During the past few days a heartbreaking natural disaster has affected millions of families here in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The worst floods to hit the Balkans in living memory have devastated, over a night, several BiH cities and human lives that have been struggling to establish a normal life ever since the 1992-1995 war.
The disaster can now be measured in 45 lives lost (according to unofficial information the death toll will be even higher once the streets are cleared of water), 1.000.000 directly or indirectly affected persons, 950.000 displaced persons, 100.000 destroyed and ruined houses, 1.000.000 persons having no access to clean drinking water, 230 education and health institutions flooded, 2100 identified landslides.
Even though the flood waters have subsided, landslides are still destroying houses and roads leaving numerous villages isolated. The water and landslides have washed away signs indicating minefields and have dislodged mines to unspecified locations. Thousands of animal corpses and polluted water are now leading to outbreaks of disease.
To contribute to purchasing equipment for volunteers who are being sent to the flood-affected areas as well as to rebuilding the damaged or destroyed homes of the afflicted families, you can donate in one of the following ways:
The campaign of the Institute for Youth Development KULT has so far been supported by:
The representatives of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, with the help of the Foundation for Strengthening Women in BiH, have given a chance for a decent living after the horrible May floods
The construction of a mushroom garden that will be the only source of income for Sabira Bili? and her family is completed. During the floods in May the Bili? family home was completely destroyed. They lost their only source of income – a shed in which Sabira grew mushrooms. The industrial machines for upholstering, that her husband Safet got as a severance pay after the local factory stopped working, were also destroyed. The aid from the Institute for Youth Development KULT means a lot for the Bili? family, as Safet Bili? says: "With the aid of the Institute, the shed in which we will grow mushrooms has been rebuilt. Hopefully, with God's mercy, we will be able to expand our business.“ Safet, his wife Sabira and two underage children live, he says, literary from day to day. The children are in school, and he and his wife are at the unemployment bureau. They are both unemployed. Due to health issues, Sabira is currently hospitalised in Tešanj, which aggravated the already difficult situation. „With the help of the Foundation for Strengtehning Women, family Bili? was awarded with rebuilding an object that will serve as their only source of income as of today, in which they will grow mushrooms. The mother of Bili? family was involved in the business before the May floods, but the floods destroyed the object and we rebuilt it. The Institute for Youth Development has been actively adapting partly or completely destroyed family homes since May. Bili? family was one of the families that the Institute aided“ - emphasized the Institute project coordinator, Mirela Ajanovi?.
Before the floods, the Bili? family lived in a municipal shack. After the floods, kind people helped this family build a house. The Institute for Youth Development KULT participated in the building with the donor's help." On completion, as a part of the initiative, the Bili? family will recieve 70 mushroom briquettes in donation as a support to the small family business that will give the family a chance for a decent living" – added the Institute project coordinator, Mirela Ajanovi?.
It has been nearly a year since the floods and active landslides and the inhabitants of Željezno Polje are still facing with disasterous consequences on a daily basis. For the six members of Pura family the only source of income used to be a small chicken farm. After the landslide had been activated, the little farm ceased working. Until today, the Pura family have been living of child benefits.
The representatives of the Institute for Youth Development KULT have visited this family and handed them a donation of 150 chickens and chicken food, and after nearly a year, they have managed to put smiles back on their faces.
The donation to restart the small business of chicken farming was provided with the financial support of the employees of the Gastroenterohepatology Clinic from Sarajevo.
In this video you can see how Željezno Polje appears today, 320 days after the landslides were activated.
The representatives of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, with the help of the Foundation for Strengthening Women in BiH, have given a chance for a decent living to the Bili? family after the horrible floods occured in May last year
The construction of a mushroom garden is under way, and it will become the only source of income for the Bili? family. During the floods in May the Bili? family home was completely destroyed. They lost their only source of income – a shed in which Sabira grew mushrooms. The industrial machines for upholstering, that her husband Safet got as a severance pay after the local factory stopped working, were also destroyed. The aid from the Institute for Youth Development KULT means a lot for the Bili? family, says Sabira Bili?. "It means a lot to me. I've found myself in the business.“ Sabira, her husband and two underage children live, she says, literary from day to day. The children are in school, and she and her husband are at the unemployment bureau. They are both unemployed. "Neither my husband nor I are employed. We are both at the bureau. We live off of children benefits that amounts to 20 BAM and is never on time. The children are in school. One attends the fourth and the other the ninth grade of elementary school" – Sabira adds.
Before the floods, the Bili? family lived in a municipal shack. After the floods, kind people helped this family build a house. The Institute for Youth Development KULT participated in the building with the donor's help. "It will all be easier when we start cultivating mushrooms" – Sabira Bili? claims. The works on the construction of the new mushroom cultivating facility are under way and the construction is expected to be finished soon. "On completion, as a part of the initiative, the Bili? family will recieve 70 mushroom briquettes in donation as a support to the small family business that will give the family a chance for a decent living" – added the Institute project coordinator, Mirela Ajanovi?.
In the beginning of January, 2015 in Bare near Kakanj, a landslide killed one person, destroying three houses and leaving seven local families without a home.
That is why representatives of the Institute for Youth Development KULT and the Youth Council of Kakanj, as part of the initiative “We must not stop!” visited the place where the tragedy occurred due to the landslide, resulting in a 50 meters deep precipice.
The slide is 500 meters wide, located on a landfill used by the mine in Kakanj. The people who made their home there now have nothing. That is why the Institute decided to visit them in their temporary shelters – nearby houses and abandoned barracks – and provide them with the help they so desperately need, said Mirela Ajanovi?, project coordinator at the Institute for Youth Development KULT.
The people from Bare near Kakanj are not holding out much hope of returning to their homes, because the landslide is still active. Through the Institute’s “We must not stop!” campaign, the locals received support in the form of food and hygiene supplies which is what they need most at the moment.
These people are in dire need of help. Those who have lost their homes during winter need everything, from fuelwood and household goods to food. Our task is to help them and ask all kind people and organisations to do the same, added Ajanovi?.
The activities aimed at helping and supporting the citizens affected by the landslide in Bare near Kakanj were supported by the company NGO Business and Audit from Sarajevo.
