The EU funded project “Socio-economic empowerment of mine victims and their families through provision of business trainings and grants for job creation in BiH” held on March 15 in Sarajevo the final conference under the slogan “To Earn – Not to get”.
A key achievement of the project was the creation of employment opportunities for 260 economically vulnerable mine victims or members of their families. Mine victims continuously face the problem of unemployment, which results in their insecure future from socio-economic and psychosocial points of view. According to BHMAC Mine Victim Analysis, in BiH there are around 5.000 registered mine victims who are currently unemployed or with unknown employment status.
In his opening remarks, the Regional Director of the Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) for South East Europe, Elmir Bojadzic, stated that this project is truly innovative as it promotes new methods of socio–economic assistance for the most vulnerable population in BiH, by providing business training and grants to those with the best business ideas and plans.
The EU has funded 65 projects for Mine Action in BiH since 1996 worth a total of almost 49 million EUR. Massimo Mina, Head of Operations Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross-Border Cooperation at the EU Delegation to BiH, stated that the EU’s commitment to Mine Action in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains strong. “The European Union will continue supporting demining efforts with EUR 2.6 million under IPA 2013. However, there will be no substantial progress in the area of Mine Action nor in the implementation of the ambitious objectives set in the BiH Mine Action Strategy, stating that demining of BiH territory should be completed by 2019, without a higher level of annual financial support and stronger commitment and ownership by BiH authorities.”
One of the beneficiaries, Samira Pecenkovic from Bihac, sustained injuries when she entered unmarked mine territory that rendered her 90% invalid, said: “My financial situation was very difficult afterwards. I applied for a grant for a packaging machine for sugar, and to my great satisfaction I passed. This project gave me the encouragement to believe in myself and to ease my financial situation.”
A beneficiary from Trebinje, Miroslav Andric, thanked the European Union for recognizing the problems of mine victims and for its contribution in the realization of this project. “This project is extremely important for mine victims and it will greatly enhance the standard of living of disabled people.”
The project lasted for 29 months and was funded by the European Union in the amount of 1 million EUR. It was implemented by the ASB, as well as co-financed by them and local authorities in the amount of approximately 150.000 EUR.
Read the full speech by Mr. Mina at the conference here
