Learning to Work Together Again

Harun Prelevic, a member of Ribarice's Community Development Council, speaks out at a community mobilization meeting. Photo: Mercy Corps Serbia

Ribarice is a small community located in the ethnically diverse region of southwestern Serbia. Many communities like Ribarice have been seemingly forgotten in the years following the Yugoslav wars and more than a decade of nationalistic rule under the Milosevic regime. The already weak social infrastructure and local economies went into sharp decline and citizens increasingly focused on meeting individual needs as best they could. The sense of community was gone.

However, that began to change when Mercy Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) started supporting the community through the Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CDRA) program. Citizens with rekindled interest have formed a Community Development Council to help Ribarice partner with the CRDA program. Today, the community is working with local government and the CRDA program to realize tangible solutions for the future.

The first project prioritized by the community was a long overdue improvement in the local electrical supply network, which was in serious disrepair and could not meet the needs of all 500 families living in Ribarice. Through a $25,600 CRDA donation of new electrical equipment matched by a $7,700 contribution from the community’s local government, the community found a permanent solution to the problem. The electrical improvements have substantially improved the quality of life in Ribarice, and are also allowing community members new possibilities in establishing small businesses that require a reliable source of power.

“Since the coming of the CRDA program the community has changed,” said Harun Prelevic, a member of the Community Development Council and principal of the local school. “We used to be so passive. Now there is a lot more energy and enthusiasm to work together. Mercy Corps supported and educated us on how to get back together.”

After meeting the critical need for electricity, the community has focused on improving their local schools’ outdoor sports facility. They have prioritized a new paved and well-equipped sports field to improve their children’s education experience and provide a valuable youth recreation center. The community raised over $45,800 of support from local government contributions and local sports teams. Over $9,000 comes directly from community members.

When asked about what Mercy Corps’ CRDA program means to the people of Ribarice, Prelevic said “The most important thing is that the CRDA program helped get us together to work for the common good.”