International Women's Club Sarajevo



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HAC

Humanitarian Action Comittee

The Humanitarian Action Committee (HAC) is a committee of the International Women’s Club composed of 11 members. The current HAC members, through a two-thirds majority ballot, vote new members onto the committee, after they have attended at least 3 meetings. The current coordinator is Sabina Dervisefendic and can be contacted at hac@iwcsarajevo.org

HAC meets monthly and receives funding proposals from NGOs, groups and individuals who know of our organisation. Application forms must be completed in English. As a committee we approve funding for a project, which then has to be approved by the Board. The funding for these many projects comes mainly from our annual Bazaar.

		HAC Funding Proposal Application Form DOC document, 30 KB DOWNLOAD ENGLISH lang.

		HAC Policies and Procedures PDF document, 22 KB DOWNLOAD ENGLISH lang., BHS lang.

The projects we support are:

Those that contribute to the harmonization of the various ethnic groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Those that are self-sustaining or have the potential to be.
Those submitted by formally registered groups such as an NGO or licensed institution in as many areas of BiH as possible.

We try to concentrate on helping the vulnerable sectors in society here, such as women, children, disabled, elderly, refugees and displaced people.

The projects that do not qualify are;

Those that contribute to partisanship or have political overtones.
Those that are influenced by individuals, associations or any organizations that do not support the Dayton Agreement or that would obstruct its implementation.
Projects that include expenses for operational costs, including, but not limited to, salaries or professional fees, transportation expenses (including the purchase and maintenance of cars or vans), and utilities
Any individual requests or projects supporting university level education.
Those that are submitted by groups that are not formally registered or legally recognized by the government.
No organization shall receive funding in two consecutive years, unless urgent circumstances dictate otherwise.

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Funded projects

Projects funded by IWCS in the period 2007/2008

Bezdan-Spofondo- This project involved the purchase of medications for one year for approximately 20 bedridden elderly, ill and weak individuals who cannot take care of themselves and are not able to get to their medical institutions for treatment or therapy. The organization has a medical team that includes a physical therapist that visits the patients regularly and ensures that the proper medications are administered.
Svjetlo Project- Svjetlo is a NGO that helps people with mental retardation and special needs. HAC supported one of their projects that provided special needs children with monthly birthday parties for a year.
Kinderarche is a registered foreign humanitarian organization located in Ilidza with a day-care centre for 50 children from disadvantaged families. IWCS voted to fund the handicrafts group teaching sewing, embroidery and knitting to disadvantaged women and giving them a hot meal on the days on which they met.
Doboj Refugee Camp- HAC has funded a greenhouse with plants, compost, and a watering system for occupational therapy.
Holiday food parcels. Again this year, we distributed Holiday food parcels to the elderly and most vulnerable families in BiH. This year we increased the number of parcels from 100 to 125; each included cooking oil, coffee, sugar and flour etc. With the help of VF store that assembled the parcels 107 were distributed by the Red Cross around Bosnia Herzegovina to Orasje in Northern Bosnia, Romanja, in the Republica Serbska and some locally in Sarajevo. Sprofondo delivered 18 parcels to refugee families in Rajlovac.
St. Joseph, the Worker, in Ljubuski, which is between Medugorje and Konjic. This charity is run by an 82 year old Nun, Sister Muriel and a lady called Mary Walsh. These two amazing women with their volunteers drive round to over 90 villages, seek out the destitute widows living in the most appalling conditions and deliver food and sometimes wood to over 300 homes, and then check up on them regularly. Against all odds they organised the building of an old peoples home which houses between 25- 30 ladies from all ethnic groups.
HAC donated funds for their food distribution, which took the form of holiday food parcels.
Gorazde Women’s Clinic Pilot Project -This is a pilot project based in Gorazde for a Women’s Complementary health centre for war victims, refugees and concentration camp victims, running for the month 12th February – 9th March. HAC was asked to fund the initial equipment necessary to set up the project. The data from this pilot will be used to seek funding to open and maintain a clinic in Sarajevo and ultimately mobile clinics to tour BIH, using locally trained Bosnian therapists.
HAC purchased two Physiotherapy Tables for a rehabilitation clinic in Tesanj for children with special needs.
Hearts for Children With Cancer Association. Parents of children suffering with cancer at Kosevo Hospital have formed this association and requested mattress covers for beds, blankets, duvet covers, towels, and pillows with covers, pyjamas, dressing gowns and slippers for various age groups. Sometimes, because of the cost of the transport, children arrive at the hospital without their parents, and with no pyjamas or slippers. We also bought them a DVD player and play station
The Serbian Orthodox Church – Kolo Srpski Sestara. This is an association of devoted women of all nationalities and religions and has been operating for over 100 years. HAC funded 150 ‘Spring Baskets’, which were delivered by them to elderly and weak patients of all ethnic groups in April, similar to the ones we organised at Christmas time.
Joy of Life- HAC has funded sewing materials and two sewing machines to start up this social support-sewing group for mothers of severely handicapped children.
Physiotherapy Centre Grbavica have been funded with a year’s supply of massage creams, oils, gels etc. for use in massage treatments for handicapped children. The centre teaches the mothers how to massage their own children, many of whom suffer from cerebral paralysis.
‘Bread of St. Anthony’ – Kruh Sv. Ante. This is a charitable organisation run by Franciscan Monks since 1896 that operate 3 soup kitchens in the Sarajevo area. The one in Grbavica was opened in 2000 and feeds almost 400 people a day. HAC purchased a dishwasher to utilize the staff more efficiently and to provide sterile crockery for such large numbers.
A Large refrigerated tank, or Lacto freeze Machine was purchased for a small cheese business in Breza. This small rural business has increased its production of cheese form 20L to 700L daily over 3 years and its salaried staff from 1 to 11, plus 4 family members and 30 women involved with the dairy side of the business. New State legislation now requires milk producers to store all milk in a Lacto freeze machine to keep the temperature constant. Without this machine they would have had to close down
Stolac is an agricultural area famous for fruit. We provided funding for a communal group called ‘Orhideja’ to buy bottles and jars, pots and utensils and design labels for their jams to market commercially.
Healing Hands has been providing therapeutic massages for war victims of Sarajevo. We funded equipment and oils for their work.
Children are forced to leave orphanages at the age of 18, and several boys and girls have resorted to prostitution to support themselves. 'Altius' is a new youth club in Sarajevo formed to help these children set up a computer and Internet centre. We are providing them with a number of used computers and bought them two new printers. Training will be provided to help them use and repair these donated computers.
Folklore Costumes have been purchased for a multi ethnic youth dance group in Srebrenica. We were pleased to support a local tailor for this intricate work

Approved projects
September 2008 - July 2009

Organization Name	Gardens of the Righteous Worldwide (GARIWO) Sarajevo
Organization’s status	Local NGO
Location of activities	Head Office in Sarajevo but the organization works throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date of approval	November 2008
Organization’s mission	GARIWO Sarajevo was established to instil civil courage – an individual’s capacity to defend humanity regardless of faith or ethnicity in the face of negative authority – in the region’s rising generations and to enhance tolerance and cooperation across ethnic, cultural, and religious lines. www.gariwo.org
Project description	With the support of the IWCS, GARIWO Sarajevo intends to publish and distribute 800 copies of this book of essays entitled “Notes from an Evil Time” (“Zapisi iz vremena zla”), which will be used in theirprogramming beginning in 2009,. The book was written by Lazar Manojlovic – educator, journalist, and civic activist from Bijeljina, Republika Srpska.Mr. Manojlovic has recorded stories based on his own experience confronting abusive authorities in Bijeljina from 1992 until today, describing the atrocities that took place there during and after the war, and highlighting the role of the military, paramilitary, police, and political and religious leaders in ethnic cleansing and persecution of minorities. Studies show that truth-telling is an important step to reconciliation and building peace after war. It is important to document not just atrocities but also the actions of ‘good people’ and to share them, especially with young people, to help them understand that they are able to make a choice in terms of how they act and that their choices have consequences. “Notes from an Evil Time” will be used in Gariwo’s programming beginning in 2009 through seminars aiming to instil in young people the individual responsibility to act against prejudice, bigotry, inhumanity, and violence.Teachers who participate in and promote Gariwo’s message to their students will also receive the book.
Beneficiaries	Young people all over BiH and selected teachers.
Approved budget	9,600 KM (12 KM per book)

Organization Name	Youth Council Vlasenica
Organization’s status	Local NGO
Location of activities	Vlasenica Municipality, Srpska Republika
Date of approval	November 2008
Organization’s mission	Activities for youth in Vlasenica relating to nature, eco-tourism, and self-sustainability.
Project description	Applicant NGO is developing a Youth Hostel Project. IWCS is funding the manufacture of 20 beds by a local businesswhich will provide carpentry training for 7 local high school students, the best of whom will be selected as apprentices.
Beneficiaries	All youth members plus 7 young people receiving training in carpentry.
Approved budget	4,188.60 KM

Organization Name	Goražde Nursing Home
Organization’s status	State institution funded by Cantonal government for core costs.
Location of activities	Goražde town
Date of approval	November 2008
Organization’s mission	Care of up to 100 elderly people (when all beds are occupied), including bedridden people.
Project description	Supply of 56 sets of bedding equipment including bed linen, duvets, pillows, towels and detergents funded by IWCS. Plus: donation of gels and shampoos from Avon cosmetic company.
Beneficiaries	Elderly residents and carers.
Approved budget	4,704.00 KM

Organization Name	Tešanj Speech Therapy Clinic
Organization’s status	Speech therapy department of Tešanj polyclinic
Location of activities	Tešanj Municipality
Date of approval	January 2009
Organization’s mission	Speech therapy services
Project description	Provision of computer and specialised software to improve speech therapy services
Beneficiaries	Children with speech problems
Approved budget	2492.20 KM

Organization Name	Srebrenica Youth Council (Youth Center)
Organization’s status	Local organization incorporating several Srebrenica NGOs.
Location of activities	Srebrenica Municipality, Srpska Republika
Date of approval	January 2009
Organization’s mission	Development of culture, art, informal education, health, ecology and vocational skills, thereby improving the living conditions of the young in the Srebrenica Municipality.
Project description	The project "Youth and Healthy Nutrition" aims to encourage young people to start up their own small business through the development of the production of healthy food, catering and marketing skills. There is a market for catering outlets in the municipality due to the large number of visitors to Potocari and Srebrenica town. The project is supported by GTZ and RS Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport. A kitchen has been installed forconducting culinary and catering workshops. IWCS is supporting the catering project through additional equipment: kitchen utensil, dishes, dishwasher, casseroles, microwave, and other kitchen appliances;
Beneficiaries	Up to 10 young women who have shown special interest in the culinary and catering project.
Approved budget	5880 KM

Organization Name	IWCS
Organization’s status	N/A
Location of activities	Throughout BiH
Date of approval	November 2008
Organization’s mission	N/A
Project description	Distribution of holiday season parcels to vulnerable families (a traditional annual IWCS activity, this year including Bairam as well as Catholic/Orthodox Christmas and New Year)
Beneficiaries	200 families including: · Chrohn’s Disease Association members · Association for Parents members · Disadvantaged families known to IWCS members · Families known by Franciscan association · Families known by Orthodox charity
Approved budget	6000 KM

Organization Name	Alter Art Youth Organisation
Organization’s status	Humanitarian NGO
Location of activities	Travnik FBiH but AlterArt also has members from Vitez and other neighboring municipalities and even from Banja Luka
Date of approval	March 2009
Organization’s mission	«In a society damaged by the social and economic effects of war, our mission is to: · Offer young people the possibilities to fulfil their creative, life and social potential · Pay attention to the needs and potential of young people, and to respond speedily to these needs and potentials · Build with our partners a culturally rich and diversified society for current and future generations» www.alterart.ba
Project description	Purchase of upgraded IT equipment for the non-profit internet club which has been financially self-sustaining since its establishment in 2000. Materials and pine trees for decorating the entrance to the club.
Beneficiaries	School children and students, unemployed people, the disabled (club has disabled WC), other local NGOs, people planning to set up a small business.
Approved budget	4,700 KM

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