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Description
The "Network of Solidarity - Network of Hope" project proposes activities aimed towards building the capacities of civil society organizations in the Banija region, struck by a catastrophic earthquake six months ago. The capacities will be built and improved by enabling CSOs to address the needs of their target groups. The project will achieve this by establishing a partnership between Association IKS from Petrinja and six local civil society initiatives/coordinations in Banija''s local communities. IKS''s staff will conduct field trips to those communities and offer support to local OCDs for better and more efficient community work.
Following the establishment of a network between IKS and local initiatives, project staff will prepare a research protocol for mapping the needs of local communities. Based on the protocol, network members will conduct the mapping in those communities. As a result, they will write up seven mapping reports, which will then be published on IKS''s website. Also, IKS''s associate will prepare a video clip (up to 5 minutes long) to serve to present the mapping findings using social media.
Conducting this project will facilitate closer cooperation between IKS and other local initiatives, which will foster the transfer of knowledge and the exchange of experiences. In this way, local initiatives'' capacities will improve and enable them to more efficiently advocate for their users'' needs and rights. Mapping reports will also serve as cornerstones for further strategic, operative, and project proposal planning. Finally, the public visibility of the reports will better the visibility of the socially, economically, and geographically marginalized people of Banija. It will also raise the general population''s consciousness, and decision-makers about adversities that these people face since natural and social disasters have hit them in the past
Summary of project results
The devastating earthquake at the end of 2020 caused great material damage and significantly set back the infrastructure of the City of Petrinja. The regular priorities of the users'' needs are those for social services, improving the communities in which they live and addressing the problems of poverty and social exclusion. On top of that, the challenge of providing housing for the population of the earthquake-affected area and rebuilding public infrastructure has now arisen. In addition, it is necessary for civil society to engage in the restoration of social and economic life in our city and other cities of the county. In order for this to be possible, it is necessary for civil society organizations operating in the area of the City of Petrinja and the entire SMŽ to have an insight into the needs of the end users of their programs and to articulate solutions that, in the form of project proposals and public policy proposals, they will be able to advocate in the future.
A needs assessment was conducted in 7 communities of the Sisak-Moslavina County (Petrinja, Sisak, Glina, Dvor, Hrvatska Kostajnica, Sunja, Gvozd) in the areas of social services, poverty prevention and alleviation, social inclusion, housing, and infrastructure reconstruction. A publicly available report detailing the identified needs in the 7 covered communities of the Sisak-Moslavina County has been published.
Research into the needs of local communities conducted by civil society organizations enabled a better understanding of the needs of local communities and the diversification of activities. With this, organizations have taken on a watchdog/advocate role, going beyond their current role as service providers.
the project had a positive impact on the population of local communities, enabling them to articulate their needs in cooperation with local civil society organizations. This gave the marginalized, socially and economically deprived population visibility and the opportunity for active participation at the local, regional and national level, which contributed to the improvement of the quality of life.
The project is sustainable thanks to the results achieved during implementation. The establishment of coordination among civil society organizations will enable further institutional strengthening of the network.