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The Balkans

Case stories

Veselj Honsic

In March 1999 Veselj Honsic and his family had to flee Kosova. They found shelter in Bosnia and Herzegovina at a relatives house. In refuge, Mr. Honsic and his family had a very difficult time, and had a strong desire to return to Kosova. In April 2006, the possibility to do so came about. The house where Mr. Honsic and his family had lived before the conflict was an old house built in the early 1920's. It was made of adobe and mud bricks and was in an extremely bad condition after several years of inattention. Therefore, upon his return to Kosovo, Mr. Honsic, his family and his aging parents had to live elsewhere, and were accommodated in an inadequate single room. An ICMC Lead Agency Program (LAP) field officer assessed their case and referred them to the UNHCR Emergency Shelter Repair Program. Reconstruction of their house was soon approved and completed. In addition to this, ICMC LAP provided food and non-food items for the whole family. Further, since Mr. Honsic had worked as a welder before the conflict, self reliance and income generation input was provided in the form of welder tools with accessories. The family was also given a cow by ICMC. This contribution was funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM).

Mr. Honsic with construction material supplied to rebuild his house.	Mr. Honsic was given welding tools as a form of income generation.
The Honsic family was given a cow in order to assist them in becoming more self-reliant.	Home at last….

The Isenaj family returns to Kosovo

When the Isenaj family left Kosovo in 1999, they were displaced to Montenegro where they rented a house. Their life in Montenegro was difficult, and the hope to go home was ever present. Although ICMC Montenegro staff made contact with the Isenaj family in March 2003, the conditions for their return to Kosovo were only finally met in 2006 when the Swedish NGO (EHJ) Erikshjalpen approved their house for reconstruction, based on an ICMC referral. With the support of ICMC, Adem and the rest of his family returned home on the 21st of July 2006. Since the family was unable to finance the reconstruction, ICMC paid for this construction. Additional assistance provided by ICMC included transportation to the house, food assistance, the digging of a well and a water pump connection as well as the creation of a link to a septic tank. EHJ provided the family with reconstruction material. Further, ICMC has provided assistance in terms of helping them to become more self reliant and to generate some income. Blacksmith tools were given to the Isenaj family, and Mr. Adem Isenaj's son Arif has used the tools to earn some income. The Isenaj children are attending school in the village of Zallq/Zac.