German humanitarian-development organization Help Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe is celebrating 25 years of work in Montenegro.
During a quarter of a century, Help has implemented more than 136 projects with a total value of around 36 million euros, providing support to the most vulnerable and at-risk groups: children, youth, women, and the unemployed through humanitarian aid, housing projects, and socio-economic empowerment.
The German organization arrived in Montenegro in 1999, when, during the war in Kosovo, Montenegro opened its doors to more than 120,000 refugees, recalled Klaus Mock, the long-time regional coordinator of Help.”
“Twenty-five years ago, amid the chaos and uncertainty of war, Help began its operations in Montenegro. At that time, over a hundred thousand refugees from Kosovo sought solace within the country’s borders. In their time of greatest need, we provided humanitarian aid, embodying the spirit of compassion and resilience”.
Mission – to empower individuals to help itself build their future
Primarily focused on humanitarian aid, Help assisted in supporting the resettlement of more than 84,000 displaced persons and refugees. Since then, Help has remained a pillar of support for the most vulnerable, including the Roma population, through 45 projects that have directly supported more than 17,000 people.
“By 2001, we recognized that many of these refugees would not return home as swiftly as hoped. We understood that our mission needed to evolve—not only to respond to immediate crises but to empower individuals to build sustainable futures. Thus, we initiated our income-generating projects, helping countless people start their own small businesses. It was vital for us to extend our support beyond the refugee community, reaching local vulnerable populations who also needed a hand up,” says Mock to explain the work strategy over the past two and a half decades.
The Secretary General of Help, Dr. Thorsten Klose-Zuber, said that we are proud to be able to provide humanitarian aid and development support in 28 countries worldwide, reaching over 13 million people annually.
“Our work in the Western Balkans is a prime example of how we can successfully transition from emergency aid to sustainable development – whether it’s by supporting most vulnerable population groups, strengthening civil society or promoting start-ups and social enterprises,” said dr. Klose-Zuber.
The German government is a regular important donor of Help’s projects
Help is one of the largest recipients of financial support from the German government precisely because of the way it operates, pointed out the German ambassador, Peter Felten, who himself was once at the head of the humanitarian aid department of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
„The German organization that is fully integrated into the international aid network in the spirit of cooperation and partnerships, and actively participates in its structures, while at the same time being deeply rooted in the German civil sector with strong support from the German Parliament and in partnership with a large number of donors, not only from Germany, but primarily from the EU, and, as I have just heard, in the past also from the USA and others. It is especially important to emphasize its partnership, for example, with other actors, particularly the beneficiaries on the ground – in all the countries where Help operates,” said ambassador Felten.
“Collaboration with Help is the example that can be a model of cooperation for all government institutions, non-governmental organizations, or international organizations,” said the Minister of Social Welfare, Damir Gutić, at the panel organized on the occasion of an important anniversary – where the results were summarized, and foreseen plans for the future.
New models of cooperation for sustainable development will follow for underdeveloped North
The Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development, and Development of the North, Damjan Ćulafić, announced a new memorandum of cooperation with Help, which will open space for new forms of cooperation – such as the construction of wastewater treatment plants, sewage networks, and water supply networks in the northern municipalities of Montenegro that face challenges with ecological infrastructure.
Darko Vukčević, Director of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (UKIS), an institution to which Help continuously provides support, outlined various activities and programs aimed at improving standards for individuals serving prison sentences, training and education for prison staff, as well as infrastructure supporting the sustainability of the prison system, both at the UKIS in Spuž and in the prison in Bijelo Polje.
The Director of the Directorate for Roma and Egyptians at the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Sokolj Beganaj, expressed his gratitude for the cooperation with Help in two capacities – on behalf of the ministry he represents and in his personal capacity, as a representative of the Roma community.
Beganaj: Help is the mother to the RE population in Montenegro
“Help means assistance, and that help has truly been of crucial importance for the Roma population. Starting from when we needed to build or rebuild a house, to providing assistance and later working with refugees and displaced persons, or now, when we want to include RE mediators in the system permanently, not only for education but also for employment, healthcare, and social welfare. As a member of the Roma community, I can only say, emotions overwhelmed me, when I think about everything we’ve been through, I can only say – you have been the mother to the Roma population in Montenegro, because when help was needed, you were there. And even when we, as state institutions, sometimes failed – you were/are there.”
“Country director of Help Montenegro, Dijana Anđelić, said that ‘the emotion of Mr. Beganaj speaks even more louder then words.’ Anđelić has assured Beganaj that Help will remain a support to the Roma and Egyptian community and the ministry in addressing all the problems the community faces.
“I realized that these 150 completed projects so far are 150 reasons for you to be proud,” said Ivana Vujović, the executive director of Juventas, one of the local organizations with which Help has worked and continues to work on various projects.
Vujović: A holistic approach and flexibility yield results to be proud of
“When we look at everything that Help does, we can see that it is a holistic approach to assisting the beneficiaries you work with. We know that you involve the beneficiaries in every project, and that it is the beneficiaries who, together with you, implement these projects to meet their needs. The word that stands behind us – sustainability – is more present and applicable with you than with others, because you have a more flexible approach in your work – you listen to the needs and adapt them to the needs on the ground – to the beneficiaries,” said Vujović.
From humanitarian aid, to social empowerment, through support for housing, employment, self-employment, education, social and healthcare programs for vulnerable groups, to development projects supporting the strengthening of the less developed north and the overall transformation of society towards sustainable development with a focus on cleaner and more sophisticated technologies in a society where no one will be left behind – all of this has been and continues to be Help’s mission in Montenegro.
Donor support is crucial for the work – EU, UNDP, embassies, ministries…
All projects in the past 25 years have been implemented thanks to donors, primarily the German government, which has funded over 9 million euros for various activities supporting social and economic inclusion in Montenegrin society, followed by the EU, UNDP, UNICEF, and other UN agencies, as well as the U.S. Embassy through USAID grants, the French Ambassy and other diplomatic missions in Montenegro, as well as Montenegrin ministries and local institutions, with whom we have worked and continue to work on the inclusion of the most vulnerable and raising standards in the areas of human rights, social empowerment. All this wit the aim of creating a better and more just society that will fundamentally, not just declaratively, meet EU standards and values, and ultimately join the European family of the most developed nations.
In the end, the best witnesses to us and our work are those whose lives we have touched. Some of them have told their stories as the Testimonials’
The recording of the anniversary is on the link below:
Photos will follow
