Islamic Relief in Kosovo

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ISLAMIC RELIEF IN

KOSOVA


| ABOUT ISLAMIC RELIEF

ABOUT ISLAMIC RELIEF

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVA |

Kosova is Europe’s youngest country and one of it’s poorest. The effects of the war can still be felt with approximately 30% of the population living below the poverty line and high unemployment, particularly amongst youth, has led to thousands of Kosovans leaving the country in search of a better future. With a high proportion of the people living in rural towns, extreme poverty has a greater impact upon children, female-headed households and the elderly. Islamic Relief has been operating in Kosova since 1999, registering as one of the first NGOs in the country and has been contributing to post-war relief and reconstruction in Kosova. A strong focus has been to help female headed and orphan families with essential dayto-day support, with thousands having

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also received a helping hand to begin earning for themselves. As well as supporting families to establish an income, thousands of people have also benefited from access to education and vocational training, improving the possibility to find suitable employment. Our aim is not only to support families with essential aid, but to provide the means for them to truly become free from relying on others.

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| ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVO |

The loss of the main breadwinner brings tremendous hardships for orphan children and their mothers. Often, families are forced to pull children out of school or focus more upon helping to earn for the entire family.

ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP 4

Islamic Relief supports these families through a one to one sponsorship programme, which provides the essential necessities, including food, shelter, healthcare and psychological support.

Currently over 800 families benefit from the one-to-one sponsorship, ensuring that children are empowered to try to fulfil their dreams.

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| SEASONAL SUPPORT

SEASONAL SUPPORT

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVA |

RAMADAN For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is not just the month of fasting, but also the month of inspiration and worship. Islamic Relief works throughout Ramadan to provide families across twenty different municipalities with essential food to last the entire month.

Over 15,000 people, amongst the most vulnerable benefited from a Ramadan food pack last year, ensuring that they were able to have their iftar with a nutritious meal.

QURBANI Every year Islamic Relief distributes meat to the most deserving and vulnerable communities across Kosova, providing them with the luxury of eating meat, which they are very rarely able to have and enables them to have a true day of celebration during Eid.

Last year, fresh qurbani meat was distributed in sixteen municipalities across Kosova, benefiting over 700 families. 6

WINTER

Winter across rural Kosova is particularly harsh and long. Families often live through five months of freezing temperatures with limited supplies for warmth. Children often become sick due to cold and damp housing, with orphan children often being the most vulnerable to the difficult winter weather. Islamic Relief helps families keep warm during winter through the provision of essential winter supplies, such as firewood, wooden stoves, blankets and winter clothing.

Last year, almost 5,000 children, across multiple municipalities were provided with winter warmth. 7


| SUPPORTING EDUCATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

SUPPORTING EDUCATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

HEALTHCARE AT HOME |

HEALTHCARE AT HOME

The education system is currently going through a crisis of quality through primary and secondary levels according to international studies. Children, such as orphans are usually more at risk of under-achievement, due to their difficult living environment. Islamic Relief is addressing this important issue through a complementary education and training programme for orphan children in three core subjects, Maths, IT and English. This programme has helped hundreds of orphans with vital education support as well as key skills training for their mothers, to help boost their career prospects.

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With a health sector that is stretched, many are forced to travel lengthy distances to receive needed healthcare. With many types of patients, such as the elderly and nursing mothers, the provision of home-based care can provide a much more effective way to look after them. Islamic Relief is supporting vulnerable patients through the provision of home care visits, supporting over 2,200 patients last year in the municipality of Vushtri, including nursing mothers, the elderly and people with disabilities. Following the success of this initiative, we plan to extend the project to four additional municipalities, in coordination with the local authorities.

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| WATER IS LIFE

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVA |

Due to the difficult economic situation, leading to an extremely high unemployment rate, amongst the most effective ways of helping Kosovans is through the ability for families to be able to earn their own income to support themselves. Islamic Relief has enabled hundreds of families with the means to generate their own income through multiple innovative projects.

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS 10

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| WATER IS LIFE

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVA |

BAKERY

RASPBERRY FARMS

CLOTHES SEWING

Providing a family with seeds, tools and training for them to grow a small raspberry farm, as well as a clean water source for the irrigation and drinking water. Families are able to sell raspberries at local markets, to earn a sustainable income.

Providing a family with an industrial sewing machine to produce readymade garments for local factories, which are then sold to local markets. This, as well as many of the other projects, targets female-headed households to provide additional support to vulnerable children.

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Training and equipment provided to provide families to enable them to bake pastries, which in coordination with the local authorities, is provided to local schools, providing a wholesome lunch to hundreds of schoolchildren.

GOAT FARMING

POULTRY FARMING

Providing a family with goats, training and necessary veterinary care. Families are able to sell goats milk and cheese locally to earn a living as well as breed the goats for an additional income and grow their stock and wealth.

Providing a family with hens and roosters in order for them to be able to sell eggs in local markets to earn a living as well as grow the number of chickens in the farm, enabling them to also sell meat, if possible.

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|MICROFINANCE

ISLAMIC RELIEF IN KOSOVA |

Islamic Relief has provided microfinance services to hundreds of families, whom often do not have access to banking services, enabling them to build businesses and livelihoods. We have provided microloans all across Kosova, from farmers in remote locations, to tailors in villages, to business-people in cities.

MICROFINANCE Interest-free loans are provided in the form of Qarz –e-Hassana and business investment/ capital called Modaraba (A type of partnership, wherein one party provides finance to the other, having skill, to carry out any business) to entrepreneurs to procure necessary supplies for carrying out their business. This model of providing loans decreases the risk of bad debt and makes the process sustainable and long lasting.

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Islamic Relief Kosova Rr. Bajram Kelmendi Prishtine 038 23 2431 www.islamic-relief.org


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