We have signed the contracts with two winning organizations of the Solidarity Action Day Fund!

The tireless work of 275 volunteers on this year’s Solidarity Action Day takes on even more significance through the signing of contracts with the winning organizations of the Solidarity Action Day Fund. We initiated this work through an open call for project funding in the fields of Mental Health and Children with Special Needs. We received a total of 15 applications from Non-Governmental Organizations in Kosova. We made sure to consult with all contributors to this fund, starting with the volunteers, Academy Youth Leaders, businesses, and the Project’s donor, and collaborate in the assessment of applications in two phases.

The two organizations that impressed us with their mission, plan, and objectives were Down Syndrome Kosova and Qendra për Hulumtime Psiko-Sociale dhe Mjekësore (QHSPM), both of which rightfully became the winning organizations of the Solidarity Day Fund!

What do these organizations plan to do with the Solidarity Action Day Fund?

Down Syndrome Kosova continuously engages in and implements projects in the social field with the aim of developing the potential of individuals with Down syndrome, specifically by providing therapeutic and psychosocial support services, with the goal of addressing the needs of children and young people with Down syndrome.

They will continue this mission through the “Small Acts, Big Impact” project by organizing three workshops with 25 children with Down syndrome who will have the opportunity to enhance their speech and social and communication skills. The workshops will focus on visual support for routines (schedules), motor skill development, and irregular drawing.

Meanwhile, QHSPM also has a rich history of work in mental health in Kosova, including successful projects such as the First Mental Health Symposium in Schools, the revitalization of the first psychological magazine in the country, “Psika,” the “Debat në shilte,” and many more.

Among the list of successful projects, QHSPM is planning the “Empowerment Glossary: Chronicles of Mental Health in Kosovo through Youth Words” project, through which they aim to organize a 3-day training for young people aged 16-24 from all over Kosovo. They will be offered training and guidance to write articles on mental health, helping them develop skills for researching, writing, and better evaluating aspects related to this important social issue.

Both organizations will complete the implementation of these projects by October 31, 2023. We are very excited to see their work and support them every step of the way. Best of luck to our newest partners!

Solidarity Action Day is part of the environmental activities of the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (SIDA), through its “Human Rightivism” Program that is implemented by CDF and TOKA; is supported by the Kosovo Foundation for Civil Society (KCSF) ‘EJA Kosova’ – co-financed by the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (SIDA), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; as from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. This project is developed in cooperation with the SAME network of organizations.