Association “Alternative” Kakanj is a non-governmental organization whose vision is the Bosnian-Herzegovinian society – a society of equal opportunities for all. As they point out, the organization is willing to share its knowledge and experiences with others and gain new experiences, with the aim of promoting and protecting human rights, building tolerance and trust in the community and strengthening the role of young people and women in society. As the executive director of the organization, Maksuma Topalović, points out for Local Works, that the NGO Alternative was founded in 1998, and they have 22-23 years of work behind them. In the beginning the focus of their work was on providing information to displaced persons and refugees about the possibilities of returning to Kakanj, and then to the Zenica-Doboj Canton. Subsequent projects are focused on local economic development through the development of tourism and environmental projects such as responsible management of the rural water supply system. As in many local communities there are examples where organizations are evicted from space, and how very few organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have the opportunity to have space for free, Maksuma Topalović told us how NGO Alternative managed to have space for free.
Maksuma Topalović explains that the NGO Alternative initially used the space in the private house of a member of the organization, and then they used the municipal space. A few years ago, in 2013, a large number of other organizations, which – in addition to the NGO Alternative – also used municipal space, accumulated debt for unpaid space, and the decision of the Municipality of Kakanj, that debt was written off to these organizations, and they were allocated free space. In that way, the NGO Alternative, which regularly paid rent, got a free office space. Topalović adds that the NGO Alternative, 3 years ago, received additional space for use, which, even when it was built, was intended for young people, as a youth center. According to the Agreement on Use, they received this space for 5 years, and the members of the organization decorated it nicely.
Also, Topalović points out, there is a fear that local authorities do not understand and do not apply the Law on Youth, because in addition to the free allocation of space to youth organizations, there is also an obligation to maintain it. The space in Kakanj that was given to the NGO Alternative, Topalović recalls, was partly used as a warehouse, and when the organization entered the space it looked like a warehouse, and the rest of the space was empty. Therefore, it is not enough just to give space to the organization, but constant support from local authorities is also needed. Thus, the NGO Alternative came up with the idea to revive that space, merging the creative innovation center (something like Hub) and the youth center. After this move, the organization got the project through the ReLoad program, they nicely and modernly equipped the space, and made it functional. After this, the space is now used 30-40 times more than ever before. According to director Topalović, they have made fantastic projects and are actively working on networking organizations and initiatives. They hope for further support from the Municipality of Kakanj, because they believe that they are a good example of good cooperation between the government sector and non-governmental organizations, of which there are not many in Kakanj.
But, despite the fact that there are not many organizations in Kakanj, the situation is such that there are informal associations, actions to which people are happy to respond. This was also the case with the actions organized by the NGO Alternative: creating an ecological park, planting trees (action of the Municipality of Kakanj in which the NGO Alternative joined), planting new plants, cleaning the Partisan cemetery. When the Partisan Cemetery was cleaned for the first time, they told us that people living here would not join, especially because it was the Partisan Cemetery, and there is a monastery and a mosque there. People passing by watched the action, and women from Kraljeva Sutjeska invited the organization to lunch. This shows that it is important to be persistent and move. The organization has the support of a significant number of young people, which is very important, because there is not much cultural content in Kakanj and the proximity of larger cities distracts young people from Kakanj. Some of the contents launched in Kick are First School of Programming, Digital Marketing, Readers’ Club, Workshops for children, youth and businesswomen. A few days ago, the first cycle of Lego robotics, the English Camp and the Children’s Creative Workshop, in which 59 children participated, was completed. The Summer Chat in English, Children’s Creative Workshops are currently ongoing, and a call for the second cycle of Lego robotics is open. Most of these programs are organized for the first time in Kakanj. In the end, concludes Maksuma Topalović, it is important to be open, persistent, have a clear attitude and not play between the lines, because that is the way people and institutions will start to appreciate you and your work. The best indicator of this is the NGO Alternative.
