Project Overview
In February 1998, President Milosevic sent in troops to The recent conflict with Serbia, together with the NATO intervention has left the people of Kosova with grave problems in rebuilding their lives.

To support victims of war, Islamic Relief has established a welfare programme that provides support to widowed or orphaned families, and abused women. The programme helps victims of war rebuild their lives through counselling, vocational training & education and the adoption of income generation activities

Project Background
Mass expulsion and destruction of communities has resulted in large-scale disruption and hardship for a large number of people, none more so than women and children. The majority of women and children were forced to flee the country, while the male members of the community were either executed or lost contact with their families.

The local Social Services departments in Prizren say there are several thousand widows from the war in the area with between one and six children who are now orphans. Many women and children still face a struggle to come to terms with the conflict and need guidance and counselling to help them overcome their problems and help them rebuild their lives.

One problem these women face is the stigma involved in coming forward for counselling help, which discourages most of them. The rural nature of the society means the women often do not appreciate the help that might be on offer, and tend to bottle up the problems in the house, and never overcome the trauma. Most women are unlikely to remarry for cultural reasons.

Women often have up to five or more children. New husbands are often unwilling to take on their children and thus they tend to remain single, living within the extended family. In light of their reluctance to approach professional organisations for help it is felt that the best form of therapy for these women would be to become active in work or training.

This not only takes their minds of the past but also gives them new goals and horizons, and prevents them from feeling imprisoned by their new situation of being single mothers.

Secondly it would bring them into contact with the project staff who may be able to advise and refer them if they detect deep-seated problems. Sometimes just confiding their problems with female staff may be of help.

Project Objectives
To help widowed and orphaned families to rebuild their lives through the adoption of income generating and training activities as well as referral to professional care services including counselling.

Project Activities

• Identify and assess needs of traumatised widows and orphaned families in rebuilding their lives

• Provide counselling and guidance on how to address their needs and develop meaningful, happy lives and sustainable livelihoods.

• Impart beneficiaries with the necessary skills, training and financial means to find employment or adopt Micro-Enterprise Activities

• Build the capacity of local communities and local organisations to fulfill the needs of vulnerable members of their community.
  

Beneficiaries
200 families – 800 members(minimum)250 women (approx)

A loan amounting to no more than 2,000 DM per beneficiary family will be given. With an average family size of 4 persons per family and an estimated target population of 100 families, the total immediate beneficiaries will be an estimated 400 (minimum).