Sixty K-RAE Students Targeted by MCR for Scholarship

UNMIK, WEEKLY REPORT ON COMMUNITIES AND RETURNS 24 February-2 March 2009
The Ministry of Communities and Returns has targeted 60 Kosovo Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian (K-RAE) secondary and university students for scholarships to enhance their studies. Speaking to UNMIK/OPA on 27 February, the Minister of Communities and Returns, Sasa Rašić, informed that 128 applications have been received so far, including 12 from university students and 116 from secondary school pupils. Worth some 10,000 euros, the scholarship will be given to vulnerable students of the K-RAE community. According to Rašić, the Ministry of Education and UNDP are working with MCR to select beneficiaries to avoid duplication since UNDP and the Ministry of Education are already familiar with existing scholarship recipients.
Commenting on the the importance the scholarship scheme, Minister Rašić stressed that he would work hard to not only enhance the studies of the beneficiaries but also promote the welfare of all communities in Kosovo especially the K-RAE. He further informed that as a show of support by the Government of Kosovo (GoK), MCR and the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MFE) treated about 250 members of the K-RAE community to lunch on RAE Flag Day in Ferizaj/Uroševac.
It should be pointed out that this is the first time the Ministry of Communities and Returns has earmarked scholarships for members of the minority community since its inception in 2005.