Vol 7-Newsletter September 2014

In this edition:
- Completion of the Business Course in
Mitrovica North – Women from the Serbian
and Bosnian Communities.
- Examples of good practices of women entrepreneurs in the region of Mitrovica and Peja.
- Results achieved during the monitoring period in the region of: Gjakova, Gjilan and Mitrovica – “Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture”
- The Ambassadors of the Royal Norwegian
Embassy, the Embassy of Netherlands and
the Albanian Embassy in Kosovo visited
SHE-ERA.
- Field Day on Industrial Tomato production.
- Meeting for cooperation with USAID representatives.
- The launch of the new TEB J.S.C. and the
Cooperation Agreement between SHE-ERA
and TEB Bank.
Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
"SUPPORTING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
IN AGRICULTURE 2012 - 2015”
NEWSLETTER
Volume 7 / September / 2014
Completion of the Business Course in Mitrovica North – Women from the Serbian and Bosnian Communities
June, 2014
From February - May, 2014 in four municipalities of Mitrovica North (Zubin
Potok, Leposavic, Zvečan and the Bosnian neighborhood) 119 women entrepreneurs in agriculture from the Serbian and Bosnian communities divided into
four groups successfully completed the nine steps of the business course “How
to start a successful business”. Each group of woman and young girls in agriculture that participated in the business course had as a purpose to increase their
managing capacities and indentifying ideas based on concrete resources,
products they cultivate, the trading activity they develop and their interest to
start and expand their business. As a result during this period women and
young girls beneficiaries of the project “Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in
Agriculture 2012-2015” (with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Denmark) beside the group business plans they also compiled 96
individual business plans based on the unique ideas of women entrepreneurs
for a period of four months in Mitrovica North.
The SHE-ERA staff is continuously supporting these groups from the Serbian and Bosnian community through monitoring, advice,
and providing information on realizing their business plans through international and local developing partners. Also, SHE-ERA is
working on creating a value chain between: suppliers-producers-collection points-processors to the client (market). The interest of
women and young girls from Mitrovica North including its four municipalities and all communities, to become beneficiaries of
SHE-ERA’s programs is increasing on a daily basis and so far we have 600 interested women from the Serbian, Bosnian and
Albanian communities.
Examples of good practices of women entrepreneurs in the region of Mitrovica and Peja
June, 2014
- Arbëresha dhe Qëndresa Shala - Arbresha and Qendresa Shala from the
village of Loxha (Peja region) have grown strawberries since 2007. Their family
owns 70 Ar. of land which yields around 10,000 kg. of strawberries and generates a good annual profit. Currently, 4 family members of the Shala family and
7 employees are engaged in the growing process of strawberries, this way
increasing managing capacities for women from this village and simultaneously
increasing the number of people employed. After attending the one-month
training “How to start a successful business”, Qendresa and Arbresha have
decided to expand their business for 30 Ar. more, consequently leading to an
increase in production. “They claim that the business course offered by
SHE-ERA within the project “Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in
Agriculture 2012-2015” has empowered them by providing the necessary
motivation to think from an entrepreneurial perspective”.
At the moment they sell their products at supermarkets such as ETC, and other key locations in the city of Peja, however now they
intend to expand their market in other cities as well. As a collaboration result between SHE-ERA and NGO Zana from Klina,
Qendresa and Arbresha have made a new investment after being beneficiaries of a 5x16 m² greenhouse from the Embassy of the
United States in Pristina where they are going to grow vegetables such as peppers, tomato and lettuce.
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- Ganimete Abazi - Having goats as livestock and processing goat milk is one
of rarest farming activities in Kosovo. Ganimete Abazi from the village of
Kutllovc in Mitrovica, who was one of the beneficiaries of the one-month training
offered by SHE-ERA within the project “Supporting Women Entrepreneurs in
Agriculture 2012-2015” has a total of 300 goats including baby goats. For six
years she has been selling baby goats and processing goat milk and other milk
products such as: Goat milk (€1/1l), Milk Cream (€4/1kg.), Kumshtë & Hirra
(tertiary product) (€1/1.5l.) and Butter (€10/1kg). The amount of investment in
her business was €42,000 a grant her family received from the European Union
through the IADK office where she also benefited material for stalls, milking
equipment, lactofreezer, etj while her personal investment was € 12,000. In
addition, for three years in a row Mrs.Abazi receives subsidies of €10 per goat
from the MFARD. Her business is quiet profitable, including the revenues from
the sale of baby goats for € 50 - 60. The current market includes 5 selling points
in the region of Mitrovica, and intends to expand in the future in other regions of Kosovo. “The case of Ganimete Abazi proves that
women from the rural areas do not lack economic empowerment and decision making initiatives. Gradually, the role and position
of women in Kosovo has experienced notable progress, states Mrs.Abazi and the SHE-ERA staff is one of the key supporters and
witnesses to this positive change”.
Results achieved during the monitoring period in the region of: Gjakova, Gjilan and Mitrovica – “Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture”
June, 2014
According to the new monitoring and data-base methodology which we are
applying, SHE-ERA updates its data with concrete and proper results in
measuring the indicator and the progress of the groups of women entrepreneurs from our offered services. Monitoring is carried out on a permanent basis
in four regions included in the project: Gjakova, Peja, Gjilan and Mitrovica by
collecting actual data on their achieved results after the training and the needs
and problems women face. The data below represent the period January –
August, 2014 with concrete results on the activities of women entrepreneurs in
agriculture.
DATABASE: MONITORING RESULTS JANUARY – AUGUST, 2014
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
IN NUMERICAL VALUE
Women trained ( January – June 2014 )
191
Number of prepared business plans
( January – June 2014 )
155
Number of monitored women
( January – June 2014 )
293
Registereed businesses
( January – June 2014 )
13
Financed and Self-Financed Businesses
( January – June 2014 )
293
Link to finance ( January – June 2014 )
26
Technical advice in agriculture
( January – June 2014 )
23
Women who became members during the
first six months of 2014
72
The Ambassadors of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Embassy of Netherlands and the Albanian Embassy in Kosovo visited SHE-ERA
July, 2014
Women’s Business Association SHE-ERA had the honor of welcoming at the
Gjakova office for a visit the ambassadors: Mr. Jan Braathu from the Royal
Norwegian Embassy , Z. Robert Bosch from the Embassy of the Kingdom of
Netherlands, Mr. Qemal Minxhozi from the Embassy of the Republic of Albania
in Pristina and Tessa van Ravenzwaaij, the Development aid assistant at the
Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands who were welcomed by the executive
director, Mrs. Mirlinda Kusari-Purrini and the entire SHE-ERA staff. Mrs.Kusari
Purrini informed the Ambassadors on the 15 years of experience and
SHE-ERA’s activities in the entire territory of Kosovo. The Ambassadors were
also updated on the achievements during this period and on the challenges and
needs of women entrepreneurs in the Republic of Kosovo. The visit proceeded
in the village of Bec (municipality of Gjakova) where the ambasadors met with
the group of women entrepreneurs beneficiaries of SHE-ERA, and had an
opportunity to closely observe their work, challenges they face and heard their needs to further develop their businesses. The ambasadors expressed their willingness to cooperate with SHE-ERA on developing projects so women farmers in Kosovo can continue
being beneficiaries.
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Field Day on Industrial Tomato production
July, 2014
This event organized by the collection center “Agro Celina” (within the project
supported by Swisscontact), the supplier of Business Inputs “Jonathan” and
the Women’s Business Association SHE-ERA. The objective of this event was
to inform and demonstrate this pilot project for industrial tomato cultivation, the
sapling of which is significantly productive (yielding up to 120 fruits) and bring
high profits with low production costs. During the meeting was highlited the
importance of cultivating this vegetable, which plays an important role in the
working industry of other countries in the region. By cultivating this product
locally the import rates will considerably decrease and the export opportunities
will increase.
Meeting for cooperation with USAID representatives
August, 2014
USAID representatives visited SHE-ERA where they met with the Executive
Director, Mrs.Mirlinda Kusari-Purrini to discuss cooperation opportunities to
support women entrepreneurs through technical advice and trajnings for
business development and expansion. During the meeting, representatives
from USAID offered their office in Mitrovica North to SHE-ERA and the
Women’s Association from Zvečan “Santa Maria” and a partnerships between
the two associations is expected to strengthen interethnic collaboration
between women in entrepreneurs in Kosovo and setting up links to the market.
Also, SHE-ERA has been selected to participate in the new 3-year program
innitiated by USAID “Advancing Kosovo Together” to increase the capacities of
organizations dealing with gender issues. Mrs.Kusari-Purrini congratulated this
initiative and expressed her willingness for future cooperation.
The launch of the new TEB J.S.C. and the Cooperation Agreement between SHE-ERA and TEB Bank
August, 2014
At the Jakova Innovation Center was launched the new program “Women in
Business” for supporting women’s start-up businesses. This program will be
realized by Women’s Business Association (SHE-ERA) and Girisim Training &
Consultancy Center. Mr.Ayhan Albeyoglu, TEB Bank’s Chief Executive Officer
and Mrs. Mirlinda Kusari-Purrini, SHE-ERA’s Executive Director signed the
mutual Cooperation Memorandum for the activities of women entrepreneurs in
business.
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THE LINK FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE
SHE-ERA has converted its internet web page into an effective tool through which will enable its members to promote their work and to set up collaborations with different local and international actors, the
business community, development partners and networking among the SHE-ERA members and women
entrepreneurs from other countries. In the web page has been created the database of SHE-ERA members (http://she-era.org/~sheera/?page_id=17) and for Women Entrepreneurs in Agriculture (http://sheera.org/~sheera/?page_id=18) where are included the data of women farmers which are updated
monthly. Through this link, women in agriculture will greatly benefit toward the project realization
process, and their entrepreneurial capacities as women entrepreneurs will be emphasized through
access with cooperation opportunities with local programs and international agencies focused on
women economic empowerment.
SHE-ERA STAFF:
SHE-ERA BOARB MEMBERS:
1. Mirlinda Kusari Purrini – Executive Director
2. Ardiana Qela – Project manager
3. Ymrane Nura - Finance adiministrator
4. Edita Axhemi – Training Co-ordinator
5. Marigona Stavileci – Training Assistant
6. Kosovare Sahatqija – IT Assitant
7. Sevdije Hoxha – Expert in agriculture
8. Dafina Zhaveli – Project Assistant
9. Bujar Haxhibeqiri – Driver & Logistics
10. Sabrie Jagxhiu Zhubi – Training Assistant
1. Xheraldina Vula – Board Chair
2. Prof. Dr. Justina Shiroka Pula
3. Dr. Lulzim Cela
4. Luljeta Vuniqi
5. Burbuqe Berisha
HONORARY MEMBER:
Naxhije Buqinca
(The Region of Mitrovica)
SENIOR ADVISER FOR ECONOMIC AND GENDER ISSUES:
Glynis Long
Jocelyne Talbot
WOMEN’S BUSINESS ASSOCIATION SHE-ERA
Str.Ismail Qemali n0.9 (Çarshia e Jupave)
Tel: +381 (0) 390 323 194
Fax: +381 (0) 390 323 194
Web: she-era.org
Email: [email protected]
Fcb: www.facebook.com/WBA.SHEERA
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