"Handicraft day and Cultural tradition" Puka 2011

Handicraft day and Cultural tradition

Puke 2011

This is a very important manifestation day of the Albanian Handicraft, which offers a valuable contribute in preserving the handicraft values and culture of northern areas in a moment that many of these traditions tend to vanish.

The activities of this day provide opportunities for marketing and promoting the handicraft work of women and man, specifically in the rural areas. This is a unique opportunity to meet and exchange new developments and share experiences.

These activities have been conceived as an important step toward economic empowerment mainly of the women who live in village and to promote her values and contribute by facilitating the marketing affairs.  

We invite to honor with your participation, welcome your ideas and encourage buying products and special creations of our handicrafts.

            program activity   

Date :                        15 October 2011

Time :                                   09 : 00

Venue :                     In front of the Cultural Palace, Center, Pukë

09:00 - 10:00        Preparation of the showcase handicraft products and registration of participants

  10:00 – 12:00         Fair opening. Welcoming remarks from the Mayer of Puka Municipality Mr. Beqir Arifaj

Traditional folk dance and songs of Puka

12:00                     Round table in the Culture palace (Second floor)

                              Moderator: Aferdita Hadroj

                              Topic: Promoting and Empowering Women in Rural Areas.

                              Moderator: Bukurie Imeri.

                             1- Roundtable opening Chairman of Puka Municipality Mr. Beqir Arfaj

2- « Puka Fair through years » speech from the historian Mr. Xhemal Meci

                              3-Consideration and thought about the revival of handicraft woks in rural areas as an employment opportunity, Ms. Bukurie Imeri Executive Director of the « Women through Integration » organization

                              4-”Promotion of rural women employment in the future and Social Policies, Mr. Haxhi Lluka, Director of Employment Office, Pukë

                              5- What women want? Ms. Lindita Hyseni, Puka Municipality

                              6-How can we assist rural women? Ms. Nazmie Tafilaku

                                                Discussions and suggestions

Compilation of the evaluation forms and activity evaluation

13:30                       Distribution of best prices

14:00                        Visit at the Ethnographic Museum

         Guide - Mr. Xhemal Meci

Handicraft Day and Cultural Tradition, Pukë 2001 is organized by « Women Toward Integration », in collaboration with Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, support of UNDP Albania and in partnership with Puka Municipality and Association of Sports and Highland Tourism.

We would highly appreciate your participation on Saturday

 15 October 2011 at 09:00!

Note: Puka lies in Central Mountain Region and is part of Shkodra prefecture. The distance from Tirane-Puke is 150 km and Shkoder-Puke is 60 km.

 

Reconstruction of the Kindergarten 'Erjola Lluka' in Puka and the German Ambassador's visit

Last year, the reconstruction of the Kindergarten in the city of Puka was a huge success for our association 'Women towards Integration' and this was followed by a visit from the German Ambassador, Carola Mller-Holtkemper. We were able to show Ms Mller-Holtkemper what we had done with the funding they had provided us and she was very pleased with the result. 

Assessments/Evaluations

Year 2004: WFP has given to our association the title: 'Special Contributions to reduce the poverty'
Year 2004: Association which has contributed in the reduction of women's trafficking.
Year 2011: The head of this associatiom 'Bukurie Imeri' is candidate as Honor Citizen of the city of Puka.

Cooperation:
Since the year 2007 until 2013, the Municipality of Puka has given to our association five offices without rent at the Communitarian Centre near Puka's Municipality.
We have realized two projects in cooperation with the association 'In benefit of Albanian Women' in Tirana and today we have established the Women's Club 'Respect for Puka's Women'. We welcome every kind of cooperation with different associations and foundations.

Planning:
We work with strategic triennial plans (according to the needs of the community in cooperation with the institutions which we cooperate)

Volunteer Contributions

Since the beginning of our association, the volunteer work has never been absent; on the contrary, it has been stimulant for the creation of ideas and has influenced in the development of strategic plans for the future. It has had an influence mainly in the fight against family violence, by giving volunteer assistance to the violated people, with advocates, individual and family therapy to the people in need, in cooperation with the Police, the Court and the Prosecution Office.

It has worked continuously and still works to reduce the number of trafficked girls through the realization, making them conscious and through their counseling in our office.In cooperation with Puka's institutions, they have employed the girls and women in need. They have also voluntarily helped Puka's community by distributing food packages for poorest families of Puka's district, during the years 2003-2006. WFP.

The works for the reconstruction of kindergarten of Puka, of kindergartens with and without lunch, have been made by volunteer work of our association's members and of Puka's community. 

We've ameliorated the children's lives of ages 3-6 years old, in cooperation with the Churches of Fushe Arrez and of Puka with toys (games), summer activities, birthday parties and packages for celebrations.

We've given our help to ameliorate the family lives of certain families in need and recently to the family of Mirela Glloga, after the burning of her house.

We've furnished the Puka's Hospital with 70 modern beds, with 70 mattresses and 70 shelves and tables, cooperation with Austrian Caritas.

We've helped with free training services the nursery-governesses of creches and kindergartens in Puka.

Since May 2010 we are helping volunteer services the Elderly Centre which has established by us.

Realized Projects

Year 2000: Televise program 'Other times'- Soros Foundation
Year 2000: 'Contribution of women in blood-feud reconciliation'- Canadian Embassy
Years 2001-2002: 'Contribution of women in blood-feud reconciliation'- World Bank
Years 2002-2004: 'Contribution of women in blood-feud reconciliation'- American Embassy
Year 2003: 'School's drop-out from the immobilized children because of the blood-feud'- Cooperation with the association 'In benefit of Albanian Women' in Tirane
Year 2003: 'Woman's role in the strengthening of social cohesion'- Soros Foundation
Years 2003-2004: 'Training and education Center for the women endangered from trafficking'- Tailoring  and Hairdressing courses from the American Embassy
Years 2004-2006: 'Children's Summer Camps' with subject 'to be more near our children'- Cooperation with the Centre 'Justice for Peace' in Shkoder
Years 2005-2006: 'Step by Step' Project, for the prevention of girls and woman's trafficking- CAAHT/ USAID
Year 2006-2007: 'Office for the protection of girls and women from trafficking'- Municipality of Puka- CAAHT/USAID
Year 2007: 'Reconstruction of creche in Puka'- German Embassy
Year 2008: 'Preservation and development of cooking, handicraft traditions and the safety of women's health', by stimulation their amelioration through the fairs promotion- Swiss Embassy
Year 2008: 'To help children with problems'- Soros Foundation
Year 2009-2010: Daily centre for the elderly 'Think even for us'- Vodafone Albania Foundation
Years 2009-2010: 'Centre for the Children with Autism'- Netherlands Embassy
Year 2010: Partial reconstruction of kindergarten 'Erjola Lluka' of Puka- German Embassy
Years 2007-2013: Women's Club 'Respect for Puka's Women' and tailoring courses for the women in need- Austrian Caritas

Summary Of Our Organization 'Women Towards Integration'

Legal Juristic Status

The association 'Women Towards Integration' was founded in 1999 as a necessary need for the improvement and the integration of people in need in the community of Puka.

In 2007, our association's status was improved, so the association ' 'Women Towards Integration in Puka' was transformed to 'Women Towards Integration', so the association could accomplish its own mission not only in the suburbs of Puka, but even in other parts of Albania. Our association is a non-governmental and non-profitable one.

Mission of Association 

The work coordination for the integration of these communities in a civil society with less possible social problems, for the respect of human rights, for a society without violence and for transparency, against the corruption and the indifference, the amelioration of social, economical, cultural and political status of women and people in need.

Welcome!

Thank you for taking your time and visiting our blog. We will use this newly-established blog to inform you of our recent and past activities and what we are doing for Albanian women. Our organisation was the first organisation in the city of Puka that opened a centre for women who suffered from abuse. It is the first organisation that fought anti-trafficking with CAAHT USAID and the American embassy, and helped around 30 young women who have been trafficked return home safely. We have also increased the amount of training available to young women and we will continue to help young women through their struggle.

Bukurie Hysen Imeri