Toy & Clothing Drive

Dj Vegas & Friends are at it again collecting toys, clothing, school supplies, and food for families in Kosovo.  An UNMIK SRC sponsored event last week helped raise nearly 200 Euros.

There seem to be a lot of questions this year so for a little background, Dj Vegas & Friends is a group that I started up approximately five years ago to collect voluntary donations from mostly UNMIK and UN Agency staff during the winter months.  Essentially the group is a collection of private individuals who donate their time to make food packages and then go out to distribute the assistance to families or villages…we are not an official charity organization or anything like that.  And of course there are always those who want to politicize everything in Kosovo, so to pre-empt any of those concerns about who gets the assistance and how do we pick the familes, blah, blah, blah ~  The group has always visited Albanian, Serb, and Roma families.  Normally the list of villages/families are given to us by the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare or a NGO called Center of Hope International (COHI) and equal assistance for all Kosovo ethnic groups is always stressed.

The collection will round up on 10 December and volunteers are scheduled to go out to distribute the assistance on 12 December with the help of the Kosovo Ministy of Labor & Social Welfare supplying information on families/villages who need help.  Anyone wanting to donate in the next week can email djvegas7-music@yahoo.com for information/drop-off locations

TGIF :)

After a warm & sunny Labour Day holiday it is difficult to return back to work for one day but here I am on a beautiful, sunny Friday :~(  Germia Park and Baklava Lake were full of people relaxing and Mother Theresa was crowded with pedestrians yesterday as everyone kicked back and enjoyed the great spring weather.  It seems that spring is finally here as of last week and the sweaters are being packed away until next winter.
This weekend Dj Vegas & Friends are going out to do charity distribution in the Gnjilane Region to the different ethnicities (we always cover all the different ethnicities in Kosovo!)  I will no doubt have pictures and stories from the trip to share on Monday.  A great problem that I have noticed is perhaps due to a lack of education but the families that live in poverty in Kosovo seem to have more children than they can care for which is sad because the children really suffer a miserable existence.  I know that I will have fun tomorrow shopping for toys for the kids and there is great satisfaction in being able to make a child's day by giving them a brand-new toy that they normally wouldn't be able to have because they were born into unfortunate circumstances.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• UN chief prosecutor to appeal Haradinaj aquittal
• Kosovo Serbs protest Serbia EU agreement
• UNHQ in NY sends experts to investigate March riots
• Doubts Grow over mission's future
• US terror report reports on Serbia & Kosovo

Wrapping Up the Clothing & Toy Drive

Yesterday, Dj Vegas & Friends wrapped up the Charity Clothing & Toy Drive in Vitina.  Overall, going out and being involved in the distribution of the aid was very rewarding and sometimes frustrating.  I have great respect for people that work on programs for sustainability or distribute aid on a regular basis.  Be on the lookout for Christmas in July with Dj Vegas & Friends because if the UN continues through the summer, I'm planning on striking out again with food, clothing, and toys for vulnerable children in Kosovo!  And a special thank you to everyone who went out with me to distribute!!!

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles...

• Journey Around the Balkans, a Euroblog from a BBC News reporter
• Kosovo dentist wanted on fraud charges in Canada
• Balkans on the Mend, commentary from Guardian Unlimited

Other Kosovo News...

• Kosovo readies for economic blockade
• Bulgaria will not immediately recognize Kosovo's independence
• UN Secretary-General unsure about EU Mission

Illegal Woodcutters Rampage...

This one is just too good to pass up so here's the story...a couple days ago a report came in to KPS that seven known Albanian illegal woodcutters tied up and assaulted four Albanian employees of the Forestry Department.  The illegal woodcutters allegedly bound and beat the Forestry employees with axes and chairs before fleeing the scene.  The victims of the assault sustained various injuries which were treated at a local hospital and the attackers were detained in conjunction with the investigation.  How wild is that???

On Thursday, 18 January, Dj Vegas & Friends will be at the Phoenix Bar to raise donations for the Dj Vegas Charity Clothing & Toy Drive.  While I was hoping to have the fundraising and distribution done already, the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare has been a bit slow in identifying the families in need and we are still waiting on them to correct the lists they gave us of the vulnerable pupils.  I don't remember if I mentioned but a couple of the lists had only a pupil's name & age but when the family showed up we discovered that there were younger or older children in the family that also needed aid, so I asked the DCA to request the Ministry to correct the list and we have been waiting ever since.  But thankfully the Phoenix Bar has graciously agreed to donate the proceeds from the Thursday night quiz to the drive (details below!)

Day of Charity

Yesterday, we kicked off the distribution of toys, clothing, and food to families in need in the Novo Brdo municipality.  We have been given a list of approximately 175 children who are from vulnerable families all around Kosovo and all the different ethnicities.  As this was the first time I've been involved in the actual distribution of the items donated, it was very interesting for me to see how people treated us and how they reacted when we gave them aid.  As we spent all day out around different villages, I think I will create another page for my experiences and stories of the Dj Vegas Annual Charity Toy & Clothing Drive 2007.
At the end of last week, it was hoped that KEK would bring Kosovo-B back online and the power situation would stabilize.  However the power problems continued through the weekend because when KEK brought K-B back online, Kosovo-A went down!  I think of the phrase "you just can't win" when I think of the situation.  I'm still interested to see what will happen when the government changes because there are still people who think that Thaci will be able to deliver the 24/7 power he promised while campaigning!

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News...

• Kosovo Struggles to Forge an Identity, the article talks about how Albanians and Serbs have a hard time creating a national identity compared to their ethnic one
• Mega-star rapper 50 Cent visits Pristina for launch of IPKO's new mobile phone service (I'll be there!)
• Smuggled arms threaten new danger to independent Kosovo
• EU leaders agree on 1800-strong police mission in Kosovo
• Russia says EU Mission illegal without UN resolution
• Austrian chancellor backs decision to expel Kosovo teen

MTCowgirl's Kosovo Independence News...(guess I can create a new category of news since there's so much lately!)

• Kosovo PM says independence a "matter of weeks"...but oops, Kosovo President says days!
• Serbia says EU Mission unacceptable
• Canada opposes Kosovo independence
• Romania will not recognize Kosovo independence
• Russia warns west on Kosovo independence

The Puking Wonderdog

I think a friend cursed me when telling me last night that I hadn't written about Smokey for a while.  Naturally I said "oh, yeah, he's fine!" but when I got home it was a whole different story!  He was his normal happy spastic self when I got in the door, running laps through the hallway and living room, nearly bowling me over when he slams into my knees.  I decided to get a bit of fresh air since the weather was decent last night so we walked down the hill and back up the Dragodan stairs (yes, the whole of Dragodan from light poles to grassy bits all are Smokey's territory as of last night!)  When we got home, he was tired and hungry and dove straight into his food dish.  About half an hour later I heard a horrible gagging sound from the hallway and found a delightful, frothy puddle of doggie puke on the carpet.  He continued to gag through the night, yanking me out of my dreams with nasty doggie burps and gags (it's not a delight to wake up to your dog puking...much less to wake up and step in a puddle of it when you get up in the night!)  So, thanks J for asking about Smokey...he had been quiet far too long without any good stories so I suppose it was time!

There is a brisk breeze today, the kind that makes you think that you walked out of the house without your pants.  Otherwise, the weather has been good this week with no fog since Sunday.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for those that are traveling for the holidays that the cold spell will last and there won't be any fog in the next few weeks when most of the UN-ers are leaving to see their families!

And finally, again some promotion...just want to send a big thank you to all of the people who have donated towards the Dj Vegas Annual Toy Drive.  We've already filled up my big box in just a bit over a week!!!  There's still lots of time and I think we're going to make a bunch of local kids very happy over this holiday season!

Gangster's Paradise

Actually, the title of the article is Gunrunner's Paradise but anyone who knows anything about Kosovo knows that it's the organized crime groups that run guns, drugs, and human trafficking in Kosovo.  I'm happy to see a locally based news agency write about something like this when most all other media has been focused on the status issue (blah, blah, blah! Does anyone else ever get sick hearing about the failing negotiations and now how they failed???) So kudos to BIRN for reporting on something different and still viable in their Kosovo: Gunrunner's Paradise article!

The Strategy Page focuses on Who's Who in Kosovo, giving a brief summary of different groups in Kosovo from KPS to Serbian paramilitary groups (ie...Guard of Tsar of Lazar (that name truly trips me up when I try to say it!))  The article is very short and I would have liked to see a more in-depth look into the groups but it's a good start!

The trial of Ramush Haradinaj came to an end yesterday with witnesses still citing fear for safety as a reason for failing to testify against the former KLA-commander.  The court has been criticized for failing to protect witnesses who have received death threats and in some cases suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome.
The recent spat of heavy rain and snow has caused substantial flooding in Kosovo.  Four rivers have broke their banks and flooded surrounding villages.  In the larger cities, residents are having to deal with overflowing sewers and raw sewage on the streets.  Surprisingly, with the flooding officials have stated that there may be shortages of water as well as electricity (if readers recall the power plant actually flooded last spring and that caused all sorts of power problems).

And finally, my last tidbit today is self-promotion!  With 44% living at or below poverty level and 14% living in extreme poverty, the winter and holidays can be difficult for families in Kosovo.  For the past several years, through my alter-ego Dj Vegas, I have been holding a charity toy drive to help families in need around Kosovo.  Toys and clothing, new or gently used, are being collected at my office and at several parties over the next few weeks.  Thanks for your support!

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles...

• Albin Kurti says Bush lies to Kosovo Albanians
• Czech News:  Don't treat Thaci as a democrat
• Serbia prepares rude reception for independent Kosovo

Forgot to Update!

With the posting of today's article by AlertNet about SOS Kinderdorf's programs to help disadvantaged families in Kosovo I realized that I never updated you on the toy drive that I held before going home for the holidays in December! 
The toy drive went great.  Most of my colleagues and friends donated to the cause and we were able to fill a huge box (1.7m X 2m X 3m) with toys and clothing for children.  Due to an outbreak of meningitis in Magure, I was not able to make the donation to the social center in person but my friends in the DCA took the toys after I departed.  I am supposed to receive some pictures of the donation and I can't wait to see the smiles.  There is nothing quite like making a child smile :)

Before I left, I met with Fahrush Neziri, the director of the Pristina office of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.  Since there is only one orphanage in Kosovo (run by SOS Kinderdorf) according to the Ministry most of the orphaned children go to live with relatives or foster families.  The list of children that I received from the Pristina office had 56 children from the ages of 2-18 years of age that could use a bit of holiday cheer.  The morning before I left, I sent a large donation to the office to distribute to the children.  In addition to overseeing the placement of children with relatives or foster families, the Pristina office also operates a sort of meeting center where estranged parents can meet with their children in a neutral setting.  Outfitting the meeting center with toys for the children is my next goal in addition to continuing to help disadvantaged families with clothing and toys.

Back to SOS Kinderdorf!  This is one of my favorite charity organizations because I truly believe that they are the future and the key to ending conflicts around the world.  One thing that is sure to incite rage in MTCowgirl is the use of child soldiers, a personal cause of mine.  SOS Kinderdorf goes to many of the troubled places in the world and sets up shelters for abused or disadvantaged children.  In Kosovo, the organization runs a small orphanage (approximately 10-20 children) and now has opened two centers for disadvantaged families who are struggling to keep their families together after the end of the conflict.  The new program is designed to help families regardless of ethnicity and aimed at promoting awareness for creating a safe environment for orphaned, abandoned, or destitute children in Kosovo.

Kosovo Shelter for Stray Dogs

It has come to my attention, courtesy of an email from two vets (Petra & Toni-Maree, who volunteer locally, taking time away from their work in the UK) that there is now a functioning animal shelter in Kosovo.  It has been awhile since I've heard any news about an organized animal shelter.  One might recall that there was a shelter a few years ago established in the village of Lapje Selo but due to lack of funding and interest, the population was put to sleep and the shelter was closed.  However, the Kosovo Shelter for Stray Dogs is open and running near Sllatine with two vets from New Zealand and two local animal advocates volunteering their time and efforts to combating the stray problem in Kosovo.  Veterinary services are only available when a traveling vet is present however. 
The shelter relies on donations from quiz nights at the Phoenix Bar and private donations from the community in addition to the donations of parts of the salaries of those working at the shelter.  The shelter is working on re-homing and sterilizing the stray dog population in Kosovo along with providing care and sterilization for privately owned dogs of the local and international community.  Information about how to donate can be found on the shelter's website.

The Kosovo Shelter for Stray Dogs can be contacted via email or by telephone at +377 44 126 439 or +377 44 199 061.  The shelter can be found by driving a bit past the old airport road and is called "Qendra Kosovare per Strehim dhe Trajnimin e Qeneve Endacak" in Albanian.

Honorary DCA

Due to melting snow, rain, and the subsequent rising water levels in Kosovo, 14 municipalities in Kosovo have been flooded.  I became an honorary DCA (still don't know what it means) for a clothing drive taking place within UNMIK to aid the RAE (Roma, Ashkalia, Egyptian) communities in North Mitrovica.  Since yesterday, people have been delivering clothing, blankets, pillows, and kitchen supplies to my office and we will be handing everything over to the Norwegian Church Aid group on Friday for distribution to those who are in need.  To read more about the flooding, you can access the Red Cross' report at ReliefWeb.
In other news, a group of 50 Albanian youths was reported to have stoned a bus of refugees from Montenegro who were traveling to the Decani monastery over the weekend.  There was no serious damage to the bus.  The incident occurred around 3pm on Saturday (25 Feb).