The Republic of Macedonia

Country Overview: Population: 2,066,718 Capital: Skopje Population living in urbanized areas: 67% Percent of population living below poverty line: 28.7% Literacy rate: 96.1% Life Expectancy: Population Growth Rate: 0.262%

The geography of Macedonia Macedonia is a landlocked country in south-eastern Europe. It is a fairly mountainous due to the Šar and the Osogovo moutain range which dominate a large part of the northern region of Macedeonia. The country is divided by the Vardar river which carves a deep valley through the centre of the country. Macedonia is located in a fault zone which means that the area is highly seismically active (prone to earthquakes).

In 1963 a massive earthquake hit the capital of Macedonia – Skopje. The quake, measured 6.9 on the Richter scale, is reported to have damaged around 80 percent of the cities buildings. Although only about a quarter of the cities housing stock fell during the quake, the rest of the buildings were so badly damaged that they were irreparable. It is estimated that around 1000 people were killed and about 100, 000 people were immediately made homeless. Almost the entire city had to be rebuilt.

Macedonia’s housing need: It is not only Shuto Orazi where there is an acute need for housing renovations. There are vulnerable communities across the whole of Macedonia that are in need of some kind of housing repair or renovation. There are many villages in rural areas that have no access to clean water or sewerage systems. It is estimated that about two thirds of the population that are currently living below the poverty line are residing in rural areas without access to some of the most basic necessities. Furthermore, there are vulnerable groups living on the edges of most major cities in slum like conditions.

How can these communities be helped? The main way to help vulnerable communities is to break the poverty cycle by helping them gain access to the basic necessities in life. Habitat for Humanity Macedonia is doing this by providing vulnerable families with small loans to help with the renovation or reconstruction of their homes, infrastructure to access clean water and sewage systems and the knowledge to actively engage them in the development of their community.