Initiative “DATES”

In March 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated 50 tons of dates to Bosnia and Herzegovina. On that occasion, the Forgotten Children of War Association sent a request for a donation to the addresses of the Embassy and the King Fahd Cultural Center. Upon this request, the Embassy allocated 140 kilograms of dates through the Fahd Cultural Center.

Based on the donation, the Association invited a group of women from Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the production of domestic date products. The goal of this activity is to strengthen the economic and social position of women in local communities, which we point out with certainty is bad if viewed from the aspect of equality, employment and surviving violence in the family or other relationships. Such activities promote the processes of reintegration and resocialization of returnees, internally displaced refugees and women survivors of war-time sexual violence.

It is important to point out that the Association connected a group of women from different local communities in this way, and in this way created a feeling of mutual solidarity and support. Dates were delivered to Konjic, Zavidovići, Tinja Srebrenik, Bihać, Mostar and Foča. The products of our work are homemade date jams, date and plum jam mix, “NERAdoll” vitamin bomb, date and walnut cookies, etc.

The Forgotten Children of War Association is ready to support such initiatives in the future as well. In this way, space is opened for connecting different local communities and citizens, connecting non-governmental organizations and other institutions. The processes of building a better future for all citizens in BiH must include cooperation between citizens, non-governmental organizations and public institutions.