20 March 2008

Gërdec tragedy, resulting in a loss of lives of 25 people, injuries of hundred of others and ruining of tens of houses left hundreds of people homeless, and a part of them are living in the Holiday Military House of Durres. Soros Foundation has come to their assistance by:

-        establishing an information center in the hall of the main hotel of the holiday complex of the Ministry of Interior. A wide screen TV set was established in the venues of this complex, and the daily press was offered to them for free;
-        opening of daily vocational training courses for women, focusing on the clothes making industry, hygiene and computer learning. About 100 women shall profit from this course.
-        adjusting of the current playground for the children and addition of the didactic means for them.

OSFA engaged the Association on Psycho-Social Services of Durres for offering these services, as it has a multi-year successful cooperation with the Foundation and possesses the necessary capacities to offer these services. These supportive capacities shall be offered for a two-to-three month period, depending on the normalization of the post-tragedy situation.

The Foundation is concurrently working to ensure some transparency to the event and to indemnify affected individuals, offering free legal aid to the harmed, etc.