CRS Work in Kosovo

In Kosovo, in a very uncertain and sometimes volatile environment, Catholic Relief Services focuses on education, preventing conflict and stopping human trafficking. In partnership with Caritas Kosovo Caritas and other local nongovernmental organizations, CRS Kosovo is actively involved in the following programs.

Counter-Trafficking

Kosovo is a source, transit and destination location for women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation. In the past, most victims were from countries like Moldova, Romania and Russia. However, there are now an increasing number of Kosovar victims, some as young as 12 years old.

CRS has joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)–funded Partnership Against Trafficking in Human Beings (PATH) in Kosovo. This project raises awareness among young girls — the most vulnerable group — about human trafficking, which can include forcing victims into the sex trade, slave labor or marriage against their will. PATH also works to monitor the problem and advocate for the government to take action. In 2007, PATH released the first comprehensive study of public perceptions of trafficking in Kosovo — based on interviews with trafficking victims and clients of sex workers — which found that most Kosovars are unaware the province is a place of origin for trafficked women. PATH also organized training sessions on trafficking for local journalists and strengthened referral services for victims. In September 2007, PATH helped organize roundtable discussions among experts such as local police, public officials, educators, and social workers to assist government efforts to combat trafficking and increase public awareness.

Building Peace Between Divided Young People

There is a long history of struggle between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo. Limited opportunities for employment, feelings of isolation and lack of hope may lead youth to violence as a method for expressing their anger. Especially in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, teenagers are at risk of buying into extremism. The Youth Training Center project of Caritas Kosovo in Mitrovica counteracts such trends by encouraging collaboration in multiethnic groups. Through the Youth Training Center's Employment for Peace program, Kosovo's unemployed young people learn job skills, craft resumes and get internships that may lead to full-time work.

In partnership with USAID, CRS is implementing a three-year project called Youth Securing the Future. The project seeks to connect youth in 26 secondary schools across ethnic lines as they engage in joint problem solving and take an active role in the community. With microgrants from the project, teenagers from Albanian and Serbian communities create school newspapers, run student radio stations, and participate in multiethnic student councils.

Reducing Dropout Rates Among Marginalized Girls

The Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian education program seeks to ensure that girls from these groups, traditionally marginalized in Kosovo, stay in school. CRS and the Union of Parent-Teacher Associations of Kosovo, with support from UNICEF, work closely with the Kosovo Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to address the high dropout rate among Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian girls. As a result of the program, 130 of these children returned to school in the 2006–2007 school year.