Bosnia and Herzegovina

Women's Health Empowerment Project (2004-present)

The Women's Health Empowerment Program provides psychosocial support services by and for women with breast cancer and their families, as well as public education programs that encourage the early detection of breast cancer. The program concentrates on 3 key areas: Establishing new educational and psychosocial services for women with breast cancer; offering professional seminars for physicians and health professionals; and providing organizational development training to NGOs. To carry out this program, JDC partners with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Ministry of Health, and four local non-governmental organizations: Renasansa (Sarajevo), Novi Pogled (Mostar), Iskra (Banjaluka) and Uruzenje zena Tuzla (Tuzla).

A toll-free national SOS Help Line was established in November 2006 as an additional resource for peer support and the sharing of information, and by November 2007 had received 800 calls. Read more about the SOS Breast Cancer Hotline in Bosnia-Herzegovina. A Resource Guide was published that provides information on breast cancer (including instructions on self-breast exams) and lists medical/peer support resources in each kanton (province) of the country. Educational lectures in High Schools are being held in 6 different regions. Four partner organizations and two other NGO's are participating and covering different regions. So far, lectures have been held in 27 high schools with a total participation of 1,250 students and their teachers. In addition to the peer-support discussions, the women in Banja Luka and Tuzla are involved in an art workshop that produces hand-painted silk greeting cards and handpaintings on glass, which are sold locally to raise funds for their group. In Sarajevo, two groups are being led by professionals for metastases women and patients that are undergoing chemotherapy. There are also two groups in Mostar; one for patients that are undergoing chemotherapy treatment and another for survivors. The October 2007 conference was the fifth held in BiH, which brought together over 80 breast cancer survivors, NGO representatives, medical professionals and Government officials. JDC has already started to work on a regional conference that will take place in early 2008.

Learn more about WHEP.
Read the 2007 WHEP Report.

Homecare Services for the Elderly and Disabled (1998-present)

Over 300 Serbs, Croats, and Muslims, and approximately 200 Jews (including many Holocaust survivors) receive homecare visits four times a week; fifty people residing in outlying communities also receive visits. Hot meals are delivered 6 times per week, and the clients' day-to-day care is managed by social workers. This project not only ensures the welfare of some of Bosnia's needy elderly, but also provides job opportunities and income to the multi-ethnic group of individuals who conduct the services. The loaning of essential medical equipment and safety devices help beneficiaries increase their independence, by ensuring a more secure living environment. An initial grant from Dr. Alfred Bader enabled La Benevolencija - the cultural, educational and non-sectarian humanitarian aid arm of the Sarajevo Jewish Community - to purchase 700 knit vests that were produced by Center participants for the homecare clients. In this way, the Center's employees received a large order that contributed toward their goal of self-sufficiency, and the homecare beneficiaries received a very special, much-needed gift.

La Benevolencija is enjoying a growing relationship with the Center for Self-Reliance (CSR), a non-profit organization based in Sarajevo that seeks to employ mentally and physically challenged young people, and additional projects with CSR are currently being developed.

Learn more about this partnership and its efforts.

JDC is conducting similar empowerment projects in Banja Luka, all with the generous support of Dr. Bader. In coordination with the local Jewish community, JDC bought a printing machine and upgraded several computers at the Distroficara Institution; over fifty individuals with physical disabilities live at the Institution and work at its printing facility.

"The J-Fund" (2005-present)

"The J Fund," a non-interest-bearing, revolving loan fund, was established to encourage the employment of individuals with disabilities. The fund helps local non-profit organizations to develop sustainable jobs for disabled or marginalized individuals, and any business or NGO initiated in social entrepreneurship activity may apply. The projects requesting a loan must show economic feasibility and employ handicapped persons. In order to receive the maximum amount of the loan, the project must employ at least 4 new disabled personnel. The loans, with a payback period of up to five years, are awarded on the basis of sound business plans and guarantees submitted by the applicant NGOs.

The generosity of Dr. Alfred Bader was instrumental in helping to support the creation of this special fund. The work is facilitated by a JDC consultant and project director, and by local professional bodies. Its operation is coordinated with the Jewish communities of Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Doboj in cooperation with "Melacha" the micro-credit loan fund set up by La Benevolencija in Sarajevo. To date, in both Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, The J-Fund has awarded loans to 13 projects with a capital investment of over $200,000. These loans are generating demanding yet profitable jobs for muscular dystrophy sufferers, deaf individuals, paraplegics, and the mentally handicapped.

Visit the J-Fund website.