Zamira Hynesi Duraku,
Country Director, Kosovo Mental Disability Rights Initiative
+377 (0)44 176 287 | zhyseni@mdri.org

Zamira Hyseni Duraku was appointed Country Director for MDRI’s Initiative for Inclusion in Kosovo in 2007. She joined the MDRI staff in Kosovo in March 2006 as a Program Associate. Zamira holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from the Union Institute & University of Vermont College. She also works for the University of Prishtina, as a teaching assistant at the Department of Psychology. In addition, Zamira is lecturer of Psychology of Communication at the AAB private university in Prishtina.

During and after finishing her studies for a BA in Psychology at the University of Prishtina, Zamira was involved in several projects with various Women's Non-Governmental Organizations as a trainer for resolution to domestic violence issues.  Her other cooperation included work with the Union of Education and Science of Kosovo & Education International, with a project promoting the need for improvement in students - teachers relationship in the education system in Kosovo. During this period of time she also did several internships including one at Handikos Office in Prishtina mainly by working with people with disabilities. Other internships she concluded in the Psychiatric Hospital in Prishtina, Mental Health Clinic, and for Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) & Children for Tomorrow and their projects organizing summer activities with children. Zamira's main interest research areas are human rights, war trauma on children, and domestic violence influence on child development.

Mjellma Luma,
Program Assistant, Kosovo Mental Disability Rights Initiative
+377 (0)44 799 388 | mluma@mdri.org

Mjellma Luma joined MDRI’s Kosovo Office in December 2005. Ms. Luma completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice from La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During college, volunteered with homeless adolescents who were in need of supervision, guidance and parenting. She helped adolescents to cope with new challenges that life presented them and dealt with contributing to and creating a recovery based environment. During this period, Mjellma completed an internship with the Allegheny County Adult Probation Office in Pittsburgh where she worked and assisted with interviewing mentally disabled individuals charged with various crimes. After graduating college, she worked as a Crisis Specialist and provided direct in-home, in-office, in school and community based crisis services. The services included but were not limited to crisis intervention and de-escalation, maintaining or establishing community stabilization, client support and/or supervision, parenting training, behavior management training and assistance and provision and assistance in accessing appropriate community referrals.
 
Prior to college, Mjellma has worked as a Senior Personal Assistant to the Head of Human Resources for OSCE and assisted in and performed basic secretarial duties such as answering phones, scheduling meetings. Besides this she was responsible for managing, organizing, scheduling, translating and maintaining information for Head of HR and Chief of Personnel.
Mjellma's programmatic interests include post traumatic stress disorder, advocating for mentally disabled children and adolescents and educating individuals on mental disabilities.