On November 11, Administrator Green met with young Kosovo leaders who are advancing the principles of self-reliance and taking Kosovo-led solutions to the next level.  These young leaders have the vision and capacity to transform their communities for the better and are making a difference in their specific fields and contributing to a self-reliant Kosovo.  One of these influencers, Blerta Thaqi, is the developer of Ec Shlire (meaning “walk freely” in Albanian), a mobile application for reporting sexual harassment in real time.  Another influencer, Ilire Vitija, is the youngest judge in the Basic Court of Pristina, the largest court in the country. 

Administrator Green also met Dardan Berisha, who used his talent and legal knowledge to advise the Kosovo government’s team working on the Dialogue with Serbia.  Administrator Green’s meeting with these young community influencers took place in Gjirafa, an Albanian-language search engine, content platform, and e-commerce company that includes an online retail marketplace, online video and television content, offline-to-online business services, and the processing of online payments.  Gjirafa is a leader in a variety of internet consumer services in southeastern Europe and serves as a launching pad for innovative ideas and solutions.  Mergim Cahani, the owner of Gjirafa, is one of the solution-oriented influencers nurtured by USAID; he led the Administrator on a tour of Gjirafa’s modern facilities and then participated in a rich discussion with the other influencers on how to advance Kosovo-led solutions.