“I just returned home after handing over the charge of KGMAMF project to the newly appointed Project Director. The project is in operation since June, 2000 under the “Build, Operate and Transfer” (BOT) model of Grameen Trust. It is now operating through four branches which are now fully manned by local staff. They have received on the job training on Grameen system from the Grameen team assigned to KGMAMF.

Interacting with friends from Kosovo, keen on microcredit!

At the time of signing my contract with Grameen Trust to join the Kosovo Grameen-Missione Arcobaleno Microcredit Fund (KGMAMF) as its first Project Director, I did not have any idea that my life would change so drastically. My accomplishments and the challenges which I experienced in Kosovo, helped me to become a much stronger human being to face more difficult situations in life. We experienced lot of hardships in war ravaged Kosovo and at the same time we succeeded in bringing smiles to hundreds of our KGMAMF members.

Before leaving Bangladesh in June 2000 with three other colleagues from Grameen, many friends and dear ones were telling me that Kosovo was a very dangerous place and we might get killed over there because of the deep-rooted ethnic conflict. We were indeed terrified and nervous. However, nothing could dissuade us from starting a Grameen Bank replication program in Kosovo, a sort of mission impossible for us, coming from a distant part of the world.

As we reached Milan in Italy on May 31, 2000, on our way to Kosovo, we had a meeting with Professor Marco Vitale (the Commissioner of Missione Arcobaleno) who said, "I want to welcome you for taking up this mission for Kosovo, but Kosovo situation is still in the air. Nobody knows what will happen." We arrived in Kosovo finally on 2nd June, 2000. It was then totally a devastated country, after a big war. Humanitarian aid was being distributed among the displaced, war affected people. UNMIK, KFOR, OSCE, UNHCR and hundreds of international organizations were busy with emergency aid. At the same time, the Serbs had placed mines all around, before leaving Kosovo.

A big obstacle was the barrier of language and culture. Moreover, there was little available socio-economic bench mark data. There was no proper logistics, specially tele-communication facility and transportation. Electricity and water supply were absent. The country has a population of less than two million. It is a mountainous territory with 5/6 months of bitter hard winter. People did not show any interest in our microcredit program and it was hard to identify target groups for income generating activities. We spent a terrible time, with no water and electricity, especially during winter when temperature plunged below freezing and snow froze like a glass sheet. Gradually, we could face these challenges one by one, and it was like a voyage of discovery crossing all social and geographic barriers.

The toughest problem that we faced in Kosovo, was persuading the women victimized by a vicious war, to join KGMAMF for microcredit. I remember we were so much frustrated at the beginning that we did not even unpack our bags, afraid that our efforts would fail and we might have to go back home before long. The first center of KGMAMF was established in Peje and that was the starting point of our long road towards microcredit ala Grameen in Kosovo.

From one centre, gradually 218 centres were formed. From one branch, four branches were established. KGMAMF covered now four regions out of five in Kosovo, including 145 villages and 1,556 neighborhoods from 15 municipalities. Starting from the first disbursement of DM 4600, today the program has disbursed more than Euro 9.6 million. Repayment rate has always been close to 100%.

We have accomplished the following in Kosovo:

It was not easy to be away from home and family for such a long time, leaving behind my only daughter. However, now I have a mixed feeling, as it was very difficult to say good-bye to our members and local colleagues. We did not know them before, but now they have also become my family. It may not be possible to meet them soon. But the Grameen team members and I, have a hope to be back in Kosovo again to meet them. How can I forget them, as I recall them saying: "Jannat, you were sent by Allah to help us after the war. You are our sister, a mother and a guide. We will never forget you and we want to continue to be a member of KGMAMF."

Someone was seeking permission whether it was possible to keep the membership forever as memory, since Grameen microcredit has created hope and self-employment for her, while she was in the most distressed situation after the war. Hundreds of displaced women returning to their own homes, could quickly find a way to regain confidence, and dignity through KGMAMF. It was very touching to know how Grameen credit changed the thinking process and the mind set of borrowers in Kosovo. A borrower from Prizren branch who was receiving social security of Euro 55 per month from the government, said that since she was now more self reliant thanks to KGMAMF microcredit, she would like to surrender her social security money, so that another needy person might get some benefit out of it. I was really moved.

I feel our biggest achievement in Kosovo was the fact that our small effort has changed the lives of hundreds of people. It is like a multiplier effect; may be these hundreds of people will someday change lives of thousands of other people who are badly in need of Grameen micro credit opportunities, not only in Kosovo, but also throughout Europe. Although, I will not be physically present in Kosovo, but I will be spiritually there, always ready to serve the poor.”

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Jannat -e-Quanine
Grameen Bank
Founder Project Director of KGMAMF
December 31, 2003