Improved Capital Planning: New Kindergarten in Srbac
“This smile has no price”, states Zeljka Novakovic, director of this April reconstructed kindergarten in Srbac, pointing at a smiling face of the twelve-year-old Bojan Tadic. Bojan and his friend Misa, both children with disabilities, are curiously watching the colorful walls of their new playroom, decorated with characters from famous cartoons. Around them happy children crowd celebrate opening of the kindergarten, the project completed in partnership with USAID, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN).
“Bojan was born as one of the triplets I carried with difficulties, and while his two sisters have grown normally, he has physical and mental difficulties in development”, says Mira, Bojan’s mom. “Thanks to the new kindergarten, my Bojan, along with 57 other children with special needs, finally has a place where he can not only spend time with his peers, which is what every child wants, but also work twice a week with a speech therapist and a teacher of the handicapped.”
Kindergarten “Nasa Radost” is located in Srbac, a small town of 25,000 citizens in North BiH. Due to war and post-war poverty it has not been invested in this play school for years, so its capacities were more than poor for 80 of its youngest members and 58 children with special needs.
The idea to reconstruct kindergarten was generated by the community through a new capital improvement planning system under the multi-donor Government Accountability Project II (GAP II), managed by USAID. USAID, SIDA, and EKN have each provided $10 million in funding toward the second phase of GAP, or “GAP II”, a five-year effort to help local governments in BiH increase their efficiency and accountability. In the first phase, GAP assisted 41 municipalities throughout BiH to build their capacities and improve service provision to citizens. For this second phase, an additional 31 municipalities will participate in similar activities. In total, 64 capital projects in 39 municipalities are underway, of which the municipal cost share is 69%, or $8.3 million, far exceeding the required 50% match to donor funds. Road construction represents the largest share of capital improvement projects, followed by water systems and construction of public buildings. To generate ideas for these projects, the municipality organizes participatory town meetings, focus groups and surveys.
The reconstruction of the kindergarten, in which GAP has invested $ 37.200 and the municipality of Srbac $ 51.000, is the fifth project which has been implemented here. Almost $ 360,000 have been invested so far in providing equipment for the utility company, than the reconstruction of the Culture center, the Youth centre in the suburbs of Srbac and opening a modern Citizen Service Center in the municipality building.
“Most of the funds for these projects were received from the GAP project. The citizens of Srbac will surely never forget such help from the American, Swedish and Dutch people. The quality of life in this town has improved largely, and we in the municipality management have become a far more responsible and transparent administration”, says Mirko Kojic, the mayor of Srbac. “Our municipality has financially participated in the reconstruction of the kindergarten, but without the help of GAP project, I admit we would never find this money in our budget and use it for such a humane and necessary cause”, mayor Kojic shares honestly.
To him and all those present at the opening of the renovated kindergarten, the laugher, games and joy of the youngest citizens of Srbac were the most beautiful “thank you”.
“My six-year-old, Mia, is a child with special needs, has never been separated from me or other closest family members. Now, for the first time, I leave her for at least an hour to play with her peers. I know she is in a place which can help her be aware of the world more easily and where she will get professional and focused help”, Andjelka Jovicic says with excitement: “Her smile is my holiday!”
Bojan and his best friend Misa: priceless smile
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From the opening ceremony
From the opening ceremony
