Kosovo Child Poverty Study

1. Kosovo Child Poverty Study Lulzim Cela UNICEF Kosovo Office Unite for children

2. Kosovo Context: Facts and Figures • 2.2 Million inhabitants, (90% Albanian, 4% Serbian 6 % Other) • 50% younger than 25 y. • No Census since 1981, Guestimate Statistics, • General Poverty = 45; Extreme Poverty = 16.7 • High IMR est. 35 to 49 • High enrolment – high dropout at upper levels • High Unemployment = 44% of active workforce • Poor Governance; Poor Economy; Scarce Budgets; • Fragile Systems; Parallel K- Serbian Systems • Kosovo Status: Unilateral Declaration of Independence, 47 Countries have recognized it. Not recognized by UN

3. Three Pillar Study Approach Review of Kosovo Policies and Budgets Contribution to Global Child Poverty Study Kosovo Child Poverty Study Analysis HBS Data and Gov. Budgets Child Participatory Study Cash Assistance Impact on Children In House Multi-sector Desk Review

4. Key Questions? • How many Kosovo children live in poverty and extreme poverty? • How do children see and experience poverty? • What do children say? What do we hear? • How does the social assistance affect child welfare? • Which groups of children and their families are not reached by social assistance and why?

5. Child Poverty and Extreme Poverty Review of WB Poverty Assessments, Analysis of WB – SOK HBS Data & Child Poverty Tables, Analysis of Government Budgets Poverty and Extreme Poverty Rates among children and youth are higher than of the general population.

6. I. Analysis of Quantitative Data Child Extreme Poverty by Ethnicity Other`s have highest extreme poverty for all age cohorts in particular for U5! Roma make the vast majority within that population!

7. I. Analysis of Quantitative Data Child Disability and Extreme Poverty Extreme Poverty is two times higher for families with disabled children!

8. Partnership with Save the Children Consultations with children, parents community representatives 4 multi-ethnic municipalities 3 age groups Thematic Apperception Test, Use of drawings and focus group discussions II. Child Participatory Research Research Question: How do children see and experience poverty?

9. Children know that education is a way out of poverty. Education can help erase poverty by improving one’s situation. Going on to university helps one to become what they want. But if you don’t have a good situation in life, you don’t go to school at all. 13 year old Roma girl

10. Children see differences among rich and poor at school Sometimes poor children don’t know how to write while the rich ones know how to write. Children who don’t know how to write are yelled at by the teacher. The teacher beats them with a stick. There are cases when the teacher throws pupils out of class when they did not know how to write, and tells them not to come back without their parents. 9 year old Ashkali boy

11. Children leave school because of poverty. When a child goes to school and doesn’t have books, clothes or shoes, he is not considered ‘proper’ to play with other kids. Teachers call parents if children don’t have books and that’s why children are leaving school – because they don’t have books. 18 year old Roma girl

12. III. Cash Assistance Impact on Children Cooperation with two consultants from the Maastricht School of Governance and a team of Local Researchers. Duration 6 months; Start Date: November 2008 Key Questions to Answer: • How does the social assistance programme affect child welfare? • Which groups of children and their families are currently not able to access social assistance and why? • What could be recommended modifications of the social assistance programme in order to reach greater numbers of children and have a greater impact on the children.

13. Critical Issues From Research to Policy Questions Research About children and with children Childs voice: • “Teachers call parents if children don’t have books and that’s why children are leaving school – because they don’t have books”. Stats: • 50% of school-age children are poor, while 18% are extremely poor! What does this mean for policy makers?

14. Critical Issues From Research to Policy Questions Policy Questions ? • Why Government didn't buy enough school books? • How are free schoolbooks being targeted towards the poor? • How many of poor are reached? • Why poor families have to use their income to buy school books? • How does it affect poor families income? • What % of income of poor families goes to books? • How common is lack of books as a factor that prevents access to school?

15. Critical Issues From Research to Child Impact Policy Questions Research about children and with children CHILD Advocacy Influencing Policies and Budgets Action - Intervention Influencing Decisions