MGD-F Director witnesses project implementation in Zadar hinterland

On 10 February 2010, as part of her regional visit, the Director of the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MGD-F), Ms. Sophie de Caen, visited the village of Kasic in the Zadar hinterland. UNHCR supports several MDG-F sponsored projects in the south of Croatia and the one in this North-Dalmatian village was presented to de Caen.

During the conflict in the nineties, Kasic was marked by intense fighting and was infested with mines. Its small returnee population faces difficulties in renewing what was once a prosperous agricultural area and is struggling to re-establish business relations with trade and tourist institutions in the region.

"Strengthening of the Farmers Cooperative Višnja" project is implemented by UNHCR and aimed at identifying the most vibrant groups within the communities of Kasic and Gornji Karin. Knin-based NGO "Covjekoljublje" is implementer of this project and as of today, all procurement has successfully been concluded and all work processes have been set up and initiated.

Currently 20 families are beneficiaries of provided agricultural equipment, technical assistance and psychosocial support thus empowered with resources and new approaches in agricultural production. The villagers were also informed about new ways to market their products. The members of the Cooperative initiated preliminary meetings with their neighbouring counterpart to discuss practical topics of mutual benefit.

The Head of UNHCR's Field Office in Knin, Tanja Kale, presented the project to de Caen, when she visited the home of Nikola Alavanja, a returnee to Kasic and head of the cooperative. Also present at the meeting were representatives of UNHCR's NGO partners in implementation - Mi from Split and Association of organization of Croat settlers (ZUNH). ZUNH President, Tomo Aracic and Nikola. Alavanja presented the additional impact of the MGD-F sponsored project which is the establishing of communication and cooperation between two ethnic groups, in this case Serb returnees and Bosnian Croat settlers gathered within the NGO "Association of re-constructors from Gornji Karin".