The local community of Mrkodol, Tomislavgrad, is located along the edge of Duvanjsko polje at an altitude of 898 meters above sea level and has 999 inhabitants according to the 2013 census, which is approximately 220 households.
One of the most important natural resources, which belongs to this local community is the land of 10,000 m2 on which the Sports and Recreation Center “Mrkodol” is located.
In the area of SRC Mrkodol there is a memorial for the fallen veterans of the last war, World War I and World War II, indoor football field with asphalt surface, grandstands, locker rooms, basketball court and lighting for indoor soccer and basketball.
In conversations with residents, the local community council came to the conclusion that it is necessary to expand and equip SRC Mrkodol with new devices to enable all ages to engage in additional physical activities, because the nearest place where children and adults can spend active time is in the center of Tomislavgrad, 14 km away from the village.
Also, Mrkodol Elementary School did not have a playground nearby, nor the opportunity to build it. Accordingly, the leadership of the local community is actively looking for a solution because SRC Mrkodol is 450 m away from the school.
By applying for sub-grants within the project “Local Works – Together for local development”, the local community Mrkodol realized the project “Equipping SRC Mrkodol street workout with equipment and children’s playground” totaling 19,532.60 BAM, of which 7,136.60 BAM is the amount of sub-grant. Tomislavgrad Municipality contributed to the project with 7000.00 KM, the funds of the local community invested in the project amount to 4,771.00 BAM and the contribution of volunteers in the amount of 625.00 BAM.
With the project “Equipping SRC Mrkodol street workout with equipment and children’s playground”, the local community solved the lack of content for children and adults and improved the conditions for quality and active leisure of all residents in the local community.
As part of SRC Mrkodol, a playground with a climber, slides, swings and seesaw has been set up, devices suitable for developing motor skills in children, and a street workout area with specialized equipment has been installed for the slightly older residents for the whole body.
Taking into account that the new equipment and devices in SRC Mrkodol will attract even more residents of the local community, two benches and six waste bins have been installed in order to prevent waste in the area of the sports and recreation center, while preserving environment and health of the whole community, but also on developing children’s awareness of ecology and waste management.
The local community of Mrkodol states: “This project was primarily implemented for the sake of children and young people from our local community, although the beneficiaries will also be adults, in fact all residents. By implementing the project, we have created conditions for adequate physical activity and ability development, we have relieved parents in terms of transporting children and free time and socializing children that will now take place on the playground in the village and the team will remove them from computers, laptops and mobile phones. Also, representatives of the Local community Mrkodol emphasize that they are the first village in the Tomislavgrad Municipality that has such a quality and content equipped sports and recreation center.
By strengthening the capacity of local communities and involving community actors in solving local problems, we encourage joint work on local development and promote positive examples of social engagement in communities.
The project “Equipping SRC Mrkodol street workout with equipment and children’s playground” of the local community Mrkodol from Tomislavgrad was realized within the project “Local Works – Together for local development” implemented by the Center for Civic Cooperation from Livno and the Association of Citizens “Grahovo” from Bosansko Grahovo with the support of the United States Agency for International Development – USAID.
