Monitoring Visit: Representatives of the Czech Development Agency and CARE Czech Republic Give Positive Assessment of the SEI Project

The monitoring visit of representatives from the Czech Republic’s Development Agency and CARE International Czech Republic (CARE CZ) focused on analyzing the implementation of the project “Socio Economic Inclusion in Brčko District”, which aims to support the employment of marginalized groups – youth, women, persons with developmental disabilities, and members of the Roma community. The project is funded by the Government of the Czech Republic through the Czech Development Agency and implemented by the Development Guarantee Fund of Brčko District BiH and CARE International Balkans.

“The visit by the donors from the Czech Republic was very important and focused on several areas. The first area of interest was the SEI Center building itself, which we received for use from the Brčko District Government in a significantly dilapidated state. Significant donor funds were invested in its internal renovation,” said project manager Branislav Tanasijević, adding that the current space was evaluated as representative by the donors since conditions have now been created for the quality work of the four SEI Center employees.

Within the same facility, a Business Incubator was also launched as a continuation of the cross-border NESESER project, which was evaluated as successful during the monitoring visit. The same view applies to the results of the activities of the four partner civil society organizations within the SEI project, which was the “next stop” for introducing guests to the overall SEI project implementation.

“After that, we organized meetings with those who had launched their own businesses, i.e., startups, within the Business Incubator,” Tanasijević emphasized, adding that the donors expressed great satisfaction, especially during the meetings with partners from the NGO sector, particularly with the associations Vjera & nada and the Youth Center Vermont.

Regarding the reactions of the Czech Republic donor representatives, they were highly impressed with what has been achieved in just one year of the SEI Center’s operation, the implementation of all project components, and its recognition in public both within the District and across Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We also met with the leadership of the Brčko District Government, where Mayor Siniša Milić highlighted the entire project as one of the most successful in Brčko and expressed a clear intention to do his utmost to ensure it continues even after the end of financial support from the Czech Republic,” said Program Director CARE CZ Ludmila Kucer. She added that all meetings with project beneficiaries were very impressive, particularly those with NGO representatives and users who launched their own businesses, who had only words of praise for the overall socio-economic inclusion activities in the area.

It is also worth noting the support expressed by Brčko authorities regarding the project’s sustainability.

“I believe that another key objective of the project will be achieved – that after the completion of our three-year support, the project will continue to thrive, be supported, and recognized in the District,” Kucer stated, expressing confidence that the main goal for this year, the opening of the first social enterprise in Brčko in cooperation with authorities and all project stakeholders, will be achieved by the end of 2025.

During the visit, the importance of presenting the SEI Center at the recently concluded International Trade Fair in Brčko was also highlighted, and one of the strategic goals for the project in the upcoming year was established.

“Our intention for the next 20th International Trade Fair in Brčko is to coordinate with local authorities on the possibility of having the Czech Republic as a partner of the fair, which we will coordinate with our embassy in Sarajevo. Additionally, the final activity, possibly within the Trade Fair itself, will be a large concluding conference where we will present everything accomplished during three years of active implementation of the Socio-Economic Inclusion project in Brčko District,” concluded Ludmila Kucer.

In addition to Ludmila Kucer, the monitoring visit included Anna Dostalova, Program Manager at the Czech Development Agency, and Katarina Kral, Deputy ND, Fundraising Director CARE CZ.