ECONOMICAL PROJECTS
Albanian Roma UNION Amaro-Drom and HEIFER Albania
Projects name: International Livestock Project.
Project 1 : Cows project for low economical Roma families in Fier Region (On-going project June 2007- June 2008)
Project 2 : Milk goat for Roma population in Grabian Community (On-going project 2005-2008)
Project administrator: Albanian Roma UNION Amaro-Drom
International Livestock Project- Passing on the gift in Baltez/ Fier and Grabian/ Lushnje Roma community.
Fier and Lushnje region are known as between the most Roma populated areas of Albania . Roma families in these areas are supposed to be present from the XI to the XII century. These families have been concentrated in the following villages as: Baltez, Qarre, Gardishte and some other villages. The most populated village in this area is the village Baltez. Actually in Baltez there live 200 Roma families, mainly generating from “Meçkar” tribe. Relationships between home-brew and arrivals are very good ones, harmonious and in entente. Albanian population is well- known for their hospitality and religious and ethnic tolerance. Roma of Baltez are well-known as very talented orchestrates, but also as very specialized and experienced farmer and stockbreeder. Field relieves and very reach farm lands have transformed Roma population of Baltez specialists of farming and stockbreeding.
In Grabian of Lushnje lives a rigorous Roma community which has been situated there from the “62 as a government's need to secure labor trade near the farming enterprises. Roma population there composes more then 20% of the overall population of Grabian Commune. Roma population of this area usually has cultivated farming and stockbreeding.
The gift of 15 cows made to Roma families in need from the Foundation HEIFER Albania in collaboration with the Albanian Roma UNION Amaro-Drom was received with great enthusiasm by both the profitable families and those which are not; so the entire Roma community of Baltez village. In Grabian in the first stage of the project implementation have profited 25 Roma families Alpin Goats. Until now as result of the passing on the gift method used have profited 60 Roma Families from this project.
Mr. Gori Stefa, the representative of the HEIFER Albania Foundation, informed the profitable family members that this project that is during the implementation in Baltez, is being implemented in a lot of other countries of the world as HEIFER Albania Foundation is an international foundation that assists families in need.
HEIFER Albania develops its activities in pacific communities where people build up sustainable stockbreeding farms that provide qualitative stockbreeding products in accordance to the trade rules, in healthy community families, that exchange sufficient resources between each-other and are interested in the educational process of their children.
The fundamental values on which are based both projects are: Tolerance (ethnic and religious); Tradition; Humanism and cooperation; Family; Hospitality.
The following on which base the own work Heifer and its partners are: Passing on the gift; Accountability; Sharing and caring; Sustainability and Self-Reliance; Improved Animal Management; Nutrition and Income; Gender and Family Focus; Genuine Need and Justice; Improving the Environment; Full Participation; Training and Education and Spirituality.
Cows brought to Baltez village, came from Denmark , and belong to a very well-known race, Xhersej that has a high level of productivity. This project will be used as a test for Roma Community of Baltez for other projects in the future. If this one will be successful, there will be considering other opportunities in other Roma Stockbreeding areas in Albania .
Roma communities where is being implemented these projects have got the accordance and support of the local governments. It is their responsibility to support and welcome this kind of positive initiatives that initiate inside the community.
The procedure of cows' distribution was a lottery among community members. Project beneficiaries and all the community are very content from this project and all have resume the responsibility to care for their own livestock and those of other community members, the same way they care for their children.
Albanian Roma UNION
Amaro-Drom
