Capital: Pristina
Area: 10,887 km²
Population: 2.1 million (est.)
Ethnic groups: Kosovo Albanians, Serbs, Montenegrins
Official language(s): Albanian
Religion(s): Muslim, Ortodox Christians
Currency: 1 euro = 100 cents
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
During the fighting between Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia) in 1999, about one million Kosovo Albanians fled Kosovo for Albania. As SOS Children's Villages were already active in Albania, they were able to set up an SOS Emergency Relief Programme there for the refugees, using the existing infrastructure. Most of the refugees returned to what was left of Kosovo in the autumn of 1999. In view of the terrible social conditions, SOS-Kinderdorf International decided also to work directly in Kosovo. Following long negotiations with the interim government, UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) and the local authorities, it was possible to sign a contract for the construction of an SOS Social Centre with a kindergarten and playground in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, on June 16th, 2000.
The SOS Social Centre was intended as a transit home for orphaned babies and young children who were being put up for adoption. Construction started on the transit home and the SOS Kindergarten in June 2001. In order to be able to offer immediate help, two houses were rented in Pristina use as a transit home until the construction work was finished. As there are still many children in Kosovo who have no parents to care for them, the transit home was enlarged shortly after. By the end of 2002 the transit home was completely filled with children.
Children with special needs who were also admitted in the transit home were given special care in the so-called "Beehive", which is part of the transit home. In October 2004 a government agreement between Kosovo and SOS-Kinderdorf International was signed and shortly after the first SOS Children's Village was established in one house of the transit home.
In 2007 SOS Children’s Villages Kosovo started to operate a Family Strengthening Programme, which enables children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Kosovo works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
At present there is one SOS Children's Village in Kosovo, one SOS Kindergarten and three SOS Social Centres.
Contact:
SOS-Kinderdorf International
Representative Office Kosovo
Rruga 1 Tetori
Velania p.n.
38000 Pristina
Yugoslavia
tel. +381-38 516 977
fax +381-38 516 977