Kosovo BEST Game (Charity funded training)

Partner(s):

Laura Baylis, a free lance, autonomous instructor involved in human development is one of the agents behind the global reach of SAIE’s business development expertise. Laura Baylis uses the technique of teaching members of the community at grass-roots level to learn how to start and run their own businesses from many parts of the world using SAIE material. This project was conducted in Kosovo. The country has a troubled political history dating back from its status as a territory of Serbia and the NATO wars as well as ethnic cleansing. The latest developments are that the Kosovar Assembly approved a declaration of independence on 17 February 2008. The following day several countries (United States, Turkey, Albania, Austria, Germany, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Australia, etc.) announced their recognition, despite protests by Serbia and Russia in the UN Security Council. Several countries in the region (Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Romania, and Greece) are undetermined on or will not recognize independence at this time either for internal reasons or in fear of damaging relations with Serbia.

Kosovo has one of the most under-developed economies in Europe, with a per capita income estimated at €1,565 (2004). Despite substantial development subsidies from all Yugoslav republics, Kosovo was the poorest province of Yugoslavia. Additionally, over the course of the 1990s a blend of poor economic policies, international sanctions, poor external commerce and ethnic conflict severely damaged the economy.

Kosovo's economy remains weak. After a jump in 2000 and 2001, growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was negative in 2002 and 2003 and is expected to be around 3 percent 2004-2005, with domestic sources of growth unable to compensate for the declining foreign assistance. Inflation is low, while the budget posted a deficit for the first time in 2004. Kosovo has high external deficits. In 2004, the deficit of the balance of goods and services was close to 70 percent of GDP. Remittances from Kosovars living abroad accounts for an estimated 13 percent of GDP, and foreign assistance for around 34 percent of GDP.

Our Involvement:

Unlike regular SAIE entrepreneurship training programs which are carried out within South Africa, SAIE routinely conducts international trainings. In most cases, independent agents conduct the training after receiving master trainer training from SAIE. In other cases, SAIE service providers and staff may conduct the training on behalf of the firm. The training is usually customized to meet the unique characteristics of the recipient groups.

Project Progress:

During the delivery of the Kosovo BEST Game project, one group was trained in Mitrovice and one group at “Qendra e Paqes” in Peje; 10 in Group 1 and 15 in Group 2. Both from Peje, Linda Pyle and Sarah Amies have become instructors in BEST Game.

The first group was very encouraging; even though they didn’t all know each other they seemed to work well in their teams with high levels of participation. Only one person did not complete the training.

Some of the people had very good business minds and this training will just enhance what they knew already. Some of the people have never run a business and so this was a beginning for them.

The second group received their training in Peje as part of a larger group of ladies that meet every week for crafts. There was good attendance in this group and the ladies all know each other really well.

In the first module the one group went “bankrupt”. You could see that they were crest-fallen over this. In the second module an amazing thing happened. I had made them the retail team and so they felt they had more “power” to make decisions. About half way through the module they realized that they could affect the outcome by the decisions they made. They became quite a ruthless team during the negotiations and at the end of that module they had made the most profit. I hope that they realize the “power” of decisions way beyond business.

I added in so many variables to the training and by the time the whole group was finished the last module there was a long list of things that they were juggling in the bigger picture of running a business, whether retail or manufacturer. This gave me confidence that they are able to run a business for themselves if they put their mind to it.

One big lesson they needed to learn which was brought out during the practical is that they cannot rely on just one source to purchase their products. Linda Pyle has been buying their products for years now and they have been selling just to her. In the game I chose to take away one of the places to sell to, for them to see how it affected profit and cash-flow. When they ran their practical they all chose to make and sell the same things, except for one lady. They also all chose to only sell to Linda. This made a problem for cash-flow. I hope that they can take the lessons from the training and apply it to their real-life situation.

Funder:

Product:

International Projects

Location:

Not specified.

Project Completion: