A second chance

Project Number: 1152

After almost ten years of UN administration, Kosovo proclaimed unilaterally its independence in 2008. Meanwhile, almost all European countries and many other states recognized Kosovo as a state.

Nevertheless, many people in Kosovo see no future for their lives and those of their descendants. The economic situation in this young country is catastrophic. This in turn encourages shady deals such as drug and weapons trafficking. Kosovo has become an international trading center for drugs. Drug use has therefore risen dramatically in the country. Hopelessness is spreading. With STREHA, the first and only drug rehabilitation center in Kosovo, we set an example.

How STREHA came into being

1999 PartnerAid began work as a humanitarian aid organization with Albanians in Kosovo and was active mainly in the reconstruction of houses.

The unsolved problems in the field of drug rehabilitation and the contacts of one of our project leaders led to the funding of the association STREHA (refuge) by Kosovars for Kosovars in order to provide a home for drug addicts. In March 2009, STREHA purchased a plot of land with two houses near the town of Gjilan with the support of PartnerAid. The two houses were renovated in the meantime, whereas a third house is still under construction.

In June 2010, the drug rehabilitation center STREHA has been officially opened. Several drug addicts have gone through the program so far. Among them, one person was able to remain “clean” and was and could be re-integrated into society successfully.

How does the rehabiliation program look like?

STREHA is a rehabilitation center in the form of a living community. The treatment program is geared towards long-term rehabilitation. The actual detoxification treatment of the addict takes place in a local revocation center before he is admitted to our institution. For reasons of capacity, STREHA can only take care of three people at once.

As a work area, a small vegetable farm is being developed. The aim of the vegetable cultivation is to cover our own needs, an extra revenue can be achieved through the sale of surplus which serves to maintain the project. In this way, our people do meaningful work and are confronted with the merit of gaining their daily bread. With our new tractor we are also able to do work on the fields of the surrounding farms for a modest fee.

The local staff of STREHA is trained by a team of experts from Germany and Switzerland, so that they will be able to run the center under their own responsibility in the future.

The goal is that the project will be able to cover its own costs through agricultural work and local funds after a period of 10 years. 

What will be the next steps?                                                                                                In the new, third house, which is under construction, workshop, school and team rooms are planned, as well as two apartments for short term staff and for a family of collaborators. The walls must still be finished and the roof pitched up, as well as the plumbing, electricity, and heating be installed. 

Professional support
Work with drug addicts is very complex and needs a lot of professional expertise. As collaborators we have a nurse from Germany, and from Switzerland a specialist for drug rehabilitation / occupational therapy (agriculture).  From 2011 on, two social workers will be available. The project is also accompanied by the technical manager of the Best Hope Therapy Center Foundation, Peter Dänzer, from Switzerland (http://www.besthope.ch).