Generating as much financial aid as possible for economic reconstruction: that is the aim of the Kosovo donors conference taking place in Brussels on Friday. Since it declared its independence from Serbia, poverty and unemployment have been the main problems facing the fledgling state. After the war in the late 1990s, many women were left to fend for themselves, without any source of income. The Dutch organisation De Brug (The Bridge) has found a solution: a cow.
Roza Prenkaj proudly shows off her cow Balucha and one of the two calves it has produced. The war widow is delighted with the bovine addition to her household. It provides her with milk, from which she makes cheese, yoghurt and butter. Roza explains how Balucha puts food on the table for her and her three children.
"It means a lot to me because I no longer have to buy milk, which is a staple food for us. It keeps me and my whole family alive, all four of us."
Reliable income
"As well as providing food for their children, they can sell the surplus milk to the dairy plant. That gives them a monthly income. That's very important to them, because they don't know what else to do. These women do not have a particular education. The only thing they know is farming."
The average monthy income of the widows is 70 euros, while the state pension is less than 60 euros. With each calf that is born, their income increases.
Milk collection
The Dutch project is, of course, very small scale. In order to make it profitable, the women's association in Gjakova has set up a milk collection station, where the widows can deposit their cow's milk each day.
The station is centrally located in a modest stone building. Inside there is nothing but a cooling tank, in which over 1,000 litres of milk is collected each day. It is providing a strong impetus for the reconstruction of the economy, says the head of the women's association, Dila Prekpalaj.
"After the war, the economy went into freefall. Seven years on, you can see that the widows are beginning to recover, even though they have lost many loved ones. This is a wonderful new start for all of these women."
The aftermath of the war is still visible throughout Kosovo. To this day, the remains of fathers and sons are being shipped back from mass graves in Serbia. For the war widows, there is little time for grieving. They have no choice but to get on with their lives, as many of them have a family with children to support. With a little luck, they can now count on the help of a cow like Balucha.
* RNW translation (dd)