Support from TİKA for Preschool Education in Kosovo

In Kosovo’s capital Pristina, preschool education institutions “Gezimi Yne Preschool” and “Ngjyrat Preschool” had their capacity increased with the support from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

TİKA continues to implement new projects in Kosovo. In this context, TİKA increased the educational capacities of the preschool education institutions “Gezimi Yne Preschool” and “Ngjyrat Preschool” in Kosovo’s capital Pristina. The opening ceremonies at the preschools were attended by R.T. Pristina Ambassador Kıvılcım Kılıç and Pristina Mayor Shpend Ahmeti as well as teachers, students and their parents. In her speech, ambassador Kılıç stated that TİKA’s projects concerning children, young people and women will continue and said, “We will remain side by side with our friends from Kosovo on these issues”.

“TİKA is the most important aid agency in Pristina”

Pristina Mayor Ahmeti also pointed out the excellent relations between Kosovo and Turkey, and expressed that their good cooperation with Turkey’s Pristina Embassy and TİKA will continue next year as well. Noting that TİKA is one of the primary donors of the Municipality of Pristina with such social projects, Ahmeti emphasized the importance of contributions to preschool institutions and said “I would like to thank Turkey and TİKA for their continued support to the Municipality of Pristina. These investments are especially important as they directly benefit the well-being of our children and their families.”

The only municipal preschool in Pristina’s Hajvalia region, Ngjyrat Preschool had 35 students aged between 9 months and 6 years, distributed into four age groups. However, since the existing capacity was insufficient, new students were not admitted and the preschooling needs of the region were not met. The preschool, which found it difficult to finance itself due to the low number of students and faced the threat of being shut down, had two new classrooms constructed by TİKA. Furthermore, renewed furniture and supplied educational materials allowed more children to receive education in better conditions while allowing the preschool to overcome its financial hardships.

Gezimi Yne Preschool in Pristina is open since 1970 and it serves approximately 420 students aged between 1 and 6. The playgrounds of Gezimi Yne Preschool were renewed by TİKA to allow the children to receive their education in better conditions and to facilitate their adaptation to the social life by playing games together and acting in harmony.

The symbol of the multicultural society, the Mosaic Classroom was renewed by TİKA.

At Gezimi Yne Preschool, offering joint education to Albanian and Turkish students since 2007, the Mosaic Classroom was renewed by TİKA. The Mosaic Classroom, where 11 Albanian and 11 Turkish students receive education side by side in both Turkish and Albanian, is a symbol of the multicultural society and the coexistence in Kosovo. After the repairs were completed in the classroom, the furniture and the educational supplies were also renewed by TİKA and offered to the service of the children.