Caritas Switzerland has been present in Bosnia and Herzegovina for three decades, and this presence has been marked by a series of projects and activities primarily aimed at combating poverty and alleviating social disparities among the population in our country, developing the economy, humanitarian work, as well as providing support to local communities and strengthening partnerships for development to ensure sustainability. At a ceremony held at the Hotel Europe in Sarajevo, among other distinguished guests, the Swiss ambassador, H.E. Gabriel Derighetti, the director of Caritas Switzerland for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mrs. Anna Goos, and the program director for BiH, Berry Kralj, addressed the attendees. With expressions of welcome and gratitude to all partners and donors, Mrs. Goos emphasized that Caritas Switzerland will continue to invest in the community to further improve the quality of life and enable sustainable development. This ceremonial event was attended by Aida Salkić, the director of the Pedagogical Institute Zenica, and Advija Huseinspahić, an expert advisor for education affairs at Pedagogical Institute Zenica.
The partnership between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, the Pedagogical Institute Zenica and Caritas Switzerland in recent years has resulted in many activities primarily aimed at improving the material and technical conditions in the facilities of educational institutions in our canton, enhancing the Program of Mandatory Preschool Education for children in the year before starting primary school with a focus on rural areas, and providing support for the implementation of teacher and professional staff training to raise the level of their professional competencies. Caritas Switzerland, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Zenica-Doboj Canton, the Pedagogical Institute Zenica, and the Roma Support Center “Romalen” in Kakanj, is currently implementing a project titled “An Integrated Approach to Social Inclusion” which encompasses primary and secondary schools in the Municipality of Kakanj.
Regarding the education segment within the project activities, the realized and planned future training for teachers and professional staff aims, in addition to professional development, to enhance intersectoral cooperation, which is particularly significant when it comes to marginalized groups in society.
