IOM #Kosovo newsletter (July 2014)

IOM Mission in Kosovo Newsletter, July 2014

In this issue:

#MigrationMeans Work

- Employment with the help of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration - EU-Return and Reintegration III supports healthy lifestyle and education for the youth of Kosovo - DEED Project supporting the Ministry of Diaspora during the diaspora weeks - EU-Community Stabilization II constructing sewage system for the inhabitants of poor Plementina

Employment with the help of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration

Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) Programme has been running within IOM Kosovo since the beginning of the Mission in 1999.

The programme aims to promote sustainable, voluntary return and reintegration of Kosovars, returning from different Western European Countries and Canada.

The Programme has assisted more than 200 000 people to return back home.

Photo 1: The beneficiary has started a construction company which is now providing income for himself, his partner and two workers

Securing sustainability of the return process and successful reintegration, the AVRR programme uses measures to improve economic prospects for both the returnees and members of the receiving communities, thereby enhancing the capacity of return communities to continue to attract and reintegrate the returnees and thus to prevent further emigration.

In 2013, IOM Kosovo received total of 1 411 returnees, and in 2014, from January to July, there have been 716 beneficiaries returning back home. Last year Hungary was one of the main sending countries, with 280 returnees and this year the number has been increasing; by the end of July 275 persons have returned from Hungary.

One of the returnees from Hungary is a middle-aged man from Pristina municipality. He returned back to Kosovo in February 2014 and applied for a business grant which is a part of the Hungarian Return Project, RAAVRK, as a method to secure the sustainability of return process and build the beneficiary’s capacity to live and earn income in Kosovo. The beneficiary’s application was reasonable and feasible and was granted with financial assistance.

With the help of the grant and support from IOM Kosovo AVRR Team, the beneficiary started his own construction company. Together with his partner, who is from the same community, he has been able to expand the business and already they are employing two additional workers. The beneficiary is much more positive about the future in Kosovo since now he generates enough income for himself and his family and is able to employ other people from vulnerable backgrounds as well.

Photo 2: IOM Kosovo staff members visit the beneficiaries regularly to ensure the sustainability

EU-Return and Reintegration III supports healthy lifestyle and education for the youth of Kosovo Two community projects implemented to support youth centers in Novobërdë/Novo Brdo and Partesh/š EU-Return and Reintegration III is aiming at contributing to tolerant, multi-ethnic society by providing means for secure and sustainable return process but also by strengthening the capacities of receiving communities to provide both the returnees and existing inhabitants with means for education, work and leisure. The community projects within the framework of EU-RRK III are targeting this goal.

In July 2014, the programme completed five community project handovers, two in Prizren, one in Shtërpcë/Štrpce, one in Novobërdë/Novo Brdo and one in Partesh/š. Out of these five projects, two were supporting youth centers in the municipalities of Novobërdë/Novo Brdo and Partesh/š.

In Novobërdë/Novo Brdo, the beneficiary community is a youth center called “Choice of Youth”, which applied for IT equipment in order to be able to train and educate local youth in information technology, English and other necessary skills and thus improve their chances to seek for education and employment.

Photo 3: IOM Kosovo staff members with representatives from Novobërdë/Novo Brdo youth center In Partesh/š the “Center for Community Development” is now able to organize sporting tournaments and offer sports fields for public use, thanks to the new basketball and volleyball court for which EU-RRK III provided hoops and other necessary equipment. The management of the center believes that these kind of facilities will be very popular within the teens of Partesh/š municipality and promote healthy lifestyle for all inhabitants.

EU-Return and Reintegration III is funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo, in partnership with Ministry for Community and Return of Kosovo Government. Through EU-RRK III, 195 families have returned to Kosovo. IOM Mission in Kosovo will continue to implement the fourth phase of this programme, starting in November 2014.

In the municipality of Partesh/š, the project was assisting a local youth center to provide sport activities for young people. The youth center “Center for Community Development”, was concerned over the fact that there are not enough healthy leisure time activities for youth in the municipality. The center wanted to offer alternative ways of spending free team outside in sports fields by grouping and socializing youth together.

For Novobërdë/Novo Brdo youth center “Choice of Youth”, Photo 4:Youth from Partesh/š with their new hoops EU-RRK III donated three computers and a power point projector. The center organizes trainings for youth; already 40 youngsters have expressed their interest to come and learn IT skills and Web Design. The center is offering their services to all youth, regardless of ethnicity and thus promoting tolerant community.

An EU-funded programme, managed by the European Union office In Kosovo

Photo 5: The advertisement is easy to spot on Street Ahmet Krasniqi, at the entrance of Pristina

DEED Project supporting Ministry of Diaspora during the Diaspora weeks Every July and August Kosovo gets busy to host guests from all over the world. During this time the Kosovo diaspora visits their home and brings fresh views from Western Europe, United States, and Canada. Kosovo’s diaspora has historically played a vital role in the economic, cultural, and political life of their communities of origin.

DEED Project, which is an innovative initiative to encourage Kosovo’s diaspora to be more actively involved in the development of the country, is providing technical support for Kosovo Ministry of Diaspora. One of the activities that the project has been involved in is to promote the Diaspora Register during the summer months.

The purpose of this register is to strengthen diaspora’s ties and participation with Kosovo and thus create greater, and more innovative, collaboration between the diaspora and its origin.

by the project during the peak time of diaspora tourism in Kosovo.

At the event the Minister of Diaspora, Mr. Ibrahim Makolli, reminded of the possibilities that the diaspora can offer for Kosovo. Besides economic involvement, diaspora plays an important role in the cultural life of the country as well.

DEED Project is funded by the Foreign Ministry of Finland and implemented jointly by UNDP Kosovo and IOM Kosovo. The project is targeting remittance receiving households, members of the Kosovo diaspora, as well as the relevant government authorities in Kosovo to create opportunities for Kosovo and its people, at home and abroad.

The project has partnered with Kosovodiaspora.org (KD) to incorporate promotion of the register among their international network. The KD webpage aims to connect Kosovo to the world and keep the diaspora in touch with their roots, as well as allow the sharing of stories about Kosovars across the globe.

In coordination with the Ministry, KD organized an event in July to launch the new design of the webportal including the new section on the register. This also marked the first event of the awareness raising campaign supported

Photo 6: Minister Makolli at the opening event of kosovodiaspora.org (Picture: kosovodiapora.org)

EU-Community Stabilization II constructing sewage system for the inhabitants of poor Plementina Plementina village of 2 500 inhabitans, located in Obiliq/c municipality, is an impoverished region outside of the capital Pristina. Over the years, several groups of internally displaced people, especially those from the RAE minority communities have settled in Plementina. The public infrastructure system including the sewage system has not been sufficient to handle the influx of people to this area.

This part of Plementina village was lacking a proper sewage system and not all houses and public institutions were connected to sewage network . As a result, waste waters collected on the streets, which had a potential to cause health issues for the inhabitants.

Photo 7: Construction of 1,3 kilometer long sewage system

The municipality of Obiliq/c planned to build a sewage network for this part of the village and applied for assistance from EU-Community Stabilization Programme II. Alongside the municipality, the programme supported the construction of 1,3 kilometers of sewage system network. Many private houses as well as public institutions, including the local school and health care center have been connected to the new network greatly improving their access to proper sanitary conditions.

The EU-CSP II Programme has implemented many projects in the municipality of Obiliq/c. Several of them aimed at improving the lives of inhabitants of Plementina village. For this sewage system construction project the municipality contributed 12 000 Euro which is remarkable, considering that Obiliq/c is one of the poorer municipalities in Kosovo, and indicates their commitment to the programme as well as to the inhabitants of the municipality. Together with the 9 000 Euro contribution from EU-CSP II, the total project budget was 21 000 Euro.

EU-Community Stabilization II is an EU funded programme, implemented by IOM Kosovo. It is targeting non-majority communities by supporting their income generation activities as well as implementing community development projects throughout Kosovo. Through EU-CSP II, 232 projects have been implemented all around Kosovo and further 52 projects are currently under implementation. In total approximately 25% of projects implemented through the programme support RAE communities.

Photo 8: IOM Kosovo staff with the mayor of Obilic visiting the project site.

An EU-funded Programme managed by the European Union office in Kosovo