Home food for Kosovo students

Hajrije Zeqiri has prepared food for most of her life, but only for her children and family. I prepared food for my children for over 40 years, but I never thought one day I would cook and prepare 800 children every day” She is a mother of six, and because her husband passed eight years ago, she cares not only for food but for the whole welfare of her family. For the past eight years, it's been very difficult for Hajre. It says: ” After my husband died, I wasn't sure it was okay to leave the house. I was worried about what people would say. But now I run the business” she adds with a smile on her face, reflecting comfort and happiness.

Her business adventure started about a year ago, when she became part of the programme for support of widows to find employment and re-enter society under a European Union-funded project. Along with many other ladies, she was trained for professional food preparation. Following this training, a short list of successful candidates who were best trained for business management and computer skills. But that wasn't all. Since women were ready for business, the project took and took the final step and supported them to open buffets in elementary schools so that selected women could lead those owls and offer children at schools fresh food prepared as home. Under the agreement reached with nine different elementary schools, the project provided professional equipment such as shelters and others, while schools offered the space for owls for these new social companies to start working. Currently, Hajrija and three of her colleagues run the buffalo in one of these schools. I'm very happy now, not just because I'm making money, but because my social life is back. Here I work with my friends every day, and my life is filled with joy and happiness. Earlier, I spent my days at home, now I work, I make money, I hang out, and I'm Mahx1> she says.

More than a hundred women who were first trained for professional food preparation, computer, accounting, marketing and other business management skills participated in the project. After training, the best trained men were selected to work and lead owls to schools. The project has supported the renovation of owl spaces in schools and has equipped them with adequate tools to start work. As a result of this project, 37 women have the opportunity to prepare food with local products and with great passion for more than 5,000 students and teachers. Working in groups of four, they cook and prepare food every day with unmatched zeal, which makes them full of pride responsible for the welfare of their families.