Syndicate: Balkansunflower Update 20

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 01:34:30 +0100
From: "Boyd Noorda [admin at dDH]" <bn@ddh.nl>

Update 20

26 January 2000

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

* General Information
* Albania Projects
* Macedonia
* Kosovo/a
* BSF USA

**********

GENERAL INFORMATION

We trust that everyone of you had a good holiday season. BSF volunteers
and the steering committee continued to work despite a drop in the number
of volunteers and the onslaught of the Balkan winter.

There isn't a great deal of new info to share at this time due to a
slowdown in some projects and suspension of others due to the holidays.
However, with the new year comes a revitalized commitment to continue the
projects that are presently under way and to seek new funding for proposed
and suspended programs.

We are, as often, on the verge of desperation for funding for operating
expenses. Many of the grants that we get are program specific and cannot
thus be  used as general operating expenses. There are many people
involved in fundraising but the majority of our money has come through the
efforts of Marilou in The Netherlands. She has been almost single handedly
carrying the weight of the financial responsibility for BSF but she needs
some help. We urge all previous volunteers and interested parties to
engage in some sort of fundraising activities-no matter how small-on
behalf of BSF. We know that this isn't the "fun" part of our work, but
without everyone's efforts in this area, much of our potential for helping
is lost. Thank you in advance for your efforts.
(The bank account details are below - and please note that we will soon
have an arrangment with one of our partner organisations in the UK,
Women's Aid To Former Yugoslavia, who will receive smaller donations on
our behalf, to save costs of money transfers).

ARKAN IS DEAD! While someone's death should never be a cause for
celebration, this man was responsible for the suffering of untold
thousands through the actions of his infamous paramilitary units.

The death penalty has been abolished in Albania-maybe. The EU put pressure
on Albania to abolish the death penalty but apparently on the books there
are still several crimes for which it can be applied. Never the less it
seems a step in the right direction.

Winter has definitely arrived in the Balkans. While Tirana has seen no
snow, rain and cold are the norm. In Kosova and Macedonia there is a lot
of snow and extremely cold temperatures. Electrical blackouts are common
in all areas, with Kosova having only a couple of hours' power each day
due to a fire at one of the two power stations, which happened whilst the
other one was shut down for repairs.

Balkan Sunflowers is looking carefully at the possibilities of supporting
similar work in Montenegro and Serbia, with a Czech partner organisation
already present amongst the Roma refugees in the former and a BSF
Pathfinder team of two due to visit Serbia soon to look at the situation
there. Nothing will start very soon for many reasons, but BSF feels that
it is important to have a look at the situations there.

**
ALBANIA

Bathore continues to be a large focus for our efforts in Albania. There
was a community-garbage pickup completed and the word is that volunteers
previously working there would not recognize the place now. There is also
a drainage project that finally got under way to alleviate some of the
public health dangers. The first phase has been completed and plans for
the continuation are under way, and the whole project has led to some
inspiring developments in the way that the communityy organises itself.

The Street Kids project has run out of funding but new sources are being
sought.

Kino Centre
Two active volunteers in the later part of '99 expanded our work from the
original morning children's play group to include the construction of a
playground, the institution of a community activities room, decoration of
the playgroup hall by the children and volunteers and the painting of the
entire inner environment including hallways and refugee living quarters.
During the discussion sessions with the adults it became clear that there
was a  need for the problem of alcohol abuse to be addressed. One of the
BSF volunteers  became involved and instituted, with the help of Albanian
social workers, an Alcoholics Anonymous group.  There has also been the
start of several informal men's and women's discuss ion groups. In the
afternoons, English lessons are provided by BSF vols. The program has now
been reduced again, responding to volunteer availability, but the project
continues and links are being made betweenthe refugees in this centre and
refugees in:

The Catalunya Hotel, volunteers and refugees have also finished a
recreation room for community gatherings. English classes continue and a
women's group has started in the evenings with childcare available so that
the women can discuss issues directly related to their lives. And the
latest news is that BSF volunteers are receving albanian language lessons
from a couple of the refugees.

The 'Football Pitch' Community Center is still offering a program of
daycare, English classes and computer instruction but the funding has run
out and the community and the landlady are now having to see themselves
through a patch where no rent can be paid. BSF is helping to find other
sources of grant income to see the centre through this year, with the hope
that eventually it will become independently sustainable.

**
MACEDONIA

The program of activities continues in the community centre in the Shutka
area near Skopje. Plans are afoot for an american volunteer to come and
set up a mini-recording facility and publish the music for the benefit of
the community there.
Thanks to a 7000DM grant, we have been able to successfully continue the
winterization project in Shutka.

Oxfam donated toys for 367 children and these have been distributed. CARE
also made a donation of food, hygiene materials and blankets.

The wish list from Skopje includes: computers, winter clothes and
educational materials.

BSF is still in the process of registration, experiencing the combined
impact of Macedonian and German bureaucracy ...

**
KOSOVO/A

(This section is a bit short this time- but plenty is happening!)
A new project has been established in Kosovoa working in a collective
centre in Gjilane, where there are albanian refugees who fled from their
homes in Serbia. This was started initially as a playgroup by Heidi, a
Swiss volunteer, and the managing NGO were so impressed that they gave BSF
three rooms to host volunteers, and we now have a group of two
internationals and two kosovars working together.

The New Year Pageant organised by BSF and others was a success for the
children involved, even though the weather conditions led to a very small
turnout of spectators.

Our activities in Gjakova were shut down over the festive season because
of the drop in volunteer numbers, but the return of tow long-term
committed BSF volunteers in early January sees the program continue.

And Peja, well, Peja deserves an  Update to itself ......

**
BSF USA

Efforts are continuing to register BSF as a not-for-profit in Washington,
DC.

There are several fundraising activities under way. BSF t-shirts are now
available. Contact either sali@usbsf.org or kate@usbsf.org to order one or
preferably 10 or more to give to your friends.

There is also a fundraising "concert/happening" in the works with several
bands and other happening stuff.

**
SUMMARY

As you can see, we are continuing to interact with people in need
throughout the Balkans. There are larger plans on the drawing board for
summer camp projects that will include kids from all over the region
including Serbia and Montenegro. These projects have a profound positive
impact on the people we are involved with. Balkan Sunflowers has, through
our all volunteer efforts, gained the respect and admiration not only the
people of the region but the international NGO community as well. This is
the direct result of people like you. People who care and want to help.
Please continue to support us-get involved.



------
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
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