DWS Regional Programs
The Balkans
For the past ten years, LWF has successfully facilitated the continuous return of families to the region of northwest Bosnia. Gradually, the state and municipal authorities have taken a more active role in support of the return process. The reconstruction project is based on a ‘self-help’ approach in order to mobilize the community and enhance the sense of ownership of the process. Over the past 15 years, LWF has reconstructed 20,000 housing units in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. © LWF/DWS Balkans |
LWF World Service started programs in the respective Balkans countries in the 90’s during the greatest emergency, while open conflicts were still raging. The local wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo have left communities devastated and hundreds of thousands of refugees on all sides. Although the disintegration of Yugoslavia has allowed the creation of new sovereign states, the military conflict left them with devastated economies, destroyed housing & – in all too much to handle for the newly established governments. The omnipresent wish for a speedy transition to the market economy has made the whole recovery process even more difficult.
The assistance offered by World Service programs was carefully tuned to the changing needs of the refugees and at a later stage, of the returnees. The first phase with food parcels and hygiene kits for the refugee camps was soon replaced by reconstruction of family houses and infrastructure, small income projects and vocational training. The results achieved jointly by LWF World Service Balkans and the returnee communities over the years, enabled the implementation of integrated development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo. The areas selected for these projects were primarily areas with significant minority return. By supporting the returning population, World Service Balkans has managed to improve their opportunity for reintegration, especially in the areas where returnees were not wholeheartedly welcomed.
The LWF World Service Balkans program encompasses Croatia, a state approaching full EU membership, Bosnia and Herzegovina with less than ideal internal governmental divide and Kosovo with a status that is still unresolved. Behind these apparently huge differences, there was and still is a large similarity in returnee issues. The projects designed and implemented for each of the respective countries have a lot in common, the differences caused mainly by various levels of development.
The LWF World Service Balkans Head-office is located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Finance office supporting regional project offices is located in Osijek, Croatia.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Integrated approach: Bosnian war devastated agriculture but not the spirit of people returning to their homes. Based on revolving credit funds, in 2006 LWF supported 392 farmers in Northwest Bosnia in milk production, animal fattening, sheep rearing, fruit growing, greenhouses construction and provision of agriculture machinery. Agriculture projects are also implemented in Northeast Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. © LWF/DWS Balkans/N. Grcic |
The two World Service project offices in Bosnia are located in the Northeast Tuzla canton and in the Northwestern Una-Sana canton. For more than ten years both offices have been engaged in projects of reconstruction of family houses and community infrastructure, agriculture development and training.
The strong involvement and identification with problems of the local communities in both regions has built a commendable reputation of LWF World Service in the region and eventually resulted in spin-offs of agriculture projects to local NGO’s. Both NGO’s remained close partners of LWF World Service Balkans for the implementation of various agriculture projects.
The reconstruction of houses and infrastructure continues as before with LWF World Service in close collaboration with municipalities still reporting intensive return. The program in Bosnia will close at the end of 2008.
Croatia
Following the war and the personal tragedies they suffered, Branko Solaja and his son returned to the picturesque area of Plitvice National park to find only foundations and walls of their house. Branko is one of many elderly who had to start their lives from the scratch. He got his new house through the LWF reconstruction project in Lika, Croatia. © LWF/DWS Balkans |
When the war in Croatia broke out in 1991 the Lutheran-Evangelical Church in Croatia asked LWF World Service for assistance. Offices were established close to the war afflicted areas and the large refugee camps. Croatia was flooded with refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as with its own displaced population. At the peak of the crisis more then 300,000 refugees were accommodated in the country with LWF World Service as one of the main agencies to offer support for them.
When peace became possible and the return process started, World Service has developed an integrated return project that included emergency house reconstruction, subsistence livestock assistance, various forms of development support, establishment of market links and vocational training for returnees.
The Croatia program was closed down in July, 2007.
Kosovo
From relief to sustainable development: farmer in Kosovo is successfully handling beehives which have become his main source of income. © LWF/DWS Balkans |
The brief war in Kosovo in 1999 caused an exodus of almost one million Kosovo Albanians. LWF World Service participated in the ACT Humanitarian Response and ever since continued to be one of the leading agencies in Kosovo. The main office is situated in the divided town of Mitrovica, North Kosovo.
The projects are adjusted to the changing needs of the returning population and encompassed reconstruction of houses, infrastructure, agriculture development, and social development with emphasis on the gender equality in the changing Kosovo society. Kosovo’s most urgent needs are education of the workforce, improvements in basic infrastructure from electricity, to roads and water systems and job creation in the private sector.
The riddle of the future status of Kosovo is constantly appearing in media headlines reflecting the difficulties faced by the local population. The continuation of the LWF World Service program is further supporting the struggle of Kosovo population to catch up with the rest of modern Europe.
In September 2007, LWF World Service adopted a new 6-year strategy for Kosovo (2008–2013), which presupposes this World Service program becoming a stand-alone international mission following the closure of Croatia and Bosnia programs.
Web site of the LWF/DWS Balkans program.
For further information please contact:
Mr Duane Poppe, Program Officer
Local representative
Ms Leila Dzaferovic, Regional Operations Manager
