Intensive education courses at the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a show great results

As part of the Sida-funded project 'Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a', the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a organized a certification ceremony for the participants of the subproject “Intensive education for RAE communities”.

Last year, 29 young adults from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community, who were unable to finish primary school or never attended school at all, signed up for intensive education classes in order to continue their education. As a result of their hard work, 20 participants including 9 women, successfully completed the courses and passed the achievement test organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in June 2015 in the Learning Centre Roma Mahalla.

Today, their efforts were recognized with an official certificate for the completion of primary school up to grade 5. The certification was organized by DRC Mitrovica implementing partner Caritas Kosova in cooperation with Directorate for Education in Mitrovicë/a and the primary school “Andon Zako Çajupi”.

With the certificates, the successful participants are now able to pursue further education and many of them have already committed themselves to continue with classes.

The Learning Centre provides psycho-educational support to children in need

As part of the Sida-funded project 'Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a', the Learning Centre in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a will provide children in need with psycho-educational support in order to better cope and overcome developmental difficulties.

Psychologists from Diakonie Kosova - Psychosocial Centre for Trauma Therapy, in cooperation with DRC's implementing partner LNGO RADC have assessed children between the ages of 6-14 and recommended 12 children, some of which have special needs, to participate in psycho-educational activities and group sessions.

For at least 8 weeks, the psychologists will work regularly with the children and focus on improving children's communication skills, behaviour and interaction with others and coping mechanisms to overcome traumatic experiences.

Sida and Danish Refugee Council continue to support the Kosovo Association of Blind People in Mitrovicë/a

With DRC support, the Association of Blind people from the Mitrovicë/a region”, marked “International White Cane Week“ from 15-22 October 2015, by organizing competitions for its members in braille literacy and blind chess.

The winners received gifts and a lunch was organized for more than 40 persons, including its members from Mitrovicë/a and Prishtina, Mitrovicë/a Municipal Authorities, OSCE and other stakeholders.

The President of the Association Mr. Skender Kerolli distributed certificates for the Municipality of Mitrovicë/a and DRC Mitrovicë/a for their continuing support.

Support to the Association is provided under the framework of the ¨Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a¨project.

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.  

Mitrovicë/a Municipality and DRC sign contract for use of land for Social Enterprise

On 27 May, Mitrovicë/a Municipality and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) signed the contract for use of land and an agreement of cooperation for establishing Mitrovicë/a’s first Social Enterprise in recycling. The enterprise is part of the project "Social inclusion and economic empowerment of marginalized groups in Mitrovicë/a", funded by the European Union. 

The main activities of this project are the creation of a Social Enterprise for collection, processing and sale of recycled materials. The Social Enterprise facility will be constructed in the Business Park and managed by the Regional Development Agency (RDA) North as a project.

Mayor Bahtiri thanked the Country Director of DRC, Kristen Stec, for finding projects of common interest in his municipality. He pledged continued cooperation in the future for the realization of this and other projects that benefit the citizens of Mitrovicë/a.

On behalf of DRC, Ms Stec also thanked Mayor Bahtiri personally for his cooperation and the assistance of his staff during the implementation of this project.

The ‘Strengthening social inclusion and economic empowerment of marginalized groups in Mitrovicë/a’ is funded by the European Union and implemented by DRC.

AN EU FUNDED PROJECT MANAGED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE IN KOSOVO 

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`.

For International Earth Day, children from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community in Mitrovicë/a take action

On today's International Earth Day, DRC in cooperation with LNGO-s Caritas Kosovo, RADC and Shukarno Talenti supported children from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian community to become part of the international celebration on the occasion of Earth Day. With the support of LNGOs, more than 100 children attended the screening of a documentary on environmental protection. Also, with the support of their teachers, they learned about the earth, hygiene and environment protection.

For the next month these children with the help of their teachers will draw on the topic of the environment. They will design dresses, bracelets and hats from recycled waste. These drawings and designs will be presented on 22 May 2015, during the activity "Let’s clean Kosovo". This is a one-day activity, which brings together the political, diplomatic and civil society spectrum, with the aim of cleaning of Kosovo. Beside the exhibition and presentation of these creations from recycled waste, on this day, SBI businesses, together with LNGO's and the Municipality of Mitrovicë/a, will engage in a cleaning action of the entire Roma Mahalla.

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

DRC donates equipment to IADK

In the scope of the DRC project "Support to Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a" , the DRC Social Business Incubator (SBI)  is cooperating with local organizations  to see possibilities of employment and trainings for the Roma Ashkali and Egyptian community in Mitrovicë/a. As part of the SBI's network of cooperation, DRC is supporting local NGO IADK (Initiative for Agricultural Development Kosovo) which is engaged in rural development and the creation of better socio-economic conditions in rural areas through a variety of trainings. Upon IADK’s request and approval by the  DRC SBI Community Board, DRC therefore donated a motocultivator for training needs and use of interested farmers.

DRC invites Mitrovicë/a Municipality to visit Business Incubator in Bulgaria

The DRC Social Business Incubator team invited Mitrovicë/a Municipality representatives, Mr. Erol Zekerija, Deputy Mayor for Communities, and Mr. Mehmet Bajrami, Coordinator in the Department for Public Services and Infrastructure, for a 3-day best practice exchange visit in Bulgaria.

The aim of the visit was to exchange best practices regarding the design and running of Business Incubators and effective ways of providing business support services to start-up micro-enterprises.

The delegation from Mitrovicë/a first visited the Business Incubator - Entrepreneurship Promotion Centre in Gotse Delchev. The Director of the Business Incubator Ms.Rosita Djambazova introduced their activities and events held in the Centre. The Business Incubator targets start-up businesses, established companies, agricultural producers, minorities as well as unemployed job-seekers. Similar to the DRC-run Social Business Incubator (SBI) in Mitrovicë/a, businesses in need of support services can rent workspace at the Incubator and take advantage of business, computer and language trainings.

Businesses supported by the Business Incubator

With support from the local municipality and central government, the Business Incubator supports a wide range of businesses and initiatives in the region including textile, furniture, agriculture/food processing, tourism sectors. 
The Incubator also generates income from providing vocational trainings and trainings for job seekers through contracts with the local employment center. The sustainability of the Incubator is therefore a combination of income generated through service provision and public funds. In addition, the Incubator is working towards establishing a more formalized Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the local and central government on vocational trainings and other services offered by the Incubator.

The Mayor of Razlog Municipality and the Deputy Mayor of Communities Mitrovicë/a Municipality exchanging emblems of their cities.

For the delegation from Mitrovicë/a, the visit to the Business Incubator in Gotse Delchev and surrounding municipalities provided valuable insights, which they will be able to put into practice in their work with the Social Business Incubator (SBI) in Roma Mahalla, Mitrovicë/a. The SBI currently offers, subsidized workspace and business trainings to micro-businesses as well as preparatory vocational trainings. The SBI is supported by Sida through the Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a project.

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. 

NGO Shukarno Talenti continue to expand network with non-governmental organizations in Kosovo

On 23 March NGO Shukarno Talenti visited NGO The Ideas Partnership from Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje in order to exchange experiences and build their network among NGOs working with similar activities. Both organizations have activities related to folklore, which helped them establish a common ground for potential future cooperation.

At the meeting, the youths exchanged experiences in order to better implement their projects and to overcome obstacles during implementation. NGO Shukarno Talenti will continue to seek partners throughout Kosovo to establish better cooperation in order to be informed about events and opportunities for collaboration on various projects.

Shukarno Talenti perform traditional dance and folklore at various events and festivals, giving youths a platform to express their creativity and nurture their cultural heritage.

For International Roma Day 8 April 2015, Shukarno Talenti will perform in Kamenica Cultural Center on 8 April and at the Culture Center ‘Rexhep Mitrovica’ from 10.00-12.00 on 9 April. The event is open to the public and guests are cordially invited to participate in the celebration.

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

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

Deputy Minister of the MCR, Qaush Balaj hosted the Representative of the Danish Refugee Council

Ministry for Communities and Return:
Deputy Minister of the MCR, Qaush Balaj, hosted today a working meeting with the representative of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Mrs. Kristen Stec and her collaborators. The meeting was mainly informative and realized that the two parties among themselves acquainted with the work of current activities. The meeting also discussed the forms and possibilities of intensifying bilateral cooperation in the implementation of some projects in the process of return of displaced persons and their reintegration into society.

Having been newly appointed to the post of Deputy Minister, Mr. Balaj informed his interlocutor that he is aware of the achievements of the MCR and all that the Ministry for Communities and Return has made for the return process together with international partners offering financial support for its successful implementation.

Activities which is meeting the DRC in order to fulfill its mission in the return of IDPs said that will be continuity. These are projects that institutions of the Government are committed to meet. What we are called is to cooperate with others to meet the norms, rules and standards of the European Union, which are the goal of our state.

DRC representative, Mrs. Kristen Stec, announced the Deputy for the long cooporation of the MCR with the DRC, saying that this cooperation will be continued further. Currently the MCR and the DRC are working on several projects such as:
-    The "Re-integration and stabilization of communities in Kosovo" funded by the US State Department implemented by the DRC;
-    Return Project in Prizren and stabilization of communities, a project co-funded by the British Embassy and the Ministry for Communities and Return;
-    Project closing collective centers in the municipality of Strpce.
Regarding the closure of collective centers zonj.Stec said they are in the preparatory phase of the project and expect to meet with the mayor of Strpce for its beginning.

In order to harvest good results as my sides agreed to continue cooperation with mutual official meetings and joint efforts in the period following the implementation of projects and resolve issues which are of particular importance for the development of communities and increase the return process. (Source: Ministry for Communities and Return)

Read more about DRC's return projects here

DRC provides work experience for IBCM students

DRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Business College Mitrovica (IBCM) to enable students to gain practical experience while working on DRC projects in Mitrovicë/a. In March, DRC was happy to welcome two new interns, who will work with the community and economic development teams for 6 months.

Liridona Elezi will spend the next six months supporting community development activities as part of the Sida-funded Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a Project. Liridona studies Public Administration at IBCM and wishes to gain practical experience working with local civil society organizations and project development and monitoring.  Supported by DRC staff, Liridona assists DRC’s local partners to draft projects and reviews project proposals. With her excellent English skills, she also contributes to documenting project activities and drafting stories that highlight the experiences of beneficiaries in DRC projects.

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Our second intern is a 4th semester student of Environment and Agriculture at IBCM. With her experience working with local companies and educational background, Blerina Ombashi is well suited to support the Economic development team at the Social Business Incubator in Roma Mahalla. During her internship, Blerina can put her academic learning into practice. She will support minority business Manager Teuta with drafting a new business plan for her laundry business and participate in the Social Business Incubator Community Board which provides a platform for coordination and exchange between community and stakeholders in Roma Mahalla. She will also be able to contribute to activities related to environmental protection and health which are integral parts of the Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a Project.

Thanks to its cooperation with IBCM, DRC is happy to contribute to local students’ professional development. With DRC interns gain hands-on experience working with local government representatives and communities and get the opportunity to clarify career goals and build a professional network in their respective fields of interest.

For more information on IBCM courses, please visit their website: http://ibcmitrovica.eu/

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. 

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

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

DRC presents most recent, comprehensive data on the socio-economic situation of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Mitrovicë/a

In the restaurant VaPiano in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, on 21 November 2014, with the support of the Mitrovicë/a Municipal Assembly, Danish Refugee Council  – office in Mitrovicë/a has organized a workshop on ‘Comprehensive Study on Roma Ashkali and Egyptian communities: presentation of findings -challenges and solutions’. The event is organized within the framework of the Support to Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities in Mitrovicë/a, DRC project funded by Sweden.

In order to discuss challenges identified by the comprehensive study conducted by DRC in September 2014, this event gathered  participants from different institutions, such as: local and central authorities, Embassy of Sweden, OSCE, UNHCR, UNICEF,  local and international organizations, RAE communities’ representatives from Roma Mahala and 2 Korriku/Sitnicko Naselje.

The summary of the study findings has been presented by the external consultant engaged by DRC, Chiara Mossina, who also briefly introduced the Action Plan, which will cover roles/responsibilities of all Mitrovicë/a stakeholders, while aiming to improve access to education for RAE children and adults and to enhance their economic opportunities and civic participation on their re-integration in Kosovo society.

Foreseen by the workshop agenda, and in order to recognize possible solutions to the identified challenges, a constructive discussion has been encouraged, involving representatives of the RAE communities, LNGOs (DRC implementing partners) and municipal representatives.

Deputy Mayor of the Mitrovicë/a Municipality has thanked both, DRC and Embassy of Sweden, for work they are doing with marginalized groups in Mitrovicë/a region. He confirmed readiness of the Municipality to take more responsibility while dealing with re-integration of minority communities. He pointed out the two Memorandums of Understandings that Municipality has reached with DRC and mentioned that very soon Municipal Assembly will endorse the Local Action Plan for integration of the RAE communities. In addition to this, he confirmed that as of January 2015, Mitrovicë/a municipality will start co-financing different projects related to the RAE communities.