Skip to content

Kosovo

kosovo.jpg

Active in Kosovo since 2000, Terre des hommes (Tdh) runs a project to better protect children against abuse, neglect, violence, delinquency, exploitation and trafficking. In 2011, 10’621 people benefited from the activities implemented.

Context

Kosovo declared itself independent in 2008. As it is not yet internationally recognized, the situation among ethnic groups remains tense and difficult to manage. The political climate has impacted the economic and social situation, with widespread poverty and high unemployment rates leading to risks of trafficking and exploitation, children being the most vulnerable group. It concerns especially children from RAE (Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian) communities who often do not access or drop out of school early and live on begging. Children from Albania also cross the border to beg on the streets in Kosovo’s cities benefiting from the presence of many international workers. The problems faced by the children are numerous. Yet, their protection is not yet seen as a priority by the authorities.

Centered at 20.902977 42.6026359 6

Children’s situation

  • 69 children out of 1,000 die before the age of 5 (CH: 4‰), the highest rate in Europe
  • 1 child out of 10 under 5 years old is considered malnourished

Delegate: Artur Marku
Expatriate staff: 1
National staff: 30
Budget: 502'715 CHF

In collaboration with: Ministries and local services, UNICEF, OSCE, various embassies and a child protection coalition

Terre des hommes develops a holistic project aiming at reinforcing the child protection mechanisms at several levels:

- At municipal level, task forces are established to coordinate child protection interventions among the various stakeholders involved (social services, schools, police, community leaders, etc.). Individual cases are reviewed monthly in order to implement effective coordinated solutions;

- One of the main child protection actors are the Centres for Social Work. Child Protection Units are created within them to reinforce the specific management of cases dealing with children;

- Referral mechanisms are implemented at school level to better identify and help the most vulnerable children. School psychologists or pedagogues meet children individually or in group and identify the most vulnerable of them in order to refer them. Psychosocial, sport and recreational activities are held;

- Meanwhile, communities, especially the most marginalised, are mobilised in protecting children rights and organising prevention activities;

- Finally, residential institutions are strengthened on child protection issues. The Toolkit Keeping Children Safe was even translated in Albanian.

Terre des hommes protects vulnerable children exposed to the dangers of abuse, exploitation, trafficking or delinquency in Kosovo. These children are identified and an appropriate solution is set up by a group of public and private stakeholders, well trained by our teams and working in close coordination in 6 municipalities. These social workers, school psychologists, police members, Non-Governmental Organisations managers and community leaders also organize prevention activities: awareness-raising for parents, summer camps for children, etc. In 2011, 3,064 youngsters were individually taken care of and 6,641 took part in psychosocial games and sport activities increasing their self-respect and improving their social inclusion.

In this country we deal with the following themes