Project Overview
The recent war caused wide scale desctruction of school buildings, many of which were used as bases for the army. Thousands of mines were deposited in both heavily populated areas and remote villages.

Without schools and safe-play areas, Kosovan children will face great risks of being injured or killed by unexploded mines.

In 2000 Islamic Relief completed 12 safe-play areas for children in towns and villages affected by mines and unexploded bombs. In 2001 we intend to extend the project a further nine areas.

Project Background
Since 1989 when Kosova was suspended politically and institutionally from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the minority Albanian Kosovar population suffered in all areas, including employment, education and access to basic services.

As a result Kosova was one of the poorest province of the former Yugoslav Republic.

The circumstances were further exacerbated as a result of the recent war in which Serbian authorities caused further hardships for the Kosavans and caused destruction of livelihoods on a wide scale.

This wide scale destruction included focus on vandalism of school buildings, which were used as bases for the army and the depositing of thousands of mines in both heavily populated areas and remote villages.

Both of these actions have had a direct effect on the livelihood of children who have suffered and will continue to suffer for some years. There are concrete steps being undertaken to address the lack of schooling and the threat and danger of mines by various international organisations.

However, many of the school going children do not have a playground and in other areas, the coming of spring and winter will mean that children will face greater risk and dangers of mines when they resort to using alternative locations for playing.

In order to contain this problem, this project is aimed at providing children with a play area where they can safely enjoy themselves without risks to dangers such as mines. The proposed idea is directed not only at current but also future generations of children.

The children safe play areas can be conceived either as part of the schooling system in that existing school land can be designed for this purpose or else they can be placed independent of schools in communities, villages, housing estates etc.

Project Objectives

• To provide present and future generations of children with a safe environment for pleasure and enjoyment

• To create a safe place for children to play

• To maximise the use of local resources and assistance in the creation of these play areas
  

Beneficiaries
9 schools/villages