The Association of citizens “Zajedno za naš grad” from Mostar, which helped hundreds of families in Mostar and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and which takes care of dozens of elderly and sick people every day, celebrated its sixth birthday.
The focus of the Association’s activities is humanitarian work. They emphasize that they did not give up on their mission even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
– There is no city in Bosnia and Herzegovina where we are not represented and where people do not know about us. We raised money to help the sick, socially disadvantaged, single mothers, the population affected by floods and earthquakes, and just over two years ago we decided to open our own soup kitchen funded by people, companies that have a social sense of vulnerability and our diaspora. It works in a way like never before in Mostar, we deliver meals on home addresses. So, we deliver meals to elderly people living alone, and during the lockdown we delivered ‘discrete meals’ to people who lost their jobs in the evening, so that no one knows – said the founder and president of the Association “Zajedno za naš grad” Nermin Mehić.
As he added, for the project titled “You are not alone”, they need about 8,000 BAM a month, and they have been implementing it for 27 months. Until now, they have distributed about 70,000 meals.
– We distribute meals from Konjic to Mostar. Sometimes there are 90 a day, and sometimes 140. We pack them in special aluminum containers that cost us from 800 to 1,000 BAM a month. These are real homemade meals, meals that we would make for ourselves, we make for our users as well. With the help of the humanitarian organization from Atlanta (USA), we bought a thermoking vehicle that has a built-in refrigerator, so that meals do not spoil in the summer heat – explains Mehić.
In addition, they often pay for electricity for the elderly, take care of them, and thanks to the help of members of the closed Facebook group “Zajedno za naš grad”, which was formed before the Association was established, each year they distribute scholarships for several socially disadvantaged students.
– All scholarship holders sign a contract on volunteering twenty hours a month so they help us to deliver food – said Mehić.
He adds that they spend the money exclusively for the needs of the citizens, but that every year, on the Association’s birthday, they try to give a modest gift to the City of Mostar.
– Earlier, we renovated the fountain in the Children’s Home, and this time we decided to install a bench with flowers and a trash can on a bus stop near the premises of the Association. We wanted to do something modest but efficient and that is our gift to the citizens. This is the first bench we donated, and we hope there will be more in the future – said the president of the Association.
In addition to operating in BiH, the Association sent assistance to Syrian refugees in Belgrade, Burkina Faso, one of the poorest African countries, as well as to the Albanian and Croat populations affected by the earthquake a few years ago.
Mehić reminds that the Association implemented many humanitarian actions that enabled patients with difficult diagnoses to travel for treatment to Zagreb, Istanbul and other centers.
Speaking about future activities, he pointed out that their volunteers will start planting potatoes this week, and the land in Blidinje will be given to them by one of the donors.
– The director of the homes for the elderly, Jure Bašić, will provide us with machinery and land in Blidinje, where our volunteers will plant potatoes. It is also a nice gesture – says Mehić.
The work of the Association was also recognized by numerous citizens who donated 2 BAM by calling the telephone number 17 015.
Representatives of the Association invite all those who can and want to help the elderly and the sick to support their work and help in any way they can.
– When you visit at least one elderly person, hand him/her a bowl of food and see his/her facial expression, you will understand what motivates the members and volunteers of our Association – they said.
