An enthusiast from North Macedonia has enabled donations of over 1,200 computers to families in need.
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on movement and closure of schools had a severe impact on children’s education and daily routines, as they had to attend classes from home. This situation also highlighted once more the gap between the children and families who have access to computers and the internet and those who don’t. Borche Stamenov from the town of Kavadarci in North Macedonia is one of the heroes who has contributed to reducing this gap for 1,200 families across the country who could not afford to buy a computer. His story started almost by accident.
Borche works at Bidat Informatika, a company from Kavadarci that provides software and hardware repair services. He explains that for years clients had been leaving their old computers at their store, so they could use them to train interns to fix them. In 2016, a woman came to Bidat Informatika and said she needed a computer but didn’t have the means to buy one. Borche had the idea of using spare parts to put together a computer for her. He and his colleague then delivered it to the woman’s home.
“Witnessing the joy of the children, and the light in their eyes, I decided to continue this computer donation work and bring happiness to as many children as possible.”
A small donation that turned into a movement
When visiting this home, Borche and his colleague met the woman’s three children who were overjoyed by Borche’s gift. “Witnessing the joy of the children, and the light in their eyes, I decided to continue this computer donation work and bring happiness to as many children as possible,” says Borche.
Following this, Borche launched a “Donate Computer” social media page so he could reach more people who were willing to donate second-hand computers and more families who couldn’t afford a computer. As he had predicted, the families in need were numerous but, to his surprise, the number of interested donors was also high. First, 20 computers came from a local company, who were replacing their old computers. “We published this donation on our social media pages, and more donations kept on coming,” says Borche.
The pace of his humanitarian mission picked up in the pandemic when the Ministry of Education of North Macedonia decided to move teaching online. As a result, hundreds of children and young adults from poor families and remote regions faced a daunting challenge.
The numbers of donated computers accelerated during this year when from around 100 annually, Borche and his colleagues increased the amount of computers delivered to approximately 500. They had to launch a web page to better organise the flow of delivery from donors to people in need. He was helped by individuals who relayed messages to him from those in need, and by delivery companies such as Eko Logistic Servis which delivered the computers for free.
“The EU was willing to provide us with around 140 computers and other pieces of IT equipment. This was marvellous and the biggest donation that we have received so far.”
About the initiative
Doniraj Kompjuter (Donate Computer) is an initiative launched by Borche Stamenov from Kavadarci in North Macedonia. So far, the initiative has been able to deliver 1,200 computers to families in need all over North Macedonia. The hardware has been donated by private individuals, companies and institutions, including the EU delegation in Skopje who provided over 140 pieces of IT equipment from laptops and desktop computers to printers.
Borche was contacted by the EU Delegation in Skopje, who were renewing their computers and other IT equipment, and had heard about his initiative. “The EU was willing to provide us with around 140 computers and other pieces of IT equipment. This was marvellous and the biggest donation that we have received so far,” says Borche.
Contact with the EU Delegation in Skopje continued even after their donation. This year Borche received their European of the Year Special Award for Solidarity. His contribution was recognised in improving the lives of families in need of digital connectivity, which has been particularly acute during the heightened isolation and online learning of COVID times.
Borche’s computers have reached virtually every region in Macedonia. He has received thankyou notes in various forms – from letters to videos. And he plans to continue. “I hope that in the near future there will be no more need for my contribution as the government or other institutions will enable every family in North Macedonia to own a new computer. But until then, I will keep on working on this,” he says.
On November 16 at the EU info centre in Belgrade, Serbia, the winners of this year’s EU Awards for Investigative Journalism were announced, for stories published in Serbia in 2020.
The first prize for best investigative story went to Dina Djordjević for a series of articles on air pollution published by the Centre for Investigative Journalism CINS. Saša Dragojlo of BIRN and Dragana Pećo of KRIK were awarded second place, and BIRN journalist Natalija Jovanović won third place.
This year the competition received 28 applications, 26 of which fulfilled the conditions. Evaluation of the nominated stories was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, a jury consisting of Aleksandra Krstić, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences, and Momir Turudić, editor of the weekly Vreme, selected 13 shortlisted stories. These were then evaluated by a jury consisting of Tatjana Lazarević, editor-in-chief of KosSev, Predrag Blagojević, founder and former editor-in-chief at Južne Vesti, and Tihomir Loza, executive director of the SEENPM network.
The EU Awards for Investigative Journalism in Serbia are part of an ongoing EU-funded project, titled “Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey”. The project is implemented by the BIRN Hub in partnership with BIRN Albania, BIRN Serbia, Central European University, the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, the European Broadcasting Union, the Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers, the International Federation of Journalists, the Media Association of South-East Europe, and Thomson Media.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) – the lending arm of the EU – and the Ministry of Finance of Bosnia and Herzegovina have signed an agreement for a €5 million grant for the supervision of construction works for the Počitelj-Zvirovići subsection of Corridor Vc. The work is due to be completed in 2022 and will provide approximately 21 km of continuous motorway between Počitelj and Bijača on the southern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union in Croatia. Corridor Vc is the highest priority transport network in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will contribute to more sustained economic development, regional trade and improved living conditions for those in the area along the route.
Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Johann Sattler, said, “The €5 million grant signed today represents another major step towards the completion of the vital Corridor Vc. Better links within the country will deepen economic and cross-border integration, as well as strengthening the development of local transnational Euroregions, creating a virtuous circle of economic growth and deeper European integration. The European Union has so far allocated more than €225 million for the construction of Corridor Vc. Our support will continue alongside the Economic and Investment Plan, which sets up a substantial investment package supporting connectivity in the region.”
The Corridor Vc construction project is a collaboration between the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is creating safer and better transport connections and opening up new employment and business opportunities in the country.
This week, a further 24 families received keys to new homes in Vareš in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bor in Serbia. The homes were built as part of the Regional Housing Programme (RHP) which continues to make steady progress towards its objective of providing homes to approximately 11,800 of the most vulnerable displaced and refugee families in the Western Balkans.
Keys were given to nine families in Vareš, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 15 November. RHP beneficiary Josepka Pecirep and her son Tomislav were delighted to see their bright new apartment after a decade spent living in a damp basement. “We can finally feel the warmth of the sun,” said Josepka. “This is a moment that I will remember for as long as I live.” The following day, it was the turn of 15 families in Bor, Serbia, to celebrate the receipt of long-awaited homes.
This event was attended by Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, and representatives of Serbian authorities and other donors. Delivering the keys to the beneficiaries, Mr Bertolini said, “I am extremely happy that you have finally found a home. I also thank the City of Bor for participating in this project.”
The main donor to the RHP is the European Union, while other key donors include Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United States of America.
With the aim of marking the results of the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) programme and in a symbolic contribution to the fight against climate change, the EU, EBRD and and Austria have begun the planting of 1,000 trees in the six Western Balkan beneficiaries. The tree-planting started last week with lime trees in Podgorica in Montenegro and white pine in Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the coming weeks the campaign will continue in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The GEFF is supported by the EBRD and co-financed through the EU-supported “Regional Energy Efficiency Programme” WBIF project and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance. It has supported over 9,000 households in the region to improve energy efficiency over the past four years with investments including new windows, insulation, and heat pumps. The programme offers specialised credit lines and grant resources and has financed green technology investments worth over €45 million.
Upon successful completion of the investments, households receive EU-funded incentive grants worth up to 20% of the loan amount, making these investments more affordable to citizens.
An EU-funded technical assistance project worth €2 million was launched recently to support the preparation of a feasibility study for district heating in Kosovo based on renewable energy. The study will include cost-benefit analyses and an environmental and social impact assessment report and will cover the municipalities of Drenas/Glogovac,Ferizaj/Uroševac, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Kastriot/Obilić, Mitrovica, Peja/Peć , Prizren, and Zveçan/ Zvečan.
Currently, the heating systems in these municipalities are not suitable for collective residential and service sector buildings and they have a substantial negative impact on both air quality and public health. The feasibility study will consider the possibility of using environment-friendly and locally available primary energy sources with different technologies and distributing the heat through highly efficient district heating systems.
A team of international and national experts will support the Kosovo authorities to develop the plans which canfacilitate strategic investment. The main funding sources are expected to be loans from the European Investment Bank – the lending arm of the EU – and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). National contributions and technical and investment grants from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) are expected to be blended with loan funds.
The WBIF is an EU-led donor investment platform that pools grants with implementing partner financing to support EU enlargement and socio-economic development in the region.
Along with high-level officials from Sarajevo canton, the Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Ambassador Johann Sattler, visited the student dormitory in Nedžarići to promote projects which will lead to cleaner air in Sarajevo.
The Nedžarići student dormitory is one of the 40 public buildings (including kindergartens, schools, and health facilities) in Sarajevo that will be part of the Green City Action Plan for Sarajevo Canton. The Plan includes work on the thermal insulation of facades, replacement of dilapidated windows and doors, installation of energy efficient lighting and improvement of heating systems. The project is supported with €2 million in grants from the European Union, €8 million in loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and €500,000 in grants from the Austrian government. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the government of Sarajevo canton.
During the visit to Nedžarići, Ambassador Sattler said, “The EU is pleased to support the government of Sarajevo canton to reduce air pollution, but also to increase awareness of the role we, as inhabitants of Sarajevo, can play in ensuring cleaner air. Change is possible: we have seen other cities of the world who have made this change. What it requires is a plan, dedication, financial resources and then implementation. These are the important ingredients you need to have in order to move forward.”
As of 16 November, Serbia is connected to the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) system.Being part of the EUDCC system means that the Serbian COVID certificate is readable on EU verifier apps but also in other countries using the same system. Likewise, the EUDCC will be readable on the verifier apps in Serbia. This will simplify the verification of information on testing, recovery or vaccination, and thus ensure safe travel. So far, the EUDCC system has been joined by 22 non-EU countries, including Albania and North Macedonia from the Western Balkans region.
The EU Digital COVID Certificate is not an entry document and therefore holders of a Serbian digital COVID certificate do not automatically have the right to enter an EU Member State. Holders of the Serbian certificate still need to check if they meet the entry requirements and carefully verify the specific conditions required by their destination Member State (including the acceptance or not of the vaccine registered on the Serbian COVID certificate). Depending on the epidemiological situation, EU Member States may ask for additional requirements such as testing or may take specific safeguarding measures for their population, such as compulsory mask wearing, restricting access to spaces such as restaurants only to vaccinated persons or persons vaccinated with specific vaccines, or quarantine measures.
How an EU project and community cooperation has helped stem the floods and improve livelihoods for people in the border region between Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Cernica is a village with around 600 inhabitants on the Kosovo side of the border with North Macedonia. The river with the same name running through the centre of the village makes it one of the most beautiful areas in the region but also one of those most vulnerable to floods. Fatlum Mehmeti from Cernica is proud of the natural beauty of his village and its hardworking population, but he adds that their life could be much better if they could just avoid the smell coming from the river because of the wastewater pouring into it, and damage caused by the floods. “Each and every autumn and winter, we lived in anxiety about the possible damage that the floods would cause to our houses, arable lands and lives,” he says.
The problem of floods is not exclusive to Cernica. The whole border region has had this problem for decades, and with a changing climate, the frequency of floods has increased. Only this summer, over 60 families in the region had to be evacuated from their houses because of flooding. There were no human casualties, but the material damage was significant. The municipality of Gjilan/ Gnjilane estimated the damage from this year’s floods as up to €1.5 million. Over 30 houses became uninhabitable, five bridges were ruined and acres of arable land were damaged.
“For many years now, the villagers have been lobbying the local authorities and our management to help them repair the riverbed so the impact of the floods could be decreased.”
No more floods
Besim Haziri from the Hidromorava public water company in Kosovo explains that floods have natural causes, albeit with considerable human impact as a result of climate change. However, in the case of Cernica and the region, the floods are also the result of a lack of proper infrastructure. “For many years now, the villagers have been lobbying the local authorities and our management to help them repair the riverbed so the impact of the floods could be decreased,” says Besim.
Although very willing to help, the company and local authorities lacked financial means and the expertise for this important project. An opportunity arose in 2019 when they found they could get support from the EU-funded cross-border cooperation (CBC) programme for Kosovo and North Macedonia. The Hidromorava company successfully applied together with Public Enterprise Vodovod Kumanovo, from the city of Kumanovo across the border. It was the beginning of a project they called “Substantial environmental and health benefits in cross-border area”, which would have a long-term positive impact on the lives of local residents.
Over two years, the project made some substantial infrastructure interventions. This included rearranging the riverbed and reducing soil contamination by separating wastewater and rainfall – all of which means that wastewater no longer flows directly into the river and also gets rid of the lingering smell. In addition, the project introduced some aesthetic changes by creating a promenade along the river and seating and recreational areas. Similar improvements were made on the other side of the border in the municipality of Kumanovo.
“Thanks to the EU support, now we don’t have to worry about the danger to our lives and our property from floods every winter.”
About the project
The EU-funded “Substantial environmental and health benefits in cross-border area” CBC project was launched in February 2020 and completed in October 2021. The overall value of the project was over half a million euro.
To ensure sustainability, the project also launched and implemented an environmental awareness-raising campaign on keeping the river and the surrounding area clean. Besim notes that apart from EU funding, the cross-border exchange of expertise and ideas with colleagues from Vodovod Kumanovo has had a considerable impact on the success of the project.
Fatlum explains that this project has had an important impact on their lives. “Thanks to the EU support now we don’t have to worry about the danger to our lives and our property from floods every winter,” he says.
The “#EUandYOU – Together it’s possible” campaign was launched this week across the Western Balkans region. The campaign highlights the opportunities and projects that are part of the EU Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the region. This is the second regional communication campaign under the EU Regional Communication Programme for the Western Balkans – WeBalkans.eu.
The EIP puts forward almost €30 billion of funding and investments in the areas of green and digital transitions, connectivity and growth. This unprecedented support aims to help the region emerge stronger from the pandemic and unlock opportunities for future growth, and bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU. It includes significant investments for:
-addressing environmental and climate challenges
-upgrading digital infrastructure and maximising the growth potential of the digital economy
-sustainable transport infrastructure to enable better connections in the region and with the EU
-clean energy transition, phasing out coal, with greater use of renewables.
“#EUandYOU – Together it’s possible” comprises a vibrant multimedia mix, including influencers and activists dedicated to work on the campaign’s main themes and animated video clips on each of the four themes with TV, radio, outdoor advertising, web and social media activity. It started on 15 November and will run for one month. You can follow the campaign on WeBalkans Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and on the campaign landing page.
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