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| Joost van Beek: Update on Balkan Sunflowers in Albania |
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From: "Joost van Beek" <joost@capitolonline.nl>
To: balkansunflower-list@ddh.nl
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 02:35:36 +0100
Subject: [Balkansunflower-list] Update on Balkan Sunflowers in Albania
Balkan Sunflowers International Volunteer Project to help the Kosovo
refugees -
Update: Way Stations
(June 17)
Balkan Sunflowers
c/o postfach 1219, D-14806 Belzig
+ 49 33841 30670 (30671 fax)
balkansunflowers@mir.org
applications: steffie@mir.org
info: lists@mir.org
Account: SUNFLOWER Accountnr 160 160 1
Bank Oekobank Frankfurt (Germany)
BLZ 500 901 00
As the latest issues of Wam Kats Tirana Diaries have clearly
illustrated, the major political developments of the past week
have changed the entire context in which the Balkan Sunflowers
initiative operates. The Yugoslav troops are steadily withdrawing
from Kosovo@ and as KFOR troops move in, in vain the Kosovar
refugees in Albania and Macedonia are implored to exercise
patience and wait in the refugee camps until Kosov@ is safe. Many
of them want to go home and are moving within Albania and
Macedonia towards the border, or even across the border into
Kosov@ proper, much quicker than was expected.
This does not necessarily mean that they will all have left
Macedonia and Albania by the end of summer. As Kosov@ remains an
unsafe place where of many families' houses only rubble remains,
many might still have to spend the winter in Albanian refugee
camps. The Balkan Sunflowers volunteers will be there to help out
in any way they can, and if and when it is possible, they might
also be able to support returning refugees in Kosov@ itself. For
now however, the biggest challenge refugee relief workers are
faced with is the trek back: the huge number of Kosovar refugees
already setting out, or planning to do so, for the Kosovar
borders.
UNHCR and CARE International have initiated a relief effort in
which many NGO's are now taking part, that will offer practical
support to the refugees trekking back, setting up a number of
'Way Stations' along the routes they are taking. In these Way
Stations "there [will be] petrol, water, technical help for the
broken cars and tractors. Medical supplies, refreshments and food
for the people. At each "way station" also a parking lot with
shade will be provided so that refugees can sleep in their cars
there as well if they want. Thanks to NATO these places will be
safeguarded", as Wam Kat reported in his 15/6 Diary entry.
The Way Stations will remain in place until September and the
Balkan Sunflowers volunteers will be there as well. In
cooperation with the Albanian and Kosov@ Youth Councils they will
provide "Youth and Children Places" there. These will be special
playing and creativity places for children, youth and adults.
They will double as small information centers, answering
questions about which NGO's provide what kind of assistance in
Kosov@, as well as informing about how to protect oneself against
the danger of landmines and unexploded ammunition.
Seven to ten volunteers from the Sunflowers and the Youth
Councils will be in each of the way stations to look after the
children and teenagers, organising activities and providing
distractions... We'd like to start at the 22th June with the
first Way Station and expand our presence with one new Way
Station each third day (maybe even faster), starting with the way
stations nearest to Kukes.
This means there will be a lot of work to do for Balkan
Sunflowers volunteers in Albania, and new volunteers will be
needed to join those already there! If you're going soon, chances
are that this will be the kind of work you'll be doing.
FROM THE DIARY
In his 15/6 Tirana Diary entry Wam Kat sketched the kind of
activities the Sunflowers volunteers will be setting up in the
Way Stations. He wrote about how
"to be able to run these children and youth places we need a
lot of volunteers, every station needs at least five
international people, plus three Kosovars and two Albanians
(the last two groups are now settled in, on thursday we will
have a meeting with the first twentyfive who'd like to
help). It must be people who can get on their feets as soon
as a small convoy of tractors arrives and have ideas about
what you can do, sing songs, do some games, play football or
volleyball, etc. It will be very different from working in
camps, since people will only stay there for one night or
maybe even only half an hour. And new groups will be
arriving all day long. But it is neccessary that we can give
those children something to do, to get them active after
sitting for hours and hours. And to get them away from the
cars and their parents, when the cars are getting fixed for
the next part of the exodus.
Furthermore it is needed that ideas are created what those
kids can do on their journey. Maybe we can provide childrens
books or lists of questions they have to answer before they
come to the next station. An advantage of doing activities
in these "way stations" is that almost all Kosovars will
pass through them in the next two and a half months. They
will travel over the golden, the copper and the silver road,
these next few days NATO and the Albanian government will
mark the roads, NATO won't be able to repair all those roads
in time, but still people will travel. Our volunteers in the
camps are also explaining that the movement from the camps
is starting, not big yet, but lots of people are already
talking about it. One major problem is at this moment what
the Russians will do. The Kosovars don't want to return to
Kosov@ when Russian troops have to safeguard them, "Russians
are just Serbs in camouflage" is what people say."
FORMAL PROJECT INFORMATION
The Way Stations are being set up by a number of cooperating
NGO's. What are the specifics about this project? Here's the
details and definitions about who does what and where exactly.
In co-operation with UNHCR, CARE International has undertaken the
set-up of seven Way Stations in Albania to assist returning
Kosovars, specifically those travelling by tractors and
slow-moving vehicles. Simply defined, a Way Station is a stopping
place where travelers can receive food and water, use sanitary
facilities, receive basic medical attention, and transportation
vehicles can receive gasoline. Way stations are not designed to
provide overnight accommodations, except in the case of refugees
travelling by tractors - secure parking spots are available where
travelers may sleep in their vehicles. It is anticipated that the
average stop will be for 20 minutes to an hour.
The Way Stations will be strategically located to serve tractors
and slow moving vehicles along two routes. Each station will be
approximately 50-60 kilometers apart, approximately one day's
ride, along an interior and a coastal route from the south, as
well as a west to east route toward Kukes.
LOCATIONS
Three Way Stations have already been established on the west to
east road from Mjeda to Kukes.
Mjeda
the midway point for travelers on the coastal route, as
well as a stop for train and bus transports. More extensive
services are provided at the station, including a large
transit centre. The way station for vehicles will be
located alongside the transit center.(135 km from Kukes)
Puke
the first stop along the west to east route, serving
vehicles from both the Northwest and the south (98
km from Kukes)
Shemri
the final stop before Kukes for all vehicles travelling
from the north and south (32 km from Kukes).
Four additional Way Stations will be established by June 20th on
two routes from the Southern regions:
Mamurras area (Lac ?): the first stopping point for self -
mobile (by tractor, car, etc.) refugees travelling North
along the coastal route; Lezhe: the second stop on the
coastal route; Rreshen: the second stop after Mamurras for
travelers on the interior route; Gojan: the third stop
along the interior route.
SPECIFIC SERVICES AT WAY STATIONS
Each Way Station will have standard services, except at the Mjeda
location where it will operate in conjunction with the transit
centers to provide more comprehensive services. The basic
offerings will include first aid, vehicle repair and recovery,
water and sanitation, limited food and non-food items, lost and
found and basic vulnerable care. As mentioned previously, the
stations will also provide a secure place for vehicles to park
for the night, however sleeping accommodations will not be
provided.
CARE's ROLE
CARE International will serve as site manager for the Way
Stations. CARE will be responsible for identifying and
negotiating for the location, setting up the station, hiring and
organizing staff to marshal traffic, maintenance of site
infrastructure, garbage collection, co-ordination logistics,
serving as liaison with UNHCR and NATO, and the fundamental
management activities (record keeping, reporting etc.)
Additionally, CARE will be co-ordinating the activities of
partner NGOs to ensure the effective delivery of services.
PARTNER NGO ROLES
A number of NGO partners have provided their services for the
first three stations including GOAL, HCC, Concern, THW, Northwest
Medical and IMC. However, additional partners may also be needed
for the new stations in areas such as: -food and water
distribution -first aid -vulnerable services -simple lighting at
the camps (erecting and maintaining ) -latrine building , etc. In
cooperation with the Albanian Youth Council and the Kosova Youth
Council Balkan Sunflowers will add to each Way Station special
playing and creativity places for children, youth and adults, as
well as a kind of small information center for information what
kind of NGO's people can contact in Kosovo for what kind of help,
information about what to do when you see landmines or unexploded
ammunition.
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER
Message from Wam, 17/6:
At this moment the help from volunteers is more needed than
before, the people are on the road and they will end up in a few
weeks in refugee camps in Kosov@, and then sunflowers also have
to be there. All the well-coordinated camps here in Albania,
which have been built in the past eight weeks will be almost
empty. The refugees which will stay over the winter are planned
to be brought to the few winterised camps, and there Sunflowers
just have started the work. So please spread that news that we
NEED VOLUNTEERS HERE AND NOW.
Especially also to do the so-called way stations about which I
was sending information yesterday. They will be in place till the
end of September probably and will also be erected in Kosov@ in
the coming weeks, we need a lot of people for them, and for the
collection centers which will be at the both sides of the
Albanian/Kosov@ border. Most other organisations who are doing
social work are stuck in the already existing camps (from where
refugees are leaving) and therefore these camps will have no
people to do anything.
What's more, these are also the places from where people will
return to their homes and so here contacts can be made for new
Sunflower activities in Kosov@.
SOME PRACTICAL REQUESTS
The Way Stations projects poses its own challenges to the Balkan
Sunflowers organisation in terms of material needs as well. A
specific "wish-list" listing the items needed most has therefore
been drawn up. If you think you can help please look it through
and see what you might be able to provide us with. Ideally we are
looking for donations from or through other NGO's, as their
access to transport networks of their own would greatly
facilitate getting the goods to where they are needed.
THE "WISH-LIST" FOR THE WAY STATIONS PROJECT
For each Way Station we need:
one large activity tent
two small tents for volunteers to sleep in (as they will be on duty
for one till three weeks)
paper, paint, siccors, clay, etc. for 5000 children
money for building materials for a playground (app. $750)
tables and banks 10 foot-, volley- and basketballs
a notice board
small toys (also to give away)
information kits on mine-awareness (optional)
cassette recorder to play music
video equipment to show videos about mine-awareness
For the overall coordination we also need:
1 Minibus for transport of materials (plus fuel)
1 Minibus for transport of volunteers (plus fuel)
Money to produce a weekly infopaper (app. $1000 per month)
Money for overall coordination (app. $1000 per month)
The minibuses could afterwards be donated to the Kosova and
Albanian Youth Councils for their activities.
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