|
|
Twenty years after the brutal Bosnia war, people are still struggling to recover. Today ethnic/religious tensions persist, and people are still trying to heal emotional wounds and recover economically. Stolac is a town in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina with 11,000 citizens. The unemployment rate in the Municipality is approx. 65 %, out of which 50 % are women. The town is divided into two ethnic groups, Croats and Bosniaks, with a small number of others (Serbs and Roma people). As a result the schools and places of business are divided into two parts, and this affects hiring and job availability. Since the community is not economically and industrially developed, the two main areas of development are agriculture and tourism. Women returnees from rural areas are the project target group, and agriculture is their main income.The area Herzegovina has a very favorable climate for agriculture. A large part of agricultural products deteriorate because there is no adequate collection center for products, and farmers sell them on the black market or at the only large market. Due to large amount of goods, they are compelled to sell their products at very low prices. Much of the produce is thrown away due to rotting and other unhygienic conditions in which those perishable goods stored. Another problem is the lack of awareness among local farmers who are used to the traditional way of farming and their fear of the introduction of new cultures as well as new ways of production and processing of products. In 2014 the cooperating organization (Udruzenje Orhideja Stolac) with several women grew, dried, and sold 4 tons of tomatoes, and discovered a high demand for their product that they currently are unable to provide in sufficient quantities. Women expressed a desire to expand on this previous success.
This global grant's objective is training 30 women in growing tomatoes, and 10 other women in drying and packaging tomatoes, with 30 more women being trained the second year by the women who were initially trained. This project has the potential for introducing new and more lucrative farming techniques into the area, and at the same time offer meaningful profitable work to unemployed or underemployed women. The Agromediterranean Faculty of Mostar will educate participants about sowing of seedlings and protection of plants, teach techniques, and visit growing sites to monitor production. They will also educate participants about drying, processing, preserving, and packaging products of dried tomatoes. Ten Agromediterranean students will volunteer during the summer working with the participants as a practical internship with their faculty teaching. In addition, the cooperating organization's staff will be trained via Skype in social entrepreneurship, business practices, co-op expansion, and market development by international partner Rotarians who are professional small business consultants and agricultural cooperative members/consultants.
The project will begin in March 2016 in order to be ready to plant for the 2016 growing season, and will conclude in April, 2017 when the second season will begin and the second group of women are chosen for training. Funds will be used during the first year to pay salaries for the agronomist and project staff, purchase seeds, fertilizer, and drying racks, as well as supplies for packaging, printing a catalog of products, and a used vehicle to transport goods to more distant markets.
Host parter will oversee the project and disbursement of funds, help hire the agronomist and liaison with the college, hire the part time grant administrator and independent project evaluator. International partner will provide Skype training in social entrepreneurship and agricultural co-ops, and publicize the grant's progress among contributing clubs, on the district website, and in the community.
|
