The Shkoze project team

The Shkoze Project

Hand crafted Cards

Shkoze is situated on the outskirts of Tirana, the capital of Albania. It is a large community whith a significant percentage of people who live below the poverty line. At the far end of the suburb there is an old communist tractor factory which is now home to 42 Roma families and an unknown number of Albanian families. The Roma families have built a shanty style town and their houses, known as ‘barraks’ in their language, are made out of old pieces of wood and metal that they have found. Their main source of water is a river that runs by the side of the community, which is heavily polluted with rubbish. The income for the majority of these families is begging or recycling rubbish from the centre of Tirana. Some families are fortunate enough to have small second hand clothes stalls.

The Shkoze project started in January 2008, when BMS workers Mairi McBain and Helen Brook saw the great need in the Roma community near their church in Shkoze. Mairi along with her husband Graham had been working with the community for many years, giving out aid and assisting with medical needs. Now the project takes place within Drita e Botes church where a small group of Roma and Albanian women meet together to produce a variety of hand crafted cards and their own special recipe of recycled handmade paper.

The Korca Project

Embroidary Association of Roma Women

In September 2006 eight Roma and Egyptian women decided to work for themselves in order to raise an income so their children could go to school. With the support of TACT (Transnational Actions Against Child Trafficking), they established the Embroidary Association and began to produce handicraft products and thus generate income that, in return, would provide a sustainable alternative to their children begging.

In 18 months, these women, who had never used a needle before, have grown to become accomplished embroidarers and handicraft makers. They now produce orders for both Greek companies and the local Albanian market. Most of the time, they are able to generate an average income of $60 per month each. The women produce shirts, jewelry, blouses, little bags, greeting cards, etc.

The biggest difficulties they now face are in improving their product quality and reaching new markets. CAAP and Mangava are hoping to work together with the Association to provide the support they need to overcome these obstacles.

The Prison Project

Information on this project is coming soon.

All the schemes written about here not only help the women to improve their economical status, but also helps them to gain self-esteem. The schemes serve as places where the women socialize with each other and talk about issues that worry them, their children and their families.