GjakovaBasel has two roots:

• The Albanian Advise Centre (ABS) created 1997 in Basel, today transformed into ABSM (Centre for Training and Advice for Immigrants) in Basel and Gjakova and co-founders and board members of ABSM on one side and
• The social and cultural commitment and projects of Dorothea Fankhauser, her friends and family in Kosovo since 2005.

ABSM, founded 1997 by Albanian speaking immigrants (from Kosovo) to help Albanians in Basel and their families in Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia. The Centre offered especially to women and young people help and advise on a voluntary basis including language courses in German. Since 2000 ABS was also involved at large scale in helping Kosovar Immigrants and refugees in Switzerland to re-integrate in Kosovo. To do so the sister NGO, ABSM in Gjakova was installed to help Kosovars to re-integrate back in their country of origin. Meanwhile courses in basis business administration, use of computers and languages trainings are offered thus allowing young people for a better perspective of the future despite the difficult economic situation and high unemployment rate. more