a.

The Learning Center is part of the DRC Kosovo Stabilisation of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/Mitrovica and is currently funded solely by Sida and run by DRC through its local implementing partner RAD Center.

 

“Seeing so many parents accompany their children, drawing and playing with them, is a sign that parents in Roma Mahalla are getting more and more involved in activities related to their children’s education. Besides making sure that children’s performance at school improves, engaging parents in Learning Center activities and encouraging them to take an active role in their child’s education is another priority for us ”
— says a member of staff at the Learning Center.

DRC welcomes interns from the International Business College Mitrovicë/a

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Manuela Petrovic, Community Development Intern

Manuela Petrovic, Community Development Intern

Arben Isufi, Economic Development Intern

Arben Isufi, Economic Development Intern

As part of an MoU signed with the International Business College Mitrovicë/a, Danish Refugee Council offers IBCM students the opportunity to participate in an internship programme with DRC's field office in Mitrovicë/a.

IBCM students were invited to apply for internship positions in either the community or economic development component  of the Stabilization of Roma Ashkalia and Egyptian (RAE) Communities Project in Roma Mahalla. 

Following applicant interviews by a panel consisting of DRC and IBCM representatives, we are happy to welcome Manuela and Arben to our team. 

“This is an opportunity for me to work with people and vulnerable groups in particular. I am most excited about being part of the monitoring of activities in Roma Mahalla. Talking to people and listening to their issues is what drives a good project, I believe.”
— Manuela Petrovic, Community Development Intern

The interns will assist DRC staff in their daily work and get an insight into all aspects of working with and for communities in Mitrovicë/a. The internship programme started in October and will last until the end of December 2013. DRC considers this internship program a great opportunity to provide work experience to talented youths and benefit from their skills in turn.

“This is a unique chance for me to gain practical skills. Everything I learned in IBCM’s Public Service Management can now be demonstrated and explored even deeper in this organization. DRC works with all communities, and in this project specifically with RAE which motivates me to learn more about them. I look forward to working more closely with this community at the Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla.”
— Arben Isufi, Economic Development Intern

More information about IBCM and the courses on offer can be found here

The DRC Kosovo Stabilisation of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/Mitrovica is funded by Sida.

Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla offers certified preparatory vocational trainings

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Newly constructed Social Business Incubator annex to host vocational trainings

Following an MoU signed with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Danish Refugee Council's Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla is now offering a pre-preparatory vocational training programme to youth from Roma Mahalla and the Mitrovicë/a region. In close cooperation with the Regional Employment Centre (REC) Mitrovicë/a, DRC identified teachers and mentors to train participants in:

  • High/low construction

  • Metal processing

  • Carpentry

  • TV/Radio service

 

Starting on 3 October 2013, 21 trainees registered through the Regional Employment Centre Mitrovicë/a will attend trainings and get the opportunity to gain basic skills that will facilitate their further vocational education. Trainings with qualified mentors will take place three times a week and last for the duration of three months. Graduates of the programme will receive certificates issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, which will enable them to pursue more advanced vocational trainings in the future.

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

 

 

High Construction training

Carpentry workshop

Trainees sign up for High Construction training

The Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla is part of the economic development component of the Kosovo Stabilisation of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/a funded by Sida.

Austrian Development Agency supports returnee families in Kosovo

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On 15 September 2013, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) began implementing a one-year BPRM-funded project that will support at least 26 families returning to Kosovo from Serbia and their wider communities.

Christian Geosits, Head of ADA Office, Kosovo and Kristen Stec, DRC Country Representative sign agreement

DRC is happy to announce that the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the operational unit of the Austrian Development Cooperation, will support the return and reintegration of returnee families.

With this contribution from ADA, DRC will be able to provide three families that will be returned this year with income generation grants and needs-based harmonized return packages in line with MCR’s guidelines on return.

The families are in the process of being selected. Minor shelter repairs for these families should start in October 2013 and be finalized in November 2013.

 

 

 

DRC, in partnership with LNGO Center for Peace and Tolerance, will employ an integrated response to returns and reintegration. The project activities are divided into three complementary and inter-related components that will address the most important socio-economic reintegration needs and aim to reduce isolation of returnees using a rapid and flexible approach. The project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry for Communities and Return and respective municipalities. DRC signed a MoU with MCR on 25 September 2013 that outlines the cooperation.

Read more about the Reintegration and Community Stabilization in Kosovo Project 

 

Shukarno Talenti perform at Day of Bosniaks celebration in Mitrovicë/a

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Celebrating the Day of Bosniaks on 28 September, the Cultural Centre in Mitrovicë/a hosted colourful performances by local folklore groups. Roma Mahalla's very own dance troupe, Shukarno Talenti, was among the groups invited to entertain the audience throughout the evening. 

Shukarno Talenti is a self-organized group of youths from Roma Mahalla, who meet every week to practice their routines. Shukarno Talenti has recently been registered as an NGO and older members are now also teaching younger children. For both children and youths, Shukarno Talenti is not only a fun after-school activity, but also a way to pass on their heritage to younger generations and keep the folk dance traditions alive in the community.

Shukarno Talenti are part of Danish Refugee Council's community development projects, funded by Sida as part of the 'Stabilization of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Community Project' in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a. 

'Vullneti i Grave' continue their success at Handicrafts fairs in Prishtina and beyond

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During the last 3 months, Roma Mahalla's women's group 'Vullneti i Grave' have gained valuable experience selling their hand-made creations at various fairs in Prishtina. They participated in a fair organized by the Ministry of Diaspora in June and just recently in the five-day 'Handicrafts and Cultural Heritage Fair 2013' organized by the NGO 'Open Door' which is held every year in September in Prishtina. 

With every fair, the women honed their skills in talking to customers and in displaying their products. Using that knowledge, Vullneti i Grave even organized their own fair with the support of DRC's implementing partner, NGO Lulebora. The Vullneti i Grave fair brought together five NGO's and women's groups from Mitrovicë/a and Fushë Kosova, giving them the opportunity to exhibit and sell their products on Mother Teresa Square in Prishtina.

If you are curious to see the products for yourself, Vullneti i Grave will be at the Handicrafts Fair in Gjilan from 30/9 to 1/10. For more information about the women, their stories and products, visit their website www.vullnetiigrave.com or follow them on facebook.

Vullneti i Grave are part of the community development component under the 'Stabilization of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Community Project' funded by Sida. 

Roma Mahalla Women's Group presents their work at Green Drinks Prishtina

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Selvete Gashi-Director of NGO “Lulebora” making a brief presentation about the project

Selvete Gashi-Director of NGO “Lulebora” making a brief presentation about the project

On Thursday, 15/08/2013, NGO “Lulebora” and three women from the “Vullneti I Grave” group, have participated as the main guests of the Green Drinks event organized by The Ideas Partnership, at Shuala Bar, Pristina. Selvete Gashi-Director of NGO “Lulebora” made a brief presentation about the project. Beside project presentation, the Green Drinks event was a good opportunity for “Vullneti I Grave” to present and to sell their products. 

“Vullneti I Grave” is a group of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women, skilled in handicrafts. “Vullneti I Grave” are part of the  Social Business Incubator established by the  Danish Refugee Council Kosovo under the ‘Stabilization of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a’. The project integrates  economic development  and  community development  activities and is funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and NGO Lulebora.

“The Ideas Partnership” is a Kosovan NGO working on educational, cultural and environmental projects. “The Ideas Partnership” is working with partner organizations and local institutions, supporting the people of Kosovo to protect a unique cultural heritage, nurture the environment, and educate a new generation of citizens.

The “Green Drinks” event is an international concept, which takes place in hundred cities around the world. The idea of Green Drinks, is to bring people together once per month. People with professional involvement in the environment, people with personal interest, and people who are fancy of a drink of two (locally produced), are invited, for having good company and stimulating conversation. Lately, Pristina is one of those world cities. For each event, one or two guests are invited, to present their projects, and their products.

 

DRC supports literacy classes for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women and youth

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55 women and 20 youth from Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities based in Roma Mahalla and 2 Korriku in Mitrovicë/a started literacy classes on July 15 ,2013. The initiative will be implemented by two RAE women LNGO’s (Roma Women for Roma Women and Women Group 2 Korriku). The project is supported by Caritas Kosovo and will be conducted by professional teachers appointed by the Department for Education in Mitrovicë/a.

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During the five months of working with the teachers, the women and youth will improve their reading and writing skills and be able to fill out official forms by themselves, write, read and sign letters. In addition, during the implementation of the project, DRC will work on capacity building of the two RAE women NGO’s.

In this way the RAE women and youth gain the ability to be more independent in society, find a job more easily and integrate more fully into society.

After completing the 5 months of classes they will be rewarded with certificates from the Department for Education which proves that they finished the course successfully.

 

The DRC Kosovo Stabilization of Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities Project in Roma Mahalla Mitrovicë/Mitrovica is funded by SIDA.

Roma Mahalla folklore group “Shukarno Talenti” performs during RAE week

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     The purpose of promoting Roma culture, through music and dancing is to empower ethnic minority Roma children and young people to develop their creative talents, as well as fostering social inclusion and cohesion, which aids their access to mainstream education.

Bringing Roma dance to the stage is sometimes challenging. However Shukarno Talenti, the Roma folklore group and Roma music band from Roma Mahalla in Mitrovica/ë want to bring their traditions to life through dance.

      From the spring till the end of autumn the RAE community have numerous celebrations and gatherings, across Kosovo and the region. One of them is the festival and celebration of Roma culture in Kosovo which took place in Kosovo Polje/Fush Kosove 31 July 2013.

Despite their difficult economic situation, duties around the school and home this group of enthusiasts pushes the boundaries within and outside their communities.

Among several RAE groups that performed that day “Shukarno Talenti” came to attention with their bright red costumes and the energy that they transferred to the audience who came to watch them and random passers-by who stopped for a moment  to be delighted with the rhythm and acrobatics of this performance. Among a large audience, there were many representatives of Kosovo institutions including the Deputy U.S. Ambassador.

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.