The meaning of Shutka is ‘garbage’, but this hot and dusty place is lovingly called ‘the happy valley’ by the many asylum seekers and refugees from Kosova. With over forty thousand inhabitants, it is the self-proclaimed and self-administered ‘capital’ of the Romani, the largest gypsy center in Europe.

In Shutka about 90% of the Roma people are unemployed and they struggle to make a living. Many children do not go to school, since their parents are not able to support them and believe that education will not help them. The only option left is to scavenge on the streets and garbage dumps for things to eat and sell.

Convoy of Hope Europe adopted the community of Shutka, working together with the local church, AGWM and the Macedonian Evangelical Alliance. The main focus of our ‘Adopt a Community’ program here is majoring on education as a means to escape the grasp of poverty and social exclusion.

Initially we will help children go to school by providing a free meal every day. It is our goal to see a minimum of 6 students graduate a year from high school and to eventually see some of these students graduate from university.

To see these goals fulfilled COHEU hope to do the following:

• Move the preschool into a permanent building, which includes facilities for the feeding program.
• Feed 150 children each day.
• Renovate the local church to host some educational programs
• Help create opportunities for the adult population to find permanent work.

May 25, 2010