Islamic Relief enabled vulnerable people in Kosova to learn valuable vocational skills, in a unique project that also improved the living conditions of some of the country’s poorest families.
At present, around 40 per cent of Kosova’s population is unemployed (1). The country suffers from crippling poverty – a third of the population live below the poverty line, and about eight per cent live in extreme poverty (2).
The programme trained interested adult orphans in plumbing – and employed them as part of work to provide poor families with access to clean water and sanitation.
Eight people have been trained by a professional plumber in an intensive course at our Professional Training Centre in Drenas Municipality. Joining our team as employees, they helped to renovate homes: installing safe water, hygiene and electrical systems to give orphans improved living conditions and better health outcomes.
Running water and sanitation for Arjeta
The family of Arjeta Gashi, 17, had no running water or sanitary facilities in their house prior to the project. Every day, Arjeta fetched water from the well at the bottom of a hill outside their home.
“Many people have similar problems, but they have relatives to rely on. I have none. Now I have you, Islamic Relief.”
Arjeta’s mother, Florije
The scheme’s success led to its expansion, covering 142 homes in the area and in Skenderaj municipality. At present, 38 more households have had improvements such as new water pipes and boilers, as well as electrical re-wiring.
Over 550 people have benefited from the project, which ended in July 2013.
Islamic Relief has been supporting orphaned children in Kosova for more than a decade, and currently provides sponsorship to 38,000 orphans around the world.
Sources:
1) World Bank, 2014
2) World Bank, 2011