In a heartwarming gesture of solidarity, instead of traditional wedding gifts, Gaby Hagmüller and Rob Lander invited their wedding guests to support women’s rights by donating to the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN).
On their wedding invitation, they wrote “We’re excited for your presence, not presents. Instead, consider donating to the Kosovo Women’s Network, an organization run by people we know and trust, that does amazing work to support, protect, and promote the rights and interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo.”
Gaby and Rob’s request was met with overwhelming support: their friends and family gave more than €5,000 to KWN!
As one guest remarked, “Following Gaby and Rob’s suggestion, we think donating to KWN is a fine way to celebrate their wedding.”
“Our team at KWN is deeply touched by Gaby and Rob’s thoughtfulness and the generosity of their friends and family,” said Igballe Rogova, KWN Executive Director.
When we asked Gaby and Rob to share what inspired them to undertake such a thoughtful act of kindness, they shared: “Our friends and family had to travel from far to join our wedding celebration. While it is common in our countries to give presents for a wedding, we already have a fully equipped household and felt embarrassed about the idea of receiving money from our friends. So, we thought it would be much nicer to give our guests the option to donate to a charity organization. And since I [Gaby] had worked with KWN in the past, trusted the people behind it, and knew about their impact and activities, this seemed like a perfect solution.”
Such flexible funds as these are rare and incredibly special to KWN. Deposited into KWN’s Sustainability Fund, they support initiatives that traditional donors have not prioritised in Kosovo and enable us to react quickly to urgent needs as they arise, such as reacting to draft legislation that threatens women’s rights. This important support helps KWN make progress towards achieving our Strategic aims to:
- Further women’s and girls’ rights with better legislation, budgets, and their implementation
- Address gender-based violence
- Empower women economically
- Improve quality, gender-responsive education, including working with men and boys
- Address climate change with a gender-responsive approach
Gaby and Rob’s generous gesture and the kind gifts from their friends and family will continue supporting, protecting, and promoting the rights and interests of women and girls for years to come.
To follow what KWN does and how we utilise such kind gifts, please visit www.womensnetwork.org and/or sign up for our monthly newsletter by emailing info@womensnetwork.org.
If you would like to give to KWN, supporting women and girls’ rights, please visit our website https://womensnetwork.org/donate/.
