Kurban Bajrami: Kosovars among the world's ten most charitable people, even poor people in Europe

Many organizations in the country - and individuals - are being misled in the name of charity. Kosovo police have not indicated the number of arrests made for these abuses, but organisations say their number is large. The call has been made to institutions to prevent these cases from monitoring persons or organisations that require money.

Forum for Civic Initiative Executive Director Diana Berisha says the emotional aspect lies in the donor foundation. This is being exploited by certain groups by cheating on needy families or sick individuals.

No less than a month ago Kosovo was ranked ninth in the world for higher donations during pandemic time, that is, the period of COVID-19, which was a very difficult economic, health, financial period in all aspects. And it was then ranked global, leaving behind many economically developed countries. So in this context Kosovo stands well. What's interesting about discussing the donation plan, not just charity. Because the donation has more dimensions than charity. An outstanding role is the cause for which people donate. They can donate to people who are in need of health, economic, financial means, or can donate to small development projects, volunteerism”, she points out.

Religiously speaking, the emphasis is on giving a gift should be thought of well.

We also appeal to charitable people, based on religious sayings that as much as necessary to help give, it should be seen where we are helping even through whom we are helping. This should also be one of the appeals we have to make to people or those who listen not to be misused by humanity and charity. Thus, in Islam it is well rewarded for what you do well, but if with your help you help an unaware person, either by negative phenomena or by a negative phenomenon, it also moves him to do bad deeds but also makes him lazy, then in this case he can also become a sin”, says Xhedin Fazliu, responsible of the charity Society “Berexti<3>.

Kosovars donate large sums of money to help families in need or people with serious illnesses.

Cases of such abuses are reportedly high in Kosovo.

Diana Berisha, director of the Forum for Citizen Initiative (FIQ)

This does not rule out Kosovo from other schemes where people or individuals or organisations actually misuse funds. Whether these donors or may misuse funds or financial means that people donate to those in need. The only way to know exactly who, what, for example, in the case of the civil organization sector, are auditing reports that highlight misappropriations and therefore certain legal authorities have to deal with the ban or even with the treatment of these financial abuses”, she adds.

Despite these cases, the will for humanity is hardly failing.

Kosovo's Red Cross has donated over 10,000 food and hygiene packages this year.

Various donors, both inside and outside the country, have this organisation to help families who are already under the supervision of the Red Cross.

So far we've shared over 10,000 food and hygienic packages, through various donors who have provided aid to the Red Cross of Kosovo and through us have distributed for families in need... We're seeing there's a lot of misuse of various donations, but as a practice we use it as the Red Cross of Kosovo if a family member or business comes to us and says that I want to donate ten food or toilet packages, we take some of their members who go out on the ground with them and visit families who, first of all, say Shala.

He adds that citizens have begun to become conscious and not to give donations to organizations they don't trust.

However, such deceptions are increasing greatly on the eve of the holidays.

“On the eve of the great festival of Kurban Bay we have only encountered and we are looking through the media or even in the squares by going out to people who do not even know this floor, they demand sacrifices for believers to look for them. BICH is now a tradition of slaughtering sacrifices. It's very interesting in everyday life to channel everything where it belongs”, points out hodge Fazliu.

And by the streets of the capital and the squares there are also many who seek charity. Others are represented as members of a humanitarian organization.

Centre for Social Affairs Director Webi Mujku tells Kosovo Press that they are not in co-operation with these groups which are seeking assistance.

“On the streets of Pristina, with special emphasis on the main square, but even some route frequented by pedestrians, often appears unauthorised persons who in various ways require money for different purposes. Basically, the tools gather on behalf of support of children without parental care, orphans, abandoned children, or building a home for the homeless. But this support never happens in reality, since we as the Centre for Social Affairs in Pristina do not have any co-operation or contact with these groups.

Further, he adds in some written answers that these cases are aimed at deceiving citizens and at personal gain to them.

These cases have only one purpose, citizens' fraud and personal benefits for them. We don't have the figure of how many tools are collected, because the tools are collected into vessels that are not transparent and once a quantity of tools is collected, they are immediately emptied into a specific location, because their network is allegedly well organized”, Mujku adds.

Diana Berisha also raises concern for many organisations that are receiving funds, which the same come from the country's taxpayers.

There are no organisations in Kosovo that monitor these very donations either of citizens or donors. We still don't have this” monitoring culture, it ends.

Regarding the number of persons arrested as the cause of these abuses, Kosova Prees has sent questions to the Kosovo Police, but the same have not returned.

In contrast, even social networking is creating false profiles that require assistance for certain occasions.