Several women from Dragash possess unique skills in manufacturing traditional handmade clothes. However, since they live high in the mountains, few women can access markets in order to sell their products. With support from the Kosovo Women’s Fund (€2,800) and the Municipal Assembly of Prishtina, NGO Rona helped women from Dragash access a new market in Prishtina.

Women’s colourful handmade products decorated Mother Teresa Boulevard for eight days in October. Nineteen women’s organizations from throughout Kosovo, including Dragash, averaged more than €500 in sales per organization (totalling approximately €9,500).
“This project was very helpful, especially for women from Opoja in Dragash,” said Serbeze Sylejmani, Director of Rona. “They didn’t have the chance to sell their products before.”

The initiative had the added benefit of enabling women from other organizations throughout Kosovo to sell their products, as well, she said.
“Fairs are always good,” said Xhejrane Lokaj, a women’s rights activist also working in Dragash. “I am very thankful also to the Kosovo Women’s Network for supporting Rona in organizing this fair. In addition to securing some financial profit for women, we are preserving the culture of handmade work.”