GLOBAL GRANT BENEFITTING GIRLS IN BOSNIA
Posted by Carolyn Schrader (Denver Mile High) schrader407@gmail.com
Since the civil war in the 1990’s, Bosnia has become the poorest country in Europe. Large numbers of girls in rural Bosnia do not complete elementary school and Roma (ethnic “gypsy”) girls do not attend school at all. Bosnia has become a major source of human trafficking as girls seek alternatives to poverty and widespread domestic violence, since many of them lack the education needed to become employable.
In 2014, Rotary approved a Global Grant, sponsored by Felicia Muftic of the Denver Rotary Club, to promote basic education and literacy for rural girls in Herzegovina province, Bosnia. The grant funded parent/teacher workshops and an education campaign reaching 1000 people in 20 villages and communities. It provided a three year mentoring program for 80 families with girls at risk of dropping out of school, using university student volunteers. In addition, fifteen Roma girls received a year’s literacy training.
The grant succeeded in keeping girls in school, with the added benefit of reducing the number who were at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking.
Funding for grant came from nine Colorado Rotary clubs as well as Rotary clubs of Grand Cayman (British West Indies). The Mostar, Bosnia Club was the local Rotary lead club and a local Mostar NGO Novi Put to execute the grant. The grant was completed in 2016 and was so successful in its approach that another Global Grant, in a different location, has been submitted to Rotary, again with support from a number of clubs.
These grants show the value of replicating a successful project to increase its impact. It also demonstrates the power of Rotary to span many Clubs and Districts in order to serve humanity.
For more information, visit www.bosniaglobalgrant.com and for a 22 minute video with first hand interviews of participants, go to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?