What is Mother teresa society?
Mother Teresa Society is the first local based NGO in Kosova. It is established on May 10th 1990 with aim to alleviate the poverty, create a solidarity chain of survival during the political and violent repression measures applied by the regime of the time!
The Society of Mother Teresa aims to help by building on an open Civil society, where the values of all the people will be respected and cultivated regardless of nationality, religion or race where the people will live side by side with mutual respect and tolerance.
Mother Teresa Society operates throughout Kosova and abroad. Its HQ is based in Prishtina capital of and along with its 5 regional centers/offices coordinates, monitor and implements number of projects and activities. Mother Teresa Society has its President, Assembly as leading structure and Executive body which in collaboration with its offices implements projects. In total we have 12 staff and network of volunteers which cover the entire Kosovo territory.
BACKGROUND
History and Information – Mother Teresa Society
The activities of organization currently are oriented in following fields:
- Socio-economic projects
- Infrastructure support of communities
- Civil Society lead projects
- Humanitarian projects
Through years Mother Teresa Society was the only entity responding to the community needs. Until 1990 the Kosovo Civil Society did not exist and Mother Teresa Society has turned a new page in history of Kosova by engaging citizens in voluntarily network in implementation of activities, from 1990 up to year 1998 MTS acted as Ministry of Social Welfare by provision of humanitarian assistance, Ministry of Health by creating a chain of 96 mobile clinics and Maternity and Ministry of Education by supporting the educational system and provision of basic conditions.
The war 1998-99 destroyed industry and all services were omitted. The war has left a highly dependent country, relying on the international community for financial and technical assistance, and with the global economic crisis, Kosovo’s financial income will reduce further. In addition 50% of the 2.2 million population is under age 27 – a youngest population in Europe.
The unemployment rate is 48% according to the 2010 World Bank Study, [most commentators believe the figures to be very much higher] and this study defines poverty as having less than €45 [euro] per person per month. The report findings are that 45% of the population had income levels below this line. According to the Kosovo Institute for Social Policies (KISP), 7% are ‘extremely poor’ living on less than €0.93 per day. Most of the population lives in rural towns outside the capital, Prishtina, and inefficient, near-subsistence farming is commonplace. Unreliable intermittent electricity is a majority impediment to the country’s economic development.
Since then by various donors we try to be close to the people in need. Each year we support approximately 5500 families with food, clothing and hygiene kits. We seek to develop the small family economy and infrastructure in order to encourage families to build a social and economic sustainability.
We want to build a multiethnic democratic society by advocating reconciliation and peace building among all ethnicities, in addition to give a voice to the most vulnerable families of Kosova by advocating on their behalf and raise the public awareness that there is another side of Kosova as well.