As a particularly vulnerable group, elderly are more likely to need social support to reduce the effects of stress and strengthen their well-being.
Mayor of Modrica municipality Mladen Krelic expressed gratitude to the UN agencies, and to the municipality of Novo Sarajevo for sharing their best practices in managing these types of centres. "This is a worthwhile investment. Elderly will be using it for nice activities, and will receive services", he said.
"This is an example of good cooperation of local communities and humanitarian organisations which recognised the importance of such a project for our citizens, especially after devastating floods in May last year," said Mladen Koturic, Director of the Centre for social work in Domaljevac Samac. "We have faced migration of youth and families, and elderly have stayed. This centre will enable them to socialise, travel and meet other such centres."
The Programme also included training of municipal officials, volunteers and social workers by NGO Partnership for Public Health to ensure the centres’ self-sustainability. The Centres will be run by the municipalities of Modrica and Domaljevac Samac and become part of the South-eastern European Health Network.
„It is part of two centers that we are rehabilatating through the Flood Recovery Programme. Even though the needs were trumendous and the limited resources that we have, we as UNDP decided to invest in this particual Center, because our aim was to support people in the community to have a better quality of life than before the floods. And with the support of the Ministry of Health and the Municipality we are sure that partnership will suceed and that individuals and volunteers that will use the Center will indeed have better quality of life“, said Zahira Virani, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in BiH.
UNFPA Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Dr. Doina Bologa in her opening remarks said: “UNFPA is recognized as a leading agency in supporting population ageing activities at the country level and worldwide and works to address the challenges of the ageing population in order to improve their lives. In addition to our work with state and entity authorities in developing framework policy for elderly in BiH that constitutes 14.19 percent of total population aged 65 and above we are very pleased that as of today some 3000 elderly people who suffered from recent floods will have a place to socialize, exercise, learn new skills, share knowledge and have a social support.”
The UN Floods Recovery Programme “Danas za nas” worth USD 14.8 million is financed by bilateral donors.
