Donate to Kosovo

Donate to Kosovo

In Kosovo, Help promotes the economic empowerment of young people. Our training programme promotes young self-employed people and enables them to earn a regular income. We are also committed to helping those in particular need of protection, for example people with Down's syndrome.

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Table of contents

"Even as highly qualified software engineers we found hardly any work in Kosovo. Help enabled us to set up our own company and in this way helped us to have long-term professional prospects in our homeland."
Arta Shehu Zaimi and Fiona Shehu, founders of J-Coders, a start-up company supported by Help

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What is the situation like in Kosovo?

Menschen auf einer Jobmesse — The entrepreneurial spirit in Kosovo is great, but professional opportunities are limited.

A young country with big challenges

Kosovo is the youngest state in Europe. After the violent clashes at the end of the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and the subsequent international administration by the United Nations, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. In the meantime, 117 states have recognised Kosovo under international law, including Germany. Since 2012, Kosovo and Serbia have been working together to normalise their relationship under EU mediation.

The Kosovan society suffers from the power struggles within the political elites. Long overdue reforms are blocked or subordinated to personal interests. A weakening economy with high unemployment is the result. Especially among young people: Around half of those under 25 are unemployed. The young state also has to struggle with poor infrastructure, lack of transparency, corruption and crime. Lack of perspective is therefore widespread, especially among the young population; the desire to leave home in search of a better life is often strong.

How is Help providing support in Kosovo?

Grafikdesign-Schulung für junge Menschen im Kosovo — Training for young people in Kosovo.

You can find more detailed information on the local Help website of Kosovo.

Building futures to combat the causes of migration

In 2015 Help resumed its projects in Kosovo. Our most important goal: sustainably combating poverty and with it the causes of migration. Help focuses on providing local support to young people through future-oriented training programmes, such as courses in programming, robotics, website development and graphic design. We also help young entrepreneurs and those who complete our courses to start their own small businesses. We teach them business administration so that their idea will continue to be a success in the long run and create new jobs.

Another priority for us is helping vulnerable people, such as people with Down's syndrome. Through special training courses in hospitality and catering, we open up paths to economic independence for them and support their social integration and acceptance.

Donors and Partners: Foundation Kosovo-Luxembourg, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, USAID

Help creates income opportunities in Kosovo — Milot Spahija works as carpenter in Peja.

Creativity pays off

Milot Spahija is a carpenter in the town of Peja. He had a dream: running his own business making personalised wooden signs. But he did not have the tools and equipment he needed. For his carpentry and decorative signs, he had to hire machines, which was expensive, or make everything laboriously by hand, which took him a long time. Earning a regular income like this was impossible. Help provided him with the tools and machines that he needed for his work. Now he can turn his creative ideas into reality at a much lower cost, and his work is a lot easier. Thanks to Help’s support, he is now a successful businessman, and there is high demand for his wood decorations for engagement parties, weddings and company logos. “What pleases me the most is when young parents want a nameplate for their children – they make great presents. Now I’m planning to expand the business further.”

Pictures and videos

Einkommen schaffen für die Menschen im Kosovo

Eine junge Frau prüft getrocknete Blüten

Zwei Frauen bei der Herstellung von Ajvar

Einkommen für Familien durch Help im Kosovo

Ein Mann schweißt einen Mülleimer zusammen

Help-Mitarbeiter und Kinder pflanzen einen Baum

Zwei Help-Mitarbeiter verteilen Lebensmittelpakete im Kosovo

Unterstützung von Kleinunternehmen im Kosovo

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Facts and Figures

Figures about Kosovo

Population: 1.8 million
26 % of the population is affected by unemployment (2021)
50 % of those under 25 are unemployed (2020)
The average annual income in Kosovo is 4,310 US dollars (2020)

Sources: BMZ, bpb, ILO

Facts about our work

Help’s achievements in Kosovo since 2015:

Supported over 2,000 small businesses & start-ups in 31 different partner cities.
Conducted over 2,000 trainings on future-oriented skills such as programming, robotics, website development and graphic design, among others.
Supported 17 entrepreneurial community initiatives.
Supported the Down Syndrome Centre in Mitrovica with the construction of a new kitchen for learning purposes for catering training.