Just a year ago, organizations of persons with disabilities in Zenica were facing uncertainty when it came to funding and sustainability. Without stable funding, their work depended on projects, donations, and occasional grants, making it difficult to provide continuous support to people with disabilities. Although they have been working for years to improve the position of their members, without institutional support, their mission has been to constantly fight against administrative obstacles and financial insecurity.
They decided to try to change things: instead of short-term solutions, to try to initiate systemic change. Gathered around a common goal or idea, representatives of the organizations launched a campaign to secure stable and long-term funding from the City budget. They took it step by step – they analyzed the legal framework, collected examples of good practices, mapped key decision-makers, started intensive discussions with city authorities, created and implemented a successful public campaign to inform all their fellow citizens about their goals and achieve real change. The campaign resulted in a historic breakthrough – their activities will now be systematically supported through the City budget. Thanks to their efforts and work, the City of Zenica became the first in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to recognize the importance of representative organizations of people with disabilities and civilian victims of war and to provide funds for their work. This decision not only means financial stability for associations, but also confirms that great things can be achieved through activism and inclusion in the decision-making process.
“We are no longer shadows, that is what I want to emphasize first, because finally, in a local community, in accordance with legal provisions, organizations of people with disabilities are recognized as a factor that can contribute to their better position, and through the budget they are provided with funds for the work program that each organization must implement in accordance with its statute. This is not a victory for anyone, it is the result of hard and continuous work in the process of advocating and targeting all the important factors and decision-makers who could help us in this campaign”, said Harun Alifendić on behalf of the Association of Paraplegics and Polio Patients.
The introduction of financial support into the budget of the City of Zenica ensures the sustainability of the work of the association, but also a stable basis for further improvement of the position of persons with disabilities. Organizations can now plan long-term activities without constant uncertainty about funding, which allows them to focus on the key problems facing their communities.
“The next step is the development of a Local Action Plan for the field of disability. It will precisely identify the problems and define concrete measures to solve them. This decision by the City of Zenica shows that inclusiveness must not remain just declarative – now we have an institutional mechanism that will ensure continuous support”, emphasized Samira Điđić from the Association of Paraplegics and Polio Patients.
This step forward not only sets a new standard in the Federation of BiH, but also sends a clear message to other local communities – organizations of people with disabilities must have systemic support and must be included in decision-making processes. In this way, Zenica has become an example of good practice in BiH, but the fight for equal rights continues.
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