Agriculture Prioritizing Project In Croatia for the Benefit of Women and the Elderly

Municipality of Vojnic, a small region on the Bosnia-Herzegovina border of Croatia, and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) cooperate to carry out civil society initiatives.

In order to support the vulnerable groups of the society, a 200-square-meter greenhouse was built for the Geriatric Care Center in the city to use. Also, ten greenhouses, 48 square meters each, were provided to 10 women, who are obliged to look after their families.

Agriculture is Prioritized

Municipality of Vojnic prioritizes agricultural activities, considering the demographic structure and financial possibilities of the region. Most of the people that live in the region are women, the elderly and the disabled; people considered to be the vulnerable groups of the society. Therefore, the aim is to encourage women and the elderly to participate in agricultural activities, enabling them to contribute to the region’s economy.

An Income Will be Generated From the Greenhouses

Many vegetables, such as tomato, pepper, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, and green onion, will grow in the provided greenhouses.These products will be used mainly for providing hot meals to the elderly registered in the Geriatric Care Center and meeting the basic food needs of the women‘s families. Women will also generate income through selling the products they grow in the market and, in the future, have the opportunity to form an agricultural cooperative and produce products with high added value.

It is predicted that the products that will grow within the scope of the project will be 7 tons on average and generate approximately 34,000 Euros of income per year.

Siroka Rijeka: City That’s Under the Effects of War

The Geriatric Care Center in Vojnic-Siroka Rijeka serves 55 people who are elderly, disabled and waif, coming from 18 different villages and different ethnic and religious backgrounds. With the help of volunteers, the center meets the basic needs of the elderly people, such as hot meals, medicine, fuel and cleaning services. Additionally, the city of Siroka Rijeka stands out as a region that’s still under the effects of war.The elderly residents of the city are showing an example of solidarity by not leaving their land despite being deprived of basic services.