SOS Children in Kosovo

Overview of Kosovo

Kosovo is a UN administered landlocked territory within Serbia and Montenegro. It has for many centuries been the scene of conflict between the majority Albanians and the minority Serbs, who regard Kosovo as the birthplace of Serbia.

In 1999, during the civil war, over one million Albanians fled Kosovo for Albania and returned when the UN took over the administration of the territory. Kosovo is one of the poorest regions in Europe. Unemployment is high and the infrastructure is in urgent need of upgrading. Commercial activity has not recovered from the civil war. In 2007 discussions took place on the future independence of Kosovo - welcomed by Kosovo Albanians and rejected by Serbia.

Our Work in Kosovo

Pristina

SOS Children began working in Kosovo in 2000 following long negotiations with the interim sponsor a child in Children's Village Pristina, Kosovo government in Kosovo and the local authorities. The plan was to build an SOS Social Centre with an SOS Nursery and playground in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, to act as a transit home for orphaned babies and young children who were being put up for adoption. As a temporary measure, until the social centre was completed, two houses in Pristina were rented. By the end of 2002 the transit home was full and so the whole project was enlarged to cope with the large number of orphaned and abandoned children, including children with special needs. In 2004, with the support and agreement of the interim government and the local authorities, three family houses were built for orphaned and abandoned children who were not being adopted. The nursery has five classes for 125 children in the local community.

In 2007 SOS Children’s Villages Kosovo began a Family Strengthening Programme, to help vulnerable children and their families to stay together so that children who are at risk of losing the care of their family can grow within a caring family environment. SOS Children’s Villages Kosovo works directly with families to help them to care for their children and with the local community.