EMERGENCY FUND TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND RECESSION
The Emergency Fund to Mitigate the Effects of the Economic Crisis has been created by the philanthropist George Soros to assist the socially vulnerable groups in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union (20 countries, including Montenegro) whose situation is aggravated by the ongoing economic crisis. The Fund will be operational until the end of 2011 and will make available $100 million. The Fund is targeted at assisting children and youth from socially vulnerable groups in meeting their health care, educational and social needs, and helping the protection of rights and retraining of the people who have lost their jobs. The Fund also supports projects concerning social activism and solidarity that promote open society values. The Fund operates independently from the regular grant-making programs. Funding decisions are made by the National Soros Foundations for projects requiring up to $25,000 and by a subcommittee of the OSI International Advisory Board, Budapest for all grants above $25,000.
Foundation Open Society Institute - Representative Office Montenegro is in charge of the Emergency Fund implementation in Montenegro.
The following projects have been funded so far:
1. Purchase of bed linen for the camps and school kits for the children whose parents receive family cash benefit, children without parental care and children placed in foster families
The "Lovćen-Bećići" institution for leisure and recreation of children hosts children whose parents are recipients of family cash benefit and children placed in foster families. The institution has a resort at Ivanova korita for children from the coastal region and another one in Rafailovići for children from the rest of the country. 210 sets of bed linen for these two resorts were purchased from the Titex factory in July 2009. Before the beginning of the school year, all children placed in foster families in Montenegro (296 of them) were provided school kits (purchased from the Textbook Department bookstore in Podgorica). Individual sets cost EUR15.54 and were distributed at local Social Welfare Centers. Part II of the project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
2. One-time allowance for students - children placed in foster families in Montenegro
The number of students placed in foster families in Montenegro is 31. They received one-time allowance in the amount of EUR 500. The allowance was granted to an additional beneficiary - a young man (living in a foster family) who has completed training for a craft and is taking additional exams to qualify for the occupation of transport technician. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
3. Purchase of hearing aid batteries for the members of the Organization of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons of Berane, Rožaje, Plav and Andrijevica who are in the state of social need
Batteries for the hearing aids were purchased for the Organization of Deaf nad Hard of Hearing Persons that covers the municipalities of Berane, Rozaje, Plav and Andrijevica. They were delivered to the 17 members who are in the state of social need in October 2009. The Organization gathers 1,100 members. An individual hearing aid requires 30 batteries per year, while an implant requires 72. Two members, children from Rozaje and Berane, possess implants.
4. Assistance to single mothers from Pljevlja
One-time assistance – packets containing hygiene and food products for seventy single mothers - was distributed in Pljevlja. The initiative came from the local Social Welfare Center. The Association of Paraplegics organized the purchase and transport to the Center, and, together with the Center, distributed the packets in December 2009. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
5. Strengthening the capacities of Roma women - the perspective linked to the operation of the women’s cooperative "Rukatnice", Niksic
The first Roma women's cooperative "Rukatnice" from Nikšić received new equipment - three sewing machines for the sewing workshop and equipment for the hair salon - in December 2009. NGO SOS Phone, Niksic helps with the organization of the sewing and hairdressing businesses, provides administrative and logistic assistance in the activities required for the cooperative to function as a legal entity, and contributes to the promotion of their services. The NGO initiated the cooperative in partnership with the UNDP.
6. Our ID card - Center for Vocational Training and Employment of Persons with Disabilites
Machines, furniture and supplies were provided for the digital printing press in Herceg Novi that will serve to train and employ persons with disabilities. The project covers the costs of the coordinator of this protected workshop that will hire disabled people with retained working ability and people whose education was neglected. The establishment of the workshop was initiated by the NGO New Chance in Novi; in addition to FOSI ROM, the project is supported by the NF/fAKT, Municipality of Herceg Hovi, Employment Office, Parliament of Montenegro, Radio Herceg Novi, MBC TV and local business sector.
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