Beneficiaries of Flood Recovery – Housing Interventions Programme from Doboj, Zenica, Goražde, Bijeljina, Zavidovići and Travnik completed today first of three training modules on entrepreneurship and small businesses. This marks the start of extensive activities financed by the European Union with an aim of economic empowerment of vulnerable families from flood and landslide affected areas.

Aida Halilović from Goražda, one of the participants of the training, pointed out that she came to learn how to manage her small business. „I would like to learn how to start and maintain my own business and I am happy with the training so far“ she said.

Besides the beneficiaries of the self-employment and small business package, beneficiaries who will receive support with agriculture assistance and employment were also selected through this Programme. As a result, a total of 214 households from 34 municipalities and cities in BiH will participate in economic empowerment. Besides economic empowerment, Programme will also provide safe housing for around 2,800 people whose homes were destroyed or damaged in 2014 floods and landslides.

„In cooperation with local authorities, European Union continually supports the recovery of local communities from the effects of the floods and landslides in BiH. For this Programme, European Union allocated 12.5 milion EUR. We are rebuilding the infrastructure and, at the same time, helping economic development. Economic development is important for people in local communities of affected areas because it secures new jobs and economic stability“ said Gianluca Vannini, Head of Section for Social Development, Civil Society and Cross Border Cooperation in the Delegation of European Union to BiH.

In the upcoming period, selected beneficiaries of the Programme will acquire skills necessary for developing and managing their own small businesses. Upon the completion of the training, presentation of business ideas and plans will be organised based on which beneficiaries will start with the small business registration. Beneficiaries will receive necessary equipment and tools to start their business ideas, while the mentoring and business advisory services will be provided for all newly established small businesses.  

“We are very pleased that, besides the provision of housing units, we have an opportunity to participate in economic empowerment of families whose homes were destroyed in 2014 floods and landslides. Entrepreneurship and self-employment create jobs, develop skills and provides an opportunity for the inclusion of vulnerable persons in the economy, and represents important step in recovery of communities” said Edis Arifagic, Head of Local Development Programme in UNDP BiH

Flood Recovery Programme – Housing Interventions provides support to self-sustainable recovery through provision of housing units and economic empowerment of socially vulnerable population whose homes were damaged or destroyed in 2014 floods and landslides. Programme, valued at EUR 15 million, is financed by the European Union in the amount of EUR 12.5 million, in cooperation with Government of Federation of BiH, Government of Republika Srpska, local authorities of partner cities and municipalities, and UNDP in BiH.

Programme is implemented by UNDP in BiH, together with the International Organisation for Migrations (IOM), Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), Hilfswerk International Austria (HWA) and partner municipalities and cities.