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Terre des hommes Kosovo

In Kosovo, Terre des homes (Tdh) is the sole NGO committed to the development of a program, moreover a very important one, in the sector of Juvenile Justice. The judiciary system there is confronted by considerable structural problems such as the lack of special institutions for minors and shortage of professionals in the social and legal fields, frequently leading to an inappropriate response of the law. In a Province still in the midst of transition after the terrible conflicts which swept over it in 1999, having lost its social points of reference and still suffering from a weak economy, the numbers of minors committing crimes, mainly stealing, is at a high level, many of them long before they are even 14 – the age from which they become legally responsible for their offences. Terre des hommes pursues two essential aims; one is for a campaign of prevention directed at children at risk, to attempt to stem violence and delinquency. The other aim is to train people in the legal system up to the international standards of law for minors. This activity encourages setting up alternative measures to detention, e.g. in the form of community service, which is well adapted to institutions faced with lack of resources. Parallel to this, the mission of Terre des hommes in Kosovo is working in close collaboration with that in Albania, to fight against trafficking and exploitation of young Albanians in the streets of Kosovo, forced into stealing or begging for a handful of Euros. Tdh yesterday… Terre des hommes began its intervention in Kosovo in 2000, just after the end of the conflict. A first project (up to 2002) was set up in Mitrovica and Svejan to help children lessen their war traumas and to recover psychological stability. This was essentially about strengthening school structure and social follow-up care in families and schools, benefiting to over 2'600 youngsters. As an extension, Terre des hommes started its project Juvenile Justice in Pristina in 2002. Over 300 children have since benefited from individual support, whether doing community service or with a program of prevention. Finally, since 2005 and in collaboration with Terre des hommes-Albania, young Albanians forced to beg or to commit offences in the streets of Kosovo cities, are identified and given aid. …and tomorrow Terre des hommes has planned the continuation of its activities in the sector of Juvenile Law until 2009, in particular by improving our methods of support to those institutions in charge of the problems, confronted as they are with a bitter shortage of means, both human and material. The Province of Kosovo will then have, hopefully, structures which will function autonomously, even if the present context makes each achievement hard to uphold. Real Life Terre des hommes's social workers first met Gëzim at a court for minors, just after he had been sentenced to 80 hours of community service for aggravated theft. «When I heard the sentence, I didn't know what it was coming. I'd been told that it would be good for me to do community service, as it could open the door to a better future…The social workers from Terre des hommes explained what it was about and I felt better. All the same, I was anxious to find out how the others would accept me – how would they treat me? In practical terms, what would they set me to do? The first encounter with the institution was made in the company of the social workers, who introduced me to my supervisor. The people I met there were welcoming and treated me nicely, giving me a family atmosphere which I'd been missing for years. Thanks to doing community service, I realized where I went wrong; and I began to believe in a real future for myself. One day I'd like to have my own family, take care of them, have a job and live a normal life like everyone else.» Today, Gëzim is taking a course in computing which he loves, and knows how lucky he was to get a second chance.