TIKA supports rural production in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) established a Fruit-Vegetable Processing and Packaging Facility in Ahmići Village of Vitez Municipality in Central Bosnia Canton for women returning to their homes.

A fruit juice production line with a capacity of 50 liters/hour was established in the center of Ahmiçanke Women’s Association in Ahmići village, which was founded in 2006 by women who returned to their villages after the war. Thanks to the other equipment delivered to the association in addition to the fruit juice production line, it was possible for women to deliver their own brand and label products such as fruit juice, molasses and marmalade to natural product outlets in big cities.

Expressing her gratitude to Turkey for the project made, Tahiba Ahmiç, Ahmiçanke Women’s Association President, stated that women who were victims of war were included in the production and they were enabled to stand on their own feet. Ahmiç expressed their satisfaction with the inclusion of the products that women have grown by labouring throughout the year into the economy without any loss and the support of women to their families.

The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992-1995 caused some families living in Ahmići Village of Vitez Municipality in Central Bosnia Canton, as well as in many other parts of the country, to leave their villages. Due to this situation, the production in the country decreased by 80% and there was a serious increase in the number of unemployment. Even though the country’s economy has started to grow since the 2000s with the end of the war, job opportunities are still insufficient.

The Association, which enables women who were victims of war to support each other psychologically and socially by producing, has been carrying out activities for the economic and social empowerment of women by including them in production since its establishment. The association, which financially supports women by enabling them to deal with agricultural production and handicrafts, also contributes to women’s psychological health.

However, the fact that the fruits and vegetables grown by the members of the association could be processed with limited means, sometimes caused product losses and the products to lose their properties. TIKA, carrying out a project to solve this problem, also enabled natural products to be processed safely and in a short time without losing their properties, with the fruit-vegetable processing and packaging facility established. (www.yenibalkan.com)