Friendsletter
Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, Mitrovica/ May/ 2023
now we had Easter twice, on April 09/10 and on April 16 Orthodox Easter. I got an Easter bunny as a present from the German ambassador, Mr. Jörn Rohde. That way I also had a little Easter feeling. Otherwise, Easter tends to go by the wayside for us at the Diakonie Kosova. We had Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims. Many colleagues fasted. They had breakfast (syfyr) before 3:30 a.m. and broke their fast (iftar) after 7:00 p.m.
In addition to an annual Christmas dinner, we also celebrate a joint iftar every year. Ridvan, our cook, had prepared roulades for us this time. It was a nice experience together.
Miradin, the head of the youth center, had also organized a small iftar at the Diakonie Youth Center. The main imam, the head of all mosques in Mitrovica, was a guest and explained the importance of fasting. This common meal was also an event of our series “Interreligious Dialogue”. Young people, members of the Youth Board (Youth Board) and staff participated.
The political situation
In the meantime, the political and security situation has eased. There are no more barricades and passenger traffic between south and north Mitrovica is working again. Under the moderation of Brussels, the EU foreign affairs representative, Josep Borrel, and the Balkan special envoy, Miroslav Lajčák, have been negotiating with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Kosovar prime minister, Albin Kurti, for an agreement to improve the two states. A Franco-German proposal, for a basic treaty, as existed between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, is intended to improve relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
On 18th of March 2023 in Ohrid, North Macedonia, has reached a negotiation result. According to Josep Borel, “We have a deal!”. The next months will show what will really be implemented.
The conflict that has existed for over 2 decades and its intensification has led to an increase in anxiety among many Albanians and a huge deterioration in mental health among those who have been traumatized. This has led to an increase in requests to our psychosocial center. Never before has our waiting list (39 patients) been so long. On 02.05. there were further talks between Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels.
The Diakonie Training Center
As in previous years, this year we started the 1st three-month training course in January. By the 18th of April, 104 students have completed their training.
The number of our students has decreased after the pandemic. Every year thousands of mainly young people leave the country to take a better paid job in an EU country. The vast majority go to Germany. All schools and training centers are noticing this, not just us. In some sectors, there is already a shortage of trained specialists.
On the one hand, we still have high unemployment (many unqualified workers) and certain branches are desperately looking for employees. As a result, wages have also risen, which is good for people because the cost of living has also risen. For us as a non-governmental organization, it is partly more difficult, because as a donation-financed work, we do not get higher wages financed.
However, it is very good that old prejudices and discriminatory hiring practices are being broken down. In the past, Albanian companies did not hire Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians (RAE), but this has changed. As always, developments have shadows and sunny sides.
However, the smaller classes are pleasant for our teachers. This makes it easier and more effective to teach.
Miradin, the head of the youth center, had also organized a small iftar at the Diakonie Youth Center. The main imam, the head of all mosques in Mitrovica, was a guest and explained the importance of fasting. This common meal was also an event of our series “Interreligious Dialogue”. Young people, members of the Youth Board (Youth Board) and staff participated.
The political situation
In the meantime, the political and security situation has eased. There are no more barricades and passenger traffic between south and north Mitrovica is working again. Under the moderation of Brussels, the EU foreign affairs representative, Josep Borrel, and the Balkan special envoy, Miroslav Lajčák, have been negotiating with the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Kosovar prime minister, Albin Kurti, for an agreement to improve the two states. A Franco-German proposal, for a basic treaty, as existed between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, is intended to improve relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
On 18th of March 2023 in Ohrid, North Macedonia, has reached a negotiation result. According to Josep Borel, “We have a deal!”. The next months will show what will really be implemented.
The conflict that has existed for over 2 decades and its intensification has led to an increase in anxiety among many Albanians and a huge deterioration in mental health among those who have been traumatized. This has led to an increase in requests to our psychosocial center. Never before has our waiting list (39 patients) been so long. On 02.05. there were further talks between Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels.
The Diakonie Training Center
As in previous years, this year we started the 1st three-month training course in January. By the 18th of April, 104 students have completed their training.
The number of our students has decreased after the pandemic. Every year thousands of mainly young people leave the country to take a better paid job in an EU country. The vast majority go to Germany. All schools and training centers are noticing this, not just us. In some sectors, there is already a shortage of trained specialists.
On the one hand, we still have high unemployment (many unqualified workers) and certain branches are desperately looking for employees. As a result, wages have also risen, which is good for people because the cost of living has also risen. For us as a non-governmental organization, it is partly more difficult, because as a donation-financed work, we do not get higher wages financed.
However, it is very good that old prejudices and discriminatory hiring practices are being broken down. In the past, Albanian companies did not hire Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians (RAE), but this has changed. As always, developments have shadows and sunny sides.
However, the smaller classes are pleasant for our teachers. This makes it easier and more effective to teach.
For well over a year we have been working together with the city council in Mitrovica on a new ten-year
contract. On the 9th of March 2023 the city council has decided positively. The contract has to be
signed by the mayor of Mitrovica, Bedri Hamza and the prime minister Mr. Albin Kurti. The German
Ambassador Mr. Jörn Rohde has helped us with it. The contract is in the office of the Prime Minister.
After that we can start a needed extension of the kindergarten (2 new group rooms) and 2 new
classrooms for the education center. The financing of this project is going via Bread for the World
(BfdW) and the Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Bonn.
Finally we will be able to install the photovoltaic system paneelen approved by BfdW.
The Psychosocial Center for Trauma Therapy (PSC)
Good and wonderful news at the beginning. Thanks to the German Foreign Office and the German Embassy in Prishtina, we will receive funding for the Psychosocial Center for Trauma Therapy for two more years. This will benefit our pantients at all 5 locations:
- South-Mitrovica
- North-Mitrovica/ Serbian colleague
- Prishtina
- Fush Kosova (Roma- Ashkali- Egyptian- quarter)
- Prizren
As reported in our last letter (December 2022), we have signed an agreement with the Kosovar
Security Forces (FSK) to train soldiers as trauma therapists. 5 soldiers are now regularly taking part in
the group training, which lasts about 2.5 years.
Following a call for proposals from the Kosovar Ministry of Health, we received project approval with
funding for the trauma center for 10 months. Bread for the World also supports this important work and
has now indicated that we can also apply for further funding. Thus, our important work is secured at
least until the end of 2024.
4
The child and adolescent psychiatrist Lutz Besser, head of the Center for Psychotrauma Therapy in
Lower Saxony, was with us at the PSZ for the first time in years. In March we had a training course for
trauma therapists in EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing). Our employees are
trained at a high level and can help effectively.
Mr. Besser has also been offering free training places in his trauma therapist training courses for
employees of Diakonie Kosova for years. Currently, our psychologist, Mrs. Gresa Miftari, is taking part
in this training in Munich. We thank Mr. Lutz Besser very much for this support.
On the 9th of March 2023, we had a symposium in the Sirius Hotel in Prishtina on the topic: “Trauma
and violence, ways to healing”. Mr. Lutz Besser spoke about the dangers of the frequent consumption
of videos portraying and glorifying violence for children and adolescents. The German Ambassador, Mr.
Jörn Rohde and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health Mr. Naim Bardiqi said words of greeting.
Photos from the symposium:
In Fush Kosova, in the largest Roma-Ashkali and Egyptian district in Kosovo, we now have a full-time
position with a psychologist thanks to the generous support of the German Foreign Office in Berlin.
We offer daily trauma therapy, social help, children and youth work and dance groups.
Twice a week our doctor and nurse are at the facility in Fush Kosova. Patients are then examined and
treated free of charge. Thanks to many donors, here are the senior expert Dr. Stein and the family
Hoffrogge / church community Hilgen-Neuenhaus as a medicine donor to be particularly mentioned, we
can distribute free medicines to the patients.
The Diakonie Kosova has a uniform store. It is run by volunteers under the direction of Mrs. Barbara
Baumann. Every year, the proceeds from this uniform store are used to support projects of the Diakonie
in other countries.
At the end of February we received the joyful news that the Diakonie Kosova will get support for the
construction of a therapy, child and youth center in Fush Kosova with a total of 22.000,00€. Thank you
very much!
There is still a lack of funds for the construction of the center, which will cost about 65.000,00€ with own contribution.
At the moment we continue to look for a building place, after a first possibility dropped out. An old
basketball court is of interest, which belongs to the Kosovar railroad (Trenkos).
The Farm - a working place for people with disabilities
Now that all goats have littered, we now have 200 animals. Some goat babies could only survive
because our employees helped the mother goats by giving them milk bottles with a lot of love and
patience.
Many visitors,for example the German ambassador with his mother, Kfor soldiers from all over the
world and children from our kindergarten, enjoyed the goats. What could not be done with our father
goat (120 kilograms) was possible with the kids. They were lifted up and lovingly stroked.
Particularly nice and instructive was the visit of a group of our kindergarten on the farm. Our employees
took a lot of time, explained the many tasks on the farm and let the children taste the different products.
A highlight was of course the visit to the new barn (thanks to Hope for Eastern Europe) and the petting
of the baby goats.
The public kindergarten saw the photos on social media and at the same time asked for a visit.
A long-held dream finally came true. We were able to have a fully automatic milking system installed by
de Laval with the support of the Waldensian Church in Italy, through the Otto per mille 8% tax program.
Twelve goats can be milked at once. This saves time, labor, muscle power (the full milking buckets no
longer have to be dragged) and is more hygienic.
Now the kids are again separated from their mothers at night and in the morning they are all milked.
A great help is Hanna Kowark, the volunteer from Zwickau, who came to us via the Ev.
Freiwilligendienst in Hannover for 11 months.
The farm is supported by Otto per mille, the sponsorship project of the Waldensian Church in Italy in
Nittenau near Regensburg, the Rhenish Regional Church in Düsseldorf through an electoral collection
and many individual donors.
We thank all donors who help us to provide jobs for people with disabilities.
The kindergarten
Our kindergarten is very popular, therefore we have a waiting list. We currently have 90 children and
our staff is very busy. In a private kindergarten in Mitrovica a teacher had beaten a child. Newspapers
and television reported about it. After that, the requests for a place with us increased even more. When
we will have more classrooms, maybe in the fall, we will be able to take more children.
Whenever the weather allows, the children play in our own partly covered playground. Our carpenter
has just built and installed a new swing.
We would like to thank Mr. Gunther Deiringer from Kastl near Altötting, who produces these wonderful
Montessori materials for us.
We have a great team in the kindergarten, committed and competent educators.
The team is supported by Festina Imeraj, who is doing a voluntary social year at our kindergarten (Ev.
Freiwilligendienst Hannover). She has Kosovar roots and is bilingual. A dedicated helper with heart and
mind.
Office for Returnees
After 7 years, the funding for the Office for Returnees, which was funded by the German Federal
Foreign Office, has ended. Two of the four employees found a job in Diakonie Kosova, one employee
moved to his family in Prishtina and found work there. Only one colleague is currently unemployed, but
we are working on a solution for her.
In 7 years, the team has helped numerous returnees.
Some figures:
- 1091 cases with 4193 people received counseling, support, assistance, household appliances,
food, medicines, tools to start their own business. - 15 hairdressing salons for ladies were supported and opened
- 4 salons for men hairdressers
- 15 tailor shops
- 58 people have completed a training at Diakonie
- 16 families had their houses renovated and made habitable
- 1 house was built for a family
- 4 farmers were supported with machines
- 825m3 of wood for heating and cooking, heating stoves and kitchen stoves were given to needy
families - Families received food package as first aid after return/deportation from Germany.
The staff was at the airport for every registered flight, sometimes at night, to contact the returnees and
offer our assistance.
We would like to thank the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin for its support for many years and all
the staff and expert teams who helped us.
Thank you very much for all your help and support.
Unfortunately, we often hear that mails do not arrive. Please let us know
that you have received the mail.
