Today, classes have started again in the reconstructed building of the branch school in Gomjenica, near Prijedor, ending the bus travel to the central school for 110 pupils in six classes, from grade one to grade five. The building, which suffered significant damage during the May floods, has been reconstructed as a part of the EU Floods Recovery Programme, financed by the European Union. The cost of the reconstruction was 138,500 BAM (70,850 EUR), and the works included replacement of doors, windows and floors, installation of new sanitary blocks, reconstruction of walls and the roof, as well as a new façade.
“Seeing this school reopened is yet another example on how the European Union’s Floods Recovery Programme is helping the communities to regain access to vital public services after the floods, and how the financial support from the citizens of the European Union is making a difference in everyday lives of the flood-affected people. Our programme is achieving similar results across Bosnia and Herzegovina, with works on 33 public facilities already finalised and made operational to serve communities in areas which suffered flood damage”, said Mr. Giulio Zanni, the Head of Banja Luka Office of the EU Delegation to BiH.
“The branch school building has been reconstructed as a part of the EU Flood Recovery Programme, so that now 110 pupils have excellent conditions to work in and achieve better results, and, therefore, we owe special gratitude to the European Union for the reconstruction of this facility”, said Sanja Munjiza, the Principal of the Branko Ćopić Primary School.
The EU Floods Recovery Programme was launched to restore normal living conditions in local communities and ensure that the aid reaches the most vulnerable people in the aftermath of floods in May. Funds are being used to restore public services and infrastructure, reconstruct housing units for the most vulnerable ones, and for social and economic recovery of local communities. The value of the overall programme was 43.52 million, of which 42.24 million were provided by the European Union.
This assistance is a part of the funds that the European Union pledged at the donor conference in Brussels in July. The activities of the EU Floods Recovery Programme focus on reconstruction of 4,000 housing units for approximately 14,000 residents, rehabilitation of key public services and infrastructure (including schools, medical facilities, water supply and sewer, and smaller roads and bridges) at 50 sites, as well as providing assistance to retain and generate around 2,000 jobs in flood-affected areas.
The programme is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
