SEI Project Results Visible on the Ground: Preventive Action by the “Diabetic Association” in Brčko
Members of the “Diabetic Association” Brčko, a partner organization in the SEI project, conducted a preventive campaign as part of the project “Unlock Your Strength – Opportunities for Women, Youth, and People with Diabetes.” The campaign offered free preventive check-ups – including blood sugar and blood pressure measurements – at Youth Square in Brčko. The aim of the activity was to raise awareness among citizens about the importance of early detection of diabetes and hypertension, as a key step in preventing more serious health complications.
“As one of the four partner civil society organizations involved in the project Socio-Economic Inclusion in the Brčko District of BiH, with this activity we are targeting one of the key groups – middle-aged women, who often belong to the hard-to-employ category. We want to highlight not only the importance of monitoring their health but also the fact that employers can benefit from hiring them,” said Đorđe Vuković, President of the Diabetic Association.
He also invited this target group, as well as other citizens, to visit the SEI Center and speak with the staff to learn more about the project. “We will continue working with marginalized groups, expanding our activities into rural areas of the District – particularly in the area of psychosocial support, which can be provided by experts from the SEI Center Brčko,” Vuković emphasized.
He noted that he is pleased with the increased visibility of the association within the local community – a result of activities supported by the SEI project, which has been funded for the third consecutive year by the Government of the Czech Republic, and implemented by CARE International Balkans and the Development Guarantee Fund of the Brčko District.
“On behalf of the association, I would like to thank the representatives of the Brčko Assembly, who fully adopted the association’s proposal and allocated 200,000 KM through a budget revision for the purchase of 80 continuous glucose monitoring sensors for people with diabetes. This achievement was made possible thanks to the association’s active participation in public discussions during the budget revision process, as well as the project writing skills we gained through SEI project trainings – where we had the opportunity to receive guidance from experts from EU countries, who visited the District specifically to strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations,” Vuković concluded.
