On April 25, in Gjakova, Medica Kosova organized a closing roundtable of the project "Supporting Single Mothers Affected by War to Approach Municipal Agricultural Subvention". This project was supported by the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) and funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), while it was implemented by Medica Kosova in partnership with single mothers organization "Djepi i Buzëqeshjes".
The project aim was to provide women access to subvention through trainings on the analysis of the grants program and the procedures and application criteria. It also aimed to support the realization of their property rights as well as women’s access to information through the official site and social networks of the Municipal Assembly in Gjakova. In this project, 40 women has benefited from four villages of the Municipality of Gjakova. Meanwhile, around 24 women beneficiaries of this project have been prepared to apply for moto cultivators and seedlings for nuts and hazelnuts during the next call for subvention.
The Mayor, Ms. Mimoza Kusari-Lila and Mr. Bekim Ermeni, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, informed the participants about the subvention program with a special emphasis for war-affected women in Gjakova municipality and the possibility of receiving micro-business grants.
"As a Mayor, my responsibilities from the beging have been to reduce inequalities in society, to offer equal opportunities but also to show that there is a need to pay special attention to and be sensitive towards issues related to women in need of economic empowerment", said Mrs. Kusari – Lila, in the presence of representatives of the Office for Gender Equality, the Office of Communities, representatives of civil society and women beneficiaries.
Although the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the subvention calendar has put out only two calls during the implementation phase of this project. A single mother has bennefitted from this and is now the proud owner of a 2.5 acres greenhouse. She has achieved this by herself through the provided support by this project which included technical support.
Medica Kosova believes that the results of this project will have a long-lasting positive impact on the welfare of these women. They are committed to continue with providing concrete support to these women in accessing municipal grants and subventions for the purpose of personal and professional development of war-affected women farmers.
Further, Medica Kosova and the beneficiaries of this project highly appreciated the Mayor of Gjakova Municipality and the Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Development that have integrated a criterion of priority for women farmers on the basis of same quality of the required documentation for subvention. They also expressed gratitude to the Kosovo Women’s Fund and Austrian Development Agency for the possibility of implementing this important initiative for women who bear the responsibility of the welfare of their families.
