Measure I.2: Cross-border initiatives targeting the exchange of people and ideas to enhance the professional and civic society cooperation
Project Title: Without borders because of children
Project Budget:
| Project Value | EU Contribution | |
| Republic of Serbia | € 50,242.92 | € 41,701.62 |
| Montenegro | € 34,602.00 | € 29,411.70 |
| TOTAL | € 84,844.92 | € 71,113.32 |
Beneficiary of funds in the Republic of Serbia: Center for Social Welfare, Priboj
Beneficiary of funds in Montenegro: Center for Support to Children and Family, Bijelo Polje
Partners: Municipality of Bijelo Polje, Municipality of Priboj
Area of implementation:
• Montenegro: Municipality of Bijelo Polje
• Serbia: Municipality of Priboj
The target groups of the project: Children under 18 years from Bijelo Polje and Priboj in risk of poverty. 210 children from: socially handicapped family’s, children without parents care; children who had an experience with abuse and un-attendances, children with special requirements, children of the refuges.
Specialists from the institutions for social questions (Center for social work, Center for cultural activities, local government and NGO’s from Bijelo Polje and Priboj.
Project duration: 01/12/2010 – 30/09/2011
Project objectives: The overall objective: To improve the quality of living for the children and the youth in risk of the poverty from Bijelo Polje and Priboj.
The specific objective: To improve cooperation between two towns through people, experience and cultural exchange, improvement of the multiculturalism and furtherance of the identity of the special groups of youth.
Activities and results of the project
The project “Without borders because of children” gave contribution to the improvement the quality of living of children and the youth in risk of the poverty from Bijelo Polje and Priboj municipality. Lead partners within the project extended cooperation by signing official Memorandum of cooperation that precisely defined principles of cooperation, among Center for Social Welfare, Priboj and Center for Support to Children and Family, Bijelo Polje in the area of children’s protection is defined with the Memorandum of Cooperation (partnership, transparency, mutual informing). Project implementation was continued by joint activities and first was organising exchange visits to Priboj and to Bijelo Polje for representatives of social care institutions and local government. During the visits participants have had opportunity to visit different institutions that deal with social care, care on children, NGOs and other.
After first official visits for representatives of social care institutiions the seven-day camp for children from Bijelo Polje was organised in Serbia – Zlatibor at the children’s resort “Golija”. Similar camp for children from Priboj and Bijelo Polje was organised in Montenegro – resort Ivanova Korita in Lovcen national Park (the event was attended by 30 children).
The main goal of the Camps was to introduce children from two municipalities, socializing, mastering certain skills and knowledge in the field of non-violent communication, drama, art, physical and environmental protection.
The project supported organisation of the two two-day excursions – one for 25 children from Priboj to Bijelo Polje and the other for 25 children from Bijelo Polje to Priboj. Besides children, programme covered Management team members, doctors and 3 pedagogues for each excursion.
Children Excursions encompassed visits to tourism and environmentally preserved areas in vicinity of Bijelo Polje and Priboj, tours of cultural/historical sites and environmental workshops. Upon realization of the camps and the excursions, a manifestation was organised in Bijelo Polje in order to promote potentials and creativity of two partner regions. Approximately 110 children took part in the manifestation, both from Bijelo Polje and Priboj. The event consisted of different activities including: Exhibition of children drawings and photographs, Performances, Music acts, Literary works, Folklore and Choir.
Media campaign and informing wider population was organised through printing the Information publication, its public presentation and coverage of activities by printed and electronic media (23 radio and TV shows and 14 texts in printed media).
Project implementation contributed to the decrease of the degree of social exclusion of children, improved the coherence of the social protection system with the documents and the practices of the EU member states and the states from the region.
