SERBIA: APPLICATION FOR 2007 PRM AMBASSADOR'S FUND TO

UNCLAS BELGRADE 000763 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR PRM/OLSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: APPLICATION FOR 2007 PRM AMBASSADOR'S FUND TO ASSIST AT-RISK CHILDREN AND YOUTH FACILITY REF: STATE: 027884 ¶1. SUMMARY: Embassy Belgrade proposes granting 12,000 dollars of the FY 2007 Ambassador's Fund for Refugees toward the purchase of basic household equipment and educational material to enable a short-term protection facility in Belgrade, Serbia, to improve its care of IDP, refugee, and other at-risk children and adolescents. Post developed this project in consultation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Serbia and the Educational Institute for Children and at-risk Adolescents, and has the authority and capacity to award the grant to the intended implementer, Catholic Relief Services-CRS Belgrade, by or before the end of the current fiscal year. BENEFICIARIES -------------- ¶2. Under the aegis of Serbia's Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Educational Institute for Children and Adolescents in Belgrade provides accommodation and assistance to at-risk children and adolescents, age 7 to 18. The Institute separately shelters three groups of children in its facilities: --- Serbian children with behavioral and social disorders; --- at-risk children and youth, including abandoned children, runaways, and others previously living in extreme adversity, generally on the streets of Belgrade; and --- child victims of trafficking. The latter two categories consistently include IDP, refugee, and other immigrant children and are the focus of our project proposal. The Institute provides these minors short-term protection in unlocked or closed facilities (depending on the legal status and age of the residents). It is so poorly equipped, however, that it does little to raise the children from adversity or to provide basic education. PROJECT DESCRIPTION -------------- ¶3. Post proposes to assist the Institute to care for the, on average, 90 vulnerable children whom it accommodates annually, by providing the short-term protection facility with basic household's appliances, including washing machines and driers, water heaters, refrigerators, stoves, kitchen and bathroom equipment, and some items of furniture, classroom, and teaching materials. We propose also to explore the possibility of donating retired computers and will approach the National Office of the President of Republic of Serbia and other potential donors, using our contribution to leverage additional assistance. PRM will implement this project through Catholic Relief Services. ¶4. The proposed project demonstrates USG commitment to protect vulnerable IDP, refugee, and other youth of concern. It is consistent with our proposals in previous funding years, which have aimed to fill gaps in protections afforded to children of IDP, refugee, and other populations of concern and with our MSP goal of securing durable solutions for vulnerable populations. Therefore, Post submits a request for $12,000 from the FY 2007 Ambassador's Fund to implement this proposal. POLT