How can you help the people of Kosovo?

[John]

Dear Hasnain,

From your thread in the 'religious affairs' forum, the question arises.

There are many charity organisations collecting for the Kosovar cause, and although many of them say the money will get there how can we be so sure?

Are there any reliable organisations who can guarantee the Kosovo people receiving the aid?

Thanks.

[nadia21]

john ji in case u dont know there is a program called "operation safe haven" going on where the refugees are being taken to various countries where they will reside until the things calm down........three planes full of refugees have so far been brought to australia and they are being treated in a vip manner with their accomodations, halal food, counscelling, shcools for kids, clothes, toys, u name it they are being provided with it ......
and i am proud to say that my tax dollar is being spent on helping these refugees that have come to australia so my contribution to helping them is taking place

[Hasnain]

Hello John,

The biggest concern when one donates is whether the aid will get to the ones who it is for. This is the reason i made my email public, in case anyone requires any information.

Indeed there are many organisations, as you correctly stated, and the disturbing fact remains that even then aid does not sometimes get through to the Kosovar Albanians. Only a few weeks ago a charity delegation from the UK was robbed while traveling across Macedonia on train. The amount taken was by no means a small fee - £20,000.

Another thing to be aware of is that although several European governments have promissed millions in aid, many of these are empty assurances. It's just a big advertising campaign to raise funds, but not all are being transported to their destination. The UK is one of the culprits guilty of this.

The best way to get money across to the Balkans is to have reliable contact there. I myself have personal contact with Albanians from Macedonia who are hosting a lot of the refugees. A friend of mine, his family's house is crowded with refugees over there. A lot of the Albanian Muslims in Albania, Macedonia and Bosnia have welcomed the refugees with open arms and have thrown open their homes to them. But they still require constant financial assistance.

Other charities who i would recommend in the UK are: Muslim Aid; Islamic Relief; Albanian Islamic Relief (who are also collecting clothes); The Revival of Islamic Heritage Society; and Yousuf Islam's charity organisation, 'Small Kindness'.

Hundred percent of the Money donated to Small Kindness will go to the refugees. No money will be taken out for administration costs. That will come from elsewhere.

Yusuf Islam's organisation has already set up two projects. The first is to send money directly to the individual Macedonian brothers and sisters who have taken Kosovar brethren into their own homes. This is commendable in my opinion as we are aware of the corruption of the Macedonian authorities and providing direct help to the households may, maximise benefit. The second is the establishment of orphanages in Macedonia and Albania coupled with programs to help locate parents before families are further separated and more damagingly. For the latter the organisation has invested in related technologies. This would include equipment that enables orphan identification and the creation of databases There will also be the establishment of a family-fund, this includes facilitating the specific needs of sisters, insha'Allah (by the will of Allaah) .These are the projects already established (but need continual funding). Future projects, insha'Allah, include the purchase of much needed ambulances/mobile health units. They are opposed to the purchase of tents and are seeking to establish more permanent residences. I think this is probably because in the long-run masses of tents create shanty-towns. They have also set up an HQ in Albania and have employed a someone out there too.

I'm afraid i do not have any information for such organisations in other European countries or America, but can try and find out if anyone wishes to know.

Well John, and anybody else who is interested, i hope that was useful. If you would like any further details, please feel free to email me: [email protected]

peace
take care

[Adbulmalick]

The article appeared in Dawn newspaper; it profiles Edhi Foundation - "one of the very few muslim organizations operating in Albania." Today, we - muslims are long on Violence and very short on Compassion.

KARACHI, May 16: The Edhi Foundation is one of the very few organizations of the Muslim countries that have sent any relief mission to Albania. Abdul Sattar Edhi has left for the US from where he is scheduled to reach next week the troubled lands to provide relief to Kosovar refugees in Albania and Macedonia.
According to the Edhi Foundation, it is currently involved in relief efforts for rehabilitation of Kosovar refugees and present relief goods are being transported via Rome, Athens, Istanbul etc., to Albania and Macedonia.
The relief goods sent to these areas are mainly medicines, such as anti-biotics, anti-fungal, anti-diarrhoea and drugs for children.
The foundation said it was during the second week of NATO bombing in Yugoslavia that the Edhi Trust realized that it owed a moral responsibility towards Kosovar Muslim refugees flooding Albania and Macedonia.
The trust, therefore, started looking out for the Albanian mission in Pakistan and finally found that none was functioning any more. The trust obtained visas from Istanbul, Turkey, and a three-member team landed in Albania on April 12 carrying US $25,000 cash.
On May 12, relief goods worth Rs 12million were transported to Tirana on a chartered Boeing 707 aircraft. The foundation paid Rs 2.5million to Pakistan Air Force through Shaheen Air Cargo.
These goods included medicines, milk powder, tooth paste, biscuits, clothing, blankets, flour and Compaq Pentiums for epidemic disease control and surveillance system for 25 districts of Albania.
This flight was first of a series of 10 flights which carried 72,421 pounds of relief goods," the foundation said, adding "when the plane landed at NATO-controlled Tirana airport, only a small UAE presence out of all Muslim countries was seen there".
The foundation said it had details of all the NGOs, CBOs and government organisations (none are Muslim) working in Albania and Macedonia, and added that without public support the foundation cannot establish a medical centre at Lezhe, pay to PAF for the purchase of relief goods which are badly needed for the refugees who were invariably pushed out of Kosovo at a 10-minute notice and were now without any provisions.
The foundation said the refugees in these areas had been facing a serious problem of water, adding the foundation had plans to set up filtration plants for the treatment of water. Each plant would cost Rs350,000 and there was a need of at least 20 such plants there.

[k2pk]

At my university we raised money for the victims of Kosova, we mailed the money to...

Kosovo Task Force, USA
730 West Lake Street,
Suite 156
Chicago, IL60661

I don't know how they are using the money, either here(for awarness) or abroad...

[Felicity]

Twice a week I volunteer to help out Kosovo refugees who are being given temporary shelter in the United States. The volunteers are helping them adapt to the US enviroment, by showing them how to buy groceries, use public transporation and just doing general stuff.
Its something minor compared to all the help they really need and K2pk I am sure your money is being put to good use.

People can probably help by volunteering their time and effort with either providing temporary shelter to some of the refugees or donating money.

They are the nicest and sweetest people and it brings me great joy spending time with them.

[k2pk]

Well Felicity, it is good to see that nothing is in vain and that a difference is being made, eventhough it is not substantial....keep it up!!!