| Grant Profile: |
| Project Title: |
Kosovo Youth Development Grant |
| PCF/LICUS/SPF: |
PCF |
Status: |
Open |
| File Number: |
306
| Region: |
ECA |
| Sector: |
Social Protection |
Country: |
Kosovo |
| FY approved: |
2006 |
Grant Theme : |
Social dev/gender/inclusion |
| Keyword(s): |
Children and youth |
Approved Amount: |
$1,901,415.00 |
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Grant Recipient:
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo |
Grant Purpose:
The objective of the grant is to increase the social cohesion and inter-ethnic interaction and cooperation among young people with different ethnic backgrounds in Kosovo, with special emphasis on improving the relationship between young Albanians and Serbs.
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Grant Activities:
Component 1: Improving performance and sustainability of existing youth centers
The grant would build on the technical assistance initially provided to the Youth Department by GTZ to support the implementation of adequate standards for youth work in Kosovo. The standards would serve as quality indicators for any further assistance. To meet the standards, training for youth workers would be provided together with grants for additional youth outreach or for new youth activities. The existing youth centers, municipal administrations and youth organizations that are willing to achieve quality standards may apply for such grants.
The grant would also support the existing youth centers in improving their performance and financial sustainability by increasing the number of young beneficiaries from different ethnic communities and from rural areas using a gender sensitive approach. The grant would also target young males at-risk for joining extremist groups and young women suffering from isolation and school drop out. Special outreach by peer youth educators would be put in place in the respective communities where such youth stakeholders reside. The grant would also help strengthen the content of extra-curricular activities, and build life and livelihood skills (communications skills, confidence building skills, creative skills, raising awareness of health risks, IT, language training, etc).
Component 2: Establishing two Youth Resource Hubs
The objective of the youth resource hubs, to be established in universities in Pristina and Mitrovica, would be to contribute to channeling youth protest energy, for students in particular, into constructive involvement in youth development and decision making processes. The hubs would achieve this by providing approximately 300 youth workers and policy makers with innovative approaches to youth work, for example client orientation, peer education, mentoring of young people, interactive and distance learning, building self esteem, conflict management, development of volunteer and community service skills, healing approaches to trauma, human rights education, changing attitudes and behaviors, and positive role modeling.
The hubs would also offer a venue for participation of students and youth organizations in policies that affect their lives, for example the reform of the education system. Furthermore, the hubs in both universities could serve as contact points for international exchange and open also a window of mutual exchange between both universities. The grant would also provide start-up funding and leverage fundraising, especially with bi-lateral donors and private international foundations.
Component 3: Business development for young entrepreneurs
The objective of providing training to young entrepreneurs is to assist young people in finding job prospects and sources of income to make their livings. In the training courses, they would learn to develop business ideas, work out their business plans, and acquire the necessary skills to run a business successfully. The training courses would be conducted in the youth centers or schools (or other appropriate facilities) to guarantee easy access also for young people from rural areas.
The training courses would address the needs of a broad variety of potential young entrepreneurs, interested in developing business ideas in crafts, services, agricultural production and food processing. Specific support (training and coaching) would be offered to already existing young micro-entrepreneurs to support their efforts in sustaining and extending their business activities.
Component 4: Strengthening the implementation capacity of the Youth Department
This component will focus strictly on strengthening project management and implementation capacity. Institutional capacity at the Youth Department will be increased through additional training to existing staff and through study tours to neighboring countries and other good practices in Europe. In addition, the grant program will support the development of a consolidated report on youth trends in Kosovo, which will build on existing analytical and technical work, the findings of which will be used by the Youth Department in the formulation of a National Strategy and Action Plan for youth.
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News:
Two resource hubs offering youth-friendly services to young people in Kosovo were established in Prishtina in 2007, as part of the World Bank Post-Conflict Youth Empowerment and Security Grant. The centers, located at the University of Prishtina and the University of Mitrovica, have a promising timetable of activities for the incoming students. They have also established good working relationships with Student Unions, Parliaments, and Youth Organizations in Kosovo.
Student services provided by the youth hubs include career information, guidance and assistance, mentoring, communication skills trainings, development of volunteer skills, library and web information services, and web design classes. The facilities also offer internet access and have a photo and camera lab and a cinema on site. Events organized by the Youth Hubs include joint activities for students, such as thematic seminars, trainings, and summer camps.
The purpose of the Youth Hubs is to contribute to the constructive involvement of young people in youth development and decision-making processes. This objective is aligned with the recommendations of the 2007 World Development Report entitled Development and the Next Generation and the youth development agenda in the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. Other activities supported by the Youth Empowerment and Security Grant in line with the youth agenda include business development for young entrepreneurs through business development training, as well as improvement of the performance and financial sustainability of existing youth centers through training of youth workers, development of extra-curricular and non-formal education activities, and building students’ life and livelihood skills. The grant also includes a focus on strengthening the project management and implementation capacity of the Youth Department. The overall purpose of the Post-Conflict Grant is to increase social cohesion and inter-ethnic interaction and cooperation among young people with different ethnic backgrounds in Kosovo.
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