Economic development the path to survival

Current social events at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century have influenced living conditions worldwide. However, these developments have largely bypassed the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija.
Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija live under oppression. Displaced from their ancestral homes, they have fallen to the lowest rungs of human existence. The Serbian population in Kosovo Pomoravlje mostly consists of rural communities that rely on agriculture and livestock, with few opportunities for other work. The remaining young and educated workforce is employed in the institutions of the Republic of Serbia.
Between thirty and thirty-five thousand Serbs live in Kosovo Pomoravlje. After the NATO bombings, Serbs were excluded from all social and economic life. Industrial enterprises, where Serbs and Albanians worked before the war, are now privatized, closed, or inaccessible to Serbs.
Only memories remain of the large companies that once sustained the people of Kosovo Pomoravlje. Today, those locations have become well-known shopping malls. Conditions for private sector development are poor. Serbs who wish to earn a living through honest work with Albanians face language barriers and discrimination. The extremely poor economic situation is reflected in the fact that 1,300 families live on social welfare payments. In this economic chaos, the youth of Kosovo Pomoravlje suffer the most. Opportunities for personal, spiritual, social, and economic growth are virtually nonexistent.
It is crucial to create a long-term strategy for development and living conditions. This strategy should include the promotion of craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and family businesses to help ensure the survival and retention of Serbs in Kosovo Pomoravlje. The humanitarian organization Kosovsko Pomoravlje is working on the economic project “Survival”, aiming to help families start and grow their own businesses. In Kosovo Pomoravlje, craftsmanship is highly valued, and the organization is in the process of launching an online store on its website. Craftsmen in the online store will be able to sell their products, earning money through their skills and talent. Serbs in Kosovo Pomoravlje have the right to live with dignity, restore their homes, and build their economic identity. Each of us can provide financial support, but they deserve to live off their own work, not charity.