Jasmina is a young women who lost her father during the war. She was always a support for her mother and younger sister. Disabled people are struggling to find work these days, especially women, but after years of searching and hard work in the collapsed “In-Seh Krug” Jasmina finally found a place where she feels good. Today, she is one of six employees of the workshop “Zivotna pomoc (Life aid)” in Vitkovici near Gorazde. She is more than satisfied with the atmosphere where she is working. Also, she finally proved environment that people with disabilities can be very useful and equally worth member of society.
“I finished textile school in Gorazde and I worked in the firm In-Seh Krug, whose founder was the Association of Disabled Veterans, until it was closed. Years later I was trying to find a job, but I could not, because when they see a disabled person, they just say that there is no work for us. Finally, I got a chance here. I am very happy. We work like a real family, everyone knows who does what and this is proof that nothing is impossible,” said Jasmine.
For his work colleague Armin, who has a disability of 90 %, this is the first job in his life.
“For persons with disabilities it is difficult to find a job. That’s why we are always trying to find some projects to keep them engaged, but at the same time we have always struggled with the survival of the company in financial terms. This is multiple benefit for us, our members can make money and at the same time show how useful and valuable members of society they are,” said Mirsada Culov, director of the company.
The workshop was started back in 2005, and they first started with the production of wooden puzzles for children which, thanks to their friends, were placed on the market in Germany. The workshop was founded by members of the Association of people with cerebral paralysis and muscular dystrophy with the support of friends from the municipality of Gera in Germany as well as the municipality of Gorazde. There are similar workshops in Germany that are employing disabled people and that’s where the idea came from.
Workshop was even devastated, but that did not discourage them. Especially because friends from Germany never left them alone. Municipality also helped, company Prevent provides them with pieces of material for production, part of it they found by themselves. The best slippers are coming from the workshop today.
Slippers are sold on the market in Gorazde and Sarajevo, and they emphasized that, unlike previous years, today there is a Law on protected workshops and the company recently received this status. The help also came from the Fund for Employment of Disabled Persons in Sarajevo, which supported hiring of two people with disabilities.
(Source: E. A./Klix.ba)
