Ms. Carin Jämtin, Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and Ms. Lisa Fredriksson, Director of Sida´s Department for Europe and Latin America visited CNVP project beneficiaries to get acquainted with the results of the Sida intervention in supporting women and youth in rural areas.

Women and Youth Producers Groups from different ethnic backgrounds gathered in the village of Zborc in Shtime to welcome the high-level delegation of Sida and to present their forestry products, which are an important source for income generation in their families and poverty reduction.

Sida Director, Ms. Carin Jämtin expressed her satisfaction that the focus of CNVP projects is on issues that are priority for Sida such as sustainable development, environment and women. Ms. Jämtin and and Ms. Fredriksson tasted the organic products made by rural women in Kosovo, and discussed with them the challenges they face in the forestry products market.

The CNVP Kosovo Country Director, Xhevat Lushi thanked the high-level delegation of Sida for the support they have provided for the forestry sector in Kosovo, in particular towards enhancing livelihoods for women and youth through reaching poorer households.

With the support of Sida, CNVP in Kosovo has implemented the project “Strengthening Sustainable and Decentralized Forestry (SSPDF)” from 2014-2021, and this year started a new five-year project “Sustainable Use of Natural Resources for Environment and Economic Development (SUNREED)”, which is expected to contribute to poverty reduction through additional income and jobs derived by improved sustainable forest management, promotion of biomass production (wood chips) for renewable energy, promotion of NWFP/MAPs, and promotion of carbon natural back up.