TİKA Opened Sewing Workshop in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a sewing workshop within the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, operating in the city of Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With the sewing machines provided by TİKA as part of the women’s economic empowerment project, the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association increased its production capacities, providing more employment opportunities for women residing in the region.

Established in 2007 to conserve traditional handicrafts such as knitting, the association extended its activities and started to implement social responsibility projects as well in the following years.

With approximately 1,700 members, the association employed at least 10 more women thanks to the workshop established to produce traditional folk dance costumes.

Representing the Central Bosnia Canton, the Minister of Construction, Urban Planning and Environmental Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Amir Šečibović; Mayor of Bugojno, Hasan Ajkunić; TİKA’s Coordinator in Sarajevo, Erdinç Işık; the President of the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, Šida Kalbić and women members of the association attended the opening ceremony of the sewing workshop.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Šečibović congratulated the association on behalf of the Government of the Central Bosnia Canton for their exemplary work in Bosnia and Herzegovina through their activities and their significant contributions to women’s employment in the region. He also thanked TİKA for their support to the project.

The President of the Bugojno Đerđef Women’s Association, Kalbić expressed her gratitude to TİKA on behalf of all the women who will benefit from the sewing workshop and have the opportunity to earn an income.

Kalbić stated that they contributed to the treatment of many patients, and took part in many social responsibility projects thanks to the income gained from clothes sales and donations collected through the campaigns they are implementing.