Women Business Association "Avenija" to promote opportunities for Serbs to sustain themselves in KosMet
SUC Washington helping Serbs:
PHOTO: Vesna Golubovic, Kosovo Cluster & Business Support (USAID); Ivana Cerovic (SUC); Andy Verich (SUC); Gordana Đorjic, President, Women Busines Association (AVENIJA); and Zvezdana Stojanovic-Scott (SUC) at the SUC Washington office February 17, 2006.
WASHINGTON - Last week a Delegation from the Women Business Association (Kosovo-Metohija) visited Washington, DC for their first time meeting twice with members of the SUC Washington Team. According to Gordana Djoric, President of the Association, the Delegation was in Washington to meet with US business associations. The visit is part of a USAID funded project to bring business opportunities to KosMet. Vesna Golubovic, the USAID Business Support Service Specialist for Kosovo (Cluster and Business Support) accompanied the Delegation to Washington and also visited the SUC Washington office.
“They are very smart, pragmatic and brave women,” says Ivana Cerovic after hearing their stories about daily life in KosMet. “I am not afraid of anything anymore,” says Gordana Djoric after recounting how she was one of the survivors of the terrorist bomb attack directed at the busload of Serb passengers. Djoric also had the opportunity to present her stories and program at the St. Luke Church property in Potomac, MD. "It is not healthy to live from donations, we have to work. If we do not work we will go crazy, "emphasized the Serb native of KosMet.
The women of this organization are taking matters in their own hands by producing ethno products from their knitting and sewing skills. Albanians are not buying their products so they have to find other customers. "We do not have problems when we need to buy something from Albanians, but they are not buying products from us," lamented Djoric. During the discussions at the SUC Washington office, they asked to just provide them with know how and contacts. Because of the natural farming conditions that KosMet provides, the women came with business plans for producing pindjur, ajvar, and even snail farming ventures for markets in Western Europe. The SUC Washington office in turn provided them with some useful contacts and hints. Ivana Cerovic put the Serb women entrepreneurs in contact with the World Bank and with Dr. Nenad Popovic, Economic Team Leader of the KosMet Negotiating Team.
If you would like to learn more or help with these projects to bring real opportunities that will allow Serbs to sustain themselves in KosMet, please contact the SUC Washington office at 202-463-8643 or ivana@serbianunity.net
