<nettime> [Balkansunflower-list] Balkan Sunflowers Update 19

[wam kat <wam@mir.org>]

Update 19  

15 December 1999

**********
Contents:

* General
* Albania Projects
* Kosovo/a 
* Macedonia
**********

GENERAL

There has been a lot of activity since the last formal update. This update
is a little long but it is necessary to try to give some kind of idea of
the activity of the past two months. 

The weather has turned as stormy as the political situation, with Kosovo/a
and Albania experiencing power cuts and water shortages, the temperatures
in Kosovo/a and Macedonia dropping below zero, the ‘old dinosaurs’ being
re-elected in Albania leading to fears for the political stability,
Macedonia seeing elections that could lead to a rise in inter-ethnic
tensions, and Kosovo/a’s UN government coming under increased criticism
from all sides. 

The first Balkan Sunflowers International meeting was held in Tirana at
the end of October. This was the first chance for many of our active
volunteers to meet ‘in reality’ rather than in cyberspace, and a more
detailed report is soon to be available.

We continue to gain the respect and admiration of the international NGO
community , but also continue to have funding problems. Most of the grants
we have received are project specific and don’t include general operating
expenses. We need continued donations to help operate the offices and the
living expenses of the volunteers in all our projects. During this holiday
season we would like to ask that you ask your friends and relatives to
consider a donation to BSF as a suitable gift. 

There has been a steady drain of volunteers as people complete their
commitments and are returning home for the holidays. We need both long and
short-term volunteers in all projects. For more information see our
website or e-mail applications@mir.org

ALBANIA

Bathore continues to be the largest project in Albania in terms of
resources. We are still providing recreational activities to the children
there 5 days a week and have obtained a tent from UNICEF to be able to
continue even in bad weather. We have also been instrumental in the
distribution of food, bedding, clothing and winterization materials
throughout the last several months, and are investigating the
possibilities for a drainage scheme. 

We have started working at one of the few refugee centers still in
operation - the Kino Studio, and we will focus a little more on the varied
program in the next update.

BSF opened a community center Oct 1,1999.  There are currently three
daycare groups supervising 55 children. 55 more children are enrolled in
English classes and 8 are engaged in computer literacy classes taught by
BSF vols. The plan is to hand over responsibility to the local community
management as soon as we can, as well as secure for them some longer term
funding. 

We have received funding for a Mine and Weapons Awareness Program that is
scheduled to begin in Jan. 2000.  We will be taking this program to 20
different schools over six months. The aim is to foster the idea that
weapons are dangerous and solutions to problems can be reached without the
use of violence. The children will have various creative means to express
themselves-video making, drama, writing and art- on the various topics. We
are supported by UNICEF, UNDP, and ICRC in this effort. 

KOSOV@
In Pristina projects include: 
- the continued efforts for environmental awareness in conjunction with
WHO have resulted in the clean-up of 26 schools
- involvement in the organization of the Pristina Sanitation Working Group. 
- art exhibition of photos from the camps of and by refugees
- The planning of a playground/park in the Sunny Hill area.
- Helping with funding  for  the Kosov@ Women’s Center
- the translation of children’s books into Albanian with the help of UNICEF.

BSF is also involved in a month of theater workshops that will culminate
in a pageant and parade as part of Pristina’s New Year celebration.  

The projects in Gjakova include:
- Brickworks Transit camp: Ongoing participation in creative and sports
activities such as voice,drum and harmonica lessons. (we have also started
this in another tranist camp and been asked to co-ordinate children's
activities for a third to be built) 
- English lessons to approx. 150 students at  the New School. 
- visits to the pediatric ward at the local hospital as well as the
Handicap Center. 
- environmental clean-up projects ongoing in the town and camps.
- A huge mural that was painted by children and vols showing where they
thought Kosov@ would be in ten years . 

In Peje children’s activities are ongoing in the In Need Center and
Karagac Center. There is a parks restoration project that includes the
Hospital park and Karagac park. Along with the parks project is an
environmental awareness campaign in the schools. And the arts centre
continues to be active. 


MACEDONIA

We have a new Coordinator Marko Cacanovski, and the office has moved to a
better house.  Activities and projects continue at the community centre in
Shutka, and we have started a winterisation project there as well - this
grew out of the individual actions of a couple of volunteers who bought
some materials with their own money , and then we made a successful
funding application to UNHCR for 7 000 DEM to expand it. 



------
How to Donate
------

**German bank account:
Account number:         160 160 1
Account name:    Balkan Sunflowers e.V.
Bank:            Oekobank Frankfurt (Germany)
Blz  (bank code): 500 901 00


**USA:

You can make your donations to us through the Volunteers for Peace
organisation's bank account. They administer Balkan Sunflowers donations
in a separate subaccount.

Address your check to Volunteers for Peace, Inc. or VFP, and put 'Balkan
Sunflowers' in the subject line. That is: Vermont National Bank, Ludlow
branch, account number 2119057281.

Donors who wish to take advantage of the 501c3 status can ask for the
VFP's tax ID number. This is 03-0282748. 

For more details contact:
Peter Coldwell, Director
Volunteers For Peace (VFP)
1034 Tiffany RD
Belmont VT 05730-0202
E-Mail vfp@vfp.org


**end**

 
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