Serbia

Small Business Program (2007-Present)

An ethnic minority, the Roma's could be best described as gypsies. They are truly unwanted, and typically live in makeshift slums near city centers. A project has been established by which small business development loans are made to indigenous Roma entrepreneurs with the loans being repaid in kind(goods and services) to help Roma refugees from Kosovo. JDC's partners in this project include the Kosovo Roma Refugee Foundation, World Jewish Aid, and Dr. Alfred Bader.

As part of this project JDC has purchased machinery, including 12 sewing machines which have created jobs for 36 single mothers. In this way, sustainable jobs have been created for a very small investment, and immediate assistance for the refugees has been generated.